The first race weekend with the Ferrari 488 GT3 at Brands Hatch proved to be a difficult task for Seefried and Siedler.

After 14th place in the qualifying race, the duo had to bury all hopes of a top-10 finish in the main race due to a puncture.

After a long wait, the time had finally come: Rinaldi Racing started for the first time with the newly developed Ferrari 488 GT3 in the Sprint Cup of the Blancpain GT Series. After there was no time for a pre-test with the new entry, the team from Mendig had a visibly difficult time. “The 488 requires a completely different driving style to the 458 Italia GT3. In addition, we still have a lot to learn in order to set up the car better,” said Norbert Siedler.

After Siedler and Seefried set the best time of all Ferraris in qualifying with 17th place, the two were only able to work their way forward to a limited extent in the first race. “We lacked power. Even when an opponent in front of us made a mistake, we couldn’t get past,” Seefried looks back. However, the Rinaldi driver is convinced that the new Ferrari 488 GT3 has potential: “Especially in the area of downforce, the car is clearly stronger than its predecessor,” he explains. After 14th place in the qualifying race, the hunt for a good result in the main race ended prematurely due to a puncture.

With two podium finishes, Steve Parrow and Daniel Keilwitz may start their journey home from Brands Hatch. Thanks to a flawless performance, the duo in the Black Pearl Ferrari fought for the top positions in the Pro-Am Cup in both races. In both qualifying and the main race, the pair secured third place.

“We look back on our race weekend with one laughing eye and one crying eye,” said team boss Michele Rinaldi. “Of course we imagined the debut of the new Ferrari 488 GT3 to be different. But the potential is there, we just have to exploit it. I am very happy for Daniel Keilwitz and Steve Parrow, who finished on the podium twice in their class. Thanks to the whole team, who did a great job. We didn’t have any technical problems, just the speed wasn’t there.”

There is no time for a break as the “English week” continues for Rinaldi Racing with the next round of the Blancpain GT Series at Silverstone. The Endurance Cup will be held at the Grand Prix circuit north of London from 14 to 15 May.