WEC - First day at Ferrari for Sam Bird

Maranello, 21 Jan 2016 - Sam Bird went for his first day at Maranello on Thursday. In early January the Briton became Ferrari's eighth GT racing driver. Sam passed through the factory gates in the morning where GT Sporting Activities Director Antonello Coletta greeted him. He then met some of the technicians with whom he will be working during the 2016 season of the World Endurance Championship (WEC). The driver then had a go on the GT simulator and at the end of the first session shared his impressions with the technicians.   Crew 71. At lunchtime Davide Rigon was waiting for Sam at the company restaurant. Rigon will team up with the Briton in the brand new Ferrari 488 GTE no. 71, which will compete under the AF Corse banner. In the afternoon, Sam was then taken on a tour of the factory, from the assembly lines of the 8- and 12-cylinder models to the Classic Department and the Atelier, where he was keen to pose with the exclusive F12tdf.   A unique company. "This is one of those days that you remember for a lifetime," said Bird, who will soon return to Maranello to continue development work on the simulator. "Ferrari is a unique company where road and racing cars are assembled under one roof. During the morning I could see the high level of technology and innovation within this company, while in the afternoon tour I was thrilled to see how much tradition there is at Maranello and the affection felt for Ferrari by the people who work here. I am proud to represent the Prancing Horse in the WEC and at the Le Mans 24 Hours and I hope to achieve great results at the wheel of the new 488 GTE," the driver concluded.