For the 77th time the 24h Le Mans are going to take place on the 13th / 14th June 2009. After Risi Competizione's success from last year the aim is to repeat the win of the GT2 class. Special for the Ferrari team is that 60 years ago Ferrari has won the 24h Le Mans for the first time. As a special honour Luca di Montezemolo, chairman and CEO of Ferrrai will start the race on Saturday 13th June at 3pm.
Also for Pierre the 24h Le Mans are something very special. Pierre Kaffer before his departure to Le Mans: "I am so looking forward to Le Mans! Often I get asked which 24h race I love most and which one do I prefer, the 24h Le Mans or the 24h Nürburgring. From my point of view those races can't be compared. The Nürburgring is my home track and for this reason it is very special for me. Le Mans is "the great race" worldwide and you can only race the track once a year. The Nürburgring is a huge challenge due to its length, character and the changing conditions. Le Mans has a different charme, ordinary highways which suddenly become a race track, five sections per lap where the GT2 cars reach the 300kmh-mark and the sportscar prototypes for which the Nordschleife would be far to risky. Two race events to which I look forward a lot. My result at the Nürburgring this year was great but now my full concentration is on my next aim - to get to the top of the podium in the GT2 class with the Risi Competizione Ferrari in Le Mans."
After the successful season start for Risi Competizione and Pierre Kaffer at the 12h race in Sebring, the expectations are high but without underestimating the competitors.
Pierre: "Risi Competizione has intensively prepared itself for Le Mans in the USA and did a long hard journey to take part in this historical endurance race. Together with Jaime Melo and Mika Salo I am very happy to enter this race in the same constellation after our success in Sebring. I am glad that I finally know a race track again because in the past ALMS races I only knew Sebring and not one of the ones we have already raced this year. This race I will be able to give more input to get the set up for the car ready as soon as possible to make it fast and reliable for the three of us. The competitors are extremly strong and we need to compensate our lack of performance on the straight but the race is over 24h and you have to survive without any problems and see the chequered flag."
The Le Mans week starts on Wednesday 10th June with the first free practice at 6pm. This year the first free practice is something special because there was no pre-test day for the 24h Le Mans like it was in previous years. Kaffer: "The new regulation, to have a test day or not, doesn't cause any problems for me because I know the track very well. It will be difficult for all newcomers and for those drivers who have to qualify themselves to get familiar with a new difficult and challenging track in a very short period of test sessions."
The world-renowned driver parade in the center of Le Mans will take place on Friday 12th June and Pierre is looking forward to meet his fans there.
