With less than four weeks to go until the 2017 Total 24 Hours of Spa, competitors continued their preperation for the big race with the official test day.
Kaspersky Motorsport was among the 60+ cars taking part over the course of the day with regular drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Marco Cioci taking on driving duties while James Calado was absent.
Usually sporting the green, white and red colours of Kaspersky, the Ferrari 488 GT3 looked unusually plain today as the team bedded in a new chassis in the standard Ferrari ‘Rosso’ colour.
The first part of the day saw basic set up work carried out as the team prepare the car for the demands of the 24 hour race.
The afternoon saw the the focus shift to performance and fine-tuning the set up for race pace, making sure the set up remains consitant across the usual Spa stint of 23 to 24 laps.
Along with the general set up work the team evaluated tyre performance with tests to see how the tyre pressure affected the overall performance.
With the official test out of the way the team will continue their development off-track running simulations with Kaspersky Lab to fine tune the aero balance and ride height.
“The test day went very well for us but we are not getting carried away because the only important result is at the end of 24 hours of racing.” said Fisichella.
Credit: Kaspersky Motorsport
“During the test, the car looked very competitive which is a great start but we have plenty of work to do. I expect a very close race, which would be fantastic for the fans; we cannot wait to be part of it.
“We have been working all year to be ready for this and I am looking forward to driving with James and Marco again. The car looks strong so we have a chance, but we know 24h of Spa is a very tough, long race which requires the best preparation. Now we are fully focused only on the race and we expect to fight at the front again.”
Marco Cioci echoed Fisichella’s thoughts as he looked towards the race, “The 24 Hours of Spa is the highlight of our season. I think there is a big opportunity for us this year and we need to make sure everything runs smoothly and that we are as well prepared as possible.
“The big challenge of Spa 24h is that so many things can and will change during the race, so you never know what’s going to happen. Our car is quick as you could see from the times today, we have prepared well and everyone in the team is pushing like crazy to be ready for the race.
“Our pre-race work is not over yet. We need to analyze the data, and do a lot of work on our Kaspersky Lab simulator in London.
“Spa is always a special moment in the season and it always creates strong emotions. This year I hope they are happy ones!” he added.
