Risi Competizione has a long history at Petit Le Mans and it stretches back to the very beginning of the race, in 1998. Here, in abbreviated form, is how Risi Competizione has performed at the Petit Le Mans over the years.
1998.
Risi Comp’s history at Petit started in 1998, the very first year of the Petit Le Mans‘, a 10 hours or 1000 miles endurance race (whichever came first). Risi Competizione won the race in a Ferrari 333SP, driven by Collard/Taylor/van de Poele. The car qualified fourth and finished first. The race was, at that time, a part of the IMSA GT Championship.
1999
For the second running of The Petit, Risi brought two 333SPs, one with Caffi/Montermini/Taylor and the other with Angelelli/de Radigues/Pompidou driving. The cars qualified 9th and 10th but did not finish. Both went out with alternator problems.
2000
Risi Comp did not enter.
2001
Risi Comp did not enter
2002
The first year of the Ferrari 360 Modena GT, a car that signaled Ferrari’s return to international racing in the GT category. Driven by Risi Comp favorites Lazzaro/Kelleners, the team qualified 4th and finished 3rd.
2003
Lazzaro/Kelleners were paired again in a Ferrari 360 for 2003. Qualifying was not held and the team finished 3rd, for the second podium in a row. If you’re keeping score, at this point, Risi Comp had one win, and two podiums in four entries at Petit.
2004
The last year of the 360GT, with Lazzaro/Kelleners/de Simone aboard. The car qualified 6th and finished 4th.
2005.
Risi Competizione brings the Maserati MC12GT—a beautiful, quick race car with a mechanical design that closely paralleled that of the Ferrari ENZO, to Petit. The car was slowed throughout the 2005 season by technical restrictions placed on it by the ALMS. It was not slowed in the European FIA GT series where it won 5 straight championships. At Petit, the Risi Competizione managed MC12 qualified 6th and finished 4th, with Bertolini/Babini/de Simone driving. Has Risi ever received the benefit of a BoP ruling? Nope.
2006
The beginning of the Ferrari F430 Era. Risi Comp brought a pair of the 430GTs, cars which were to become Ferrari’s all-time GT racing winners. One 430GT went to Kelleners/Ortelli/Palttala and the other to Mediani/Lazzaro/Franchitti. Kelleners put his car into the pole position; the other 430GT was third on the grid. The pole sitting Ferrari went out due to an accident, and the remaining Risi Comp car finished 2nd.
2007
Risi Comp came back to Petit in 2007 with two cars, one for the driving tandem of Melo/Salo (who had already locked up the 2007 Championship for Risi Comp), aided by Johnny Mowlem, and other for Jonsson/Krohn/Turner. Melo put his 430 on the pole, but went down with electrical problems, having covered enough territory to be classified 6th. The second Ferrari qualified 10th and DNF’d (oil pump).
2008
Back again with Melo/Salo (no Mowlem this year), who qualified first and finished first, completing an end-to-end run. Jonsson/Krohn/van de Poele, the second car in the two car Risi Comp entry, qualified 6th and finished fourth.
2009
One 430GT for drivers Pierre Kaffer, Jaimie Melo, and Mika Salo. The car qualified 10th and finished first. It was the third win for Risi Competizione at Petit in 10 years.
2010.
Two cars entered, one for Bruni/Vilander (Racing this weekend, again, with Risi Comp) and the other for Fisichella/Melo/Salo (Fisi is also back this weekend). The first Ferrari 430 GT qualified 2nd and finished 3rd; the second car qualified 1st and finished 7th. This was the last year for the legendary F430GT.
2011
Risi returns to Petit, this year with the new Ferrari 458. Melo/Vilander/Matos were handed the driving chores. The car qualified 4th but did not start, due to an accident.
2012
Risi Competizione did not enter.
2013
Back to Petit, again with the Ferrari 458, with Drivers Beretta/Malucelli/Liddell. The Ferrari qualified 1st and finished 3rd.
2014
The 2014 edition of the Petit will always be remembered for the pit-lane incident that took the No. 62 Ferrari 458 out of the race. The driving team of Fisichella/Kaffer/Beretta had qualified the F458 Ferrari in second position and the team was leading when it was hit when stopped by a red light at the pit lane exit. But the results are interesting: Only the Ferrari could not continue and no penalty was assessed against the offending Porsche.