Risi “Fully Intends” to Return This Year Despite Hiatus

Photo: John Dagys

Risi Competizione team principal Giuseppe Risi has vowed to return to competition later this year, despite the team having withdrawn from next weekend’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and additional IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races this season.

The Houston-based team is expected to be absent from the next three WeatherTech Championship races, although a timeline for a return has not yet been defined for its Ferrari 488 GTE car.

It comes after a challenging start to the season for the longtime Ferrari squad, which has failed to finish in three of its five races entered this year due to accidents, including a heavy crash in last weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“Following an extremely challenging first half of 2017, most recently at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, I have decided to withdraw the Risi Competizione race team from part of the 2017 IMSA season in order to consolidate resources and to reflect on future racing programs,” Risi said.

Per a statement from the team, Risi “fully intends” to return to competition this year, with its plan to be revealed in due corse.

The team recently took delivery of a GT3-spec Ferrari, understood to be owned by a gentleman driver, with two 488 GT3s provisionally entered for November’s 24H Series race at Circuit of the Americas. 

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John