Nielsen, Balzan to return to Scuderia Corsa to defend title in 2017 - MotorSportsTalk

After claiming this year’s GT Daytona class championship in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Christina Nielsen and Alessandro Balzan will be back with Scuderia Corsa for the 2017 season to defend their title.

Nielsen became the first female driver to win an IMSA title this past season. Balzan, meanwhile added an IMSA GTD title to his – and Scuderia Corsa’s – 2013 title in the GRAND-AM Rolex GT Series.

A release from the team confirming the return is below:

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Christina Nielsen and Alessandro Balzan will return as teammates to Scuderia Corsa to defend their GT-Daytona IMSA SportsCar Championship for the 2017 season.

The 2016 season was a banner year for Scuderia Corsa. In addition to capturing the GT-Daytona championship with Nielsen and Balzan, they also captured the IMSA North American Endurance Cup for GT-D. Scuderia Corsa also won the Pirelli World Challenge GT-A championship, and the GTE-Am class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

With Nielsen and Balzan’s return, they will be aiming for the team’s fourth IMSA championship since 2013.

“I am really looking forward to being back with Scuderia Corsa,” said Nielsen. It’s been an absolute dream season in 2016 with them. I have no reason at all not to believe that they will be one of the favorites for taking the championship again in 2017.

“I think as a driver, after going through different championships and teams over the last couple of years, I am really looking forward to going back to Daytona this January with this group. We all know each other and we can continue the work we have done so far and improve from there. I think it’s a more calm environment – you don’t have to start over and get to know everyone in the beginning of the year. We are already comfortable with each other, the routine is there, everything is working well.”

On their way to the IMSA championships, Nielsen and Balzan captured two victories (12 Hours of Sebring and Six Hours of the Glen) and five additional podium finishes. As well, it was Balzan’s second championship with the team, and he is now anxious to compete for a third.

“I’m really happy that 2017 will be my fourth season with Scuderia Corsa,” said Balzan. “I’m really proud to be a part of this team and to drive the No. 63 Ferrari 488 GT3 again with Christina. We will have a lot of new competitors and this is giving me all the energy I need to come back stronger and more focused!”

For Scuderia Corsa team owner, returning with his championship-winning program intact was his top priority.

“After the type of season we had, you of course want to keep this winning combination of drivers and team together,” said Mattioli. “With Christina and Alessandro, our team has a high level of chemistry that would be very hard to replicate. They have a good time and build each other up, but they maintain a team-first attitude and work together to solve problems when we encounter them. I am very proud of the job that Christina and Alessandro did in 2016 and I am looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish in 2017.”

An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”