F.4 – A weekend of apprenticeship for Joao Vieira in Imola

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It was a bitter-sweet weekend for Joao Vieira in Imola, where the second round of the Italian F.4 Championship powered by Abarth took place.

The Brazilian driver of Antonelli Motorsport was back at the wheel of the #28 Tatuus at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit, willing to improve the result of the inaugural race in Adria, but he left the challenging track empty-handed. The premises to score another useful result were all in place, given what he had done in free practice and qualifying, managing to bring his car in the upper side of ranking. Unfortunately, the lack of experience with the car and with the 4.936 meters of the track have left him out of the score-zone, giving him, however, the chance to drive more miles.

“Imola was a weekend of apprenticeship. It’s a really challenging track. Some corners do not forgive the slightest mistake. For me it was the first time, having tried it only once in the simulator. We are only at the second appointment and I have accumulated miles and experience that will definitely be useful already at Mugello, in fifteen days”, Joao Vieira comments. “Now I will continue training at the Driver Program Center”.

“It’s has been a weekend of bas luck for Joao, even if the premises were good. He committed several mistakes, because of his inexperience, but I’m sure that he will hold them for the next round at Mugello, a very technical track that suits his driving style. I just regret that he missed a good result both in race-2, when he drove faster than in qualifying, and in race-3”, the manager Giovanni Minardi analyzes.

Le Mans – Davide Rigon: "A dream faded too soon"

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A 24H of Le Mans with two sides for Davide Rigon. While there is great satisfaction for the triumph of the AF Corse team with the #51 twin car of the friends Bruni, Fisichella and Villander, on the other side there’s the regret for having seen the dream fading after only a few hours of race.

After the terrible accident in qualifying of Calado, the mens in red of Amato Ferrari had succeeded in the miracle of rebuilding the Ferrari 458 just in time for the final warm-up on Saturday morning, managing to get quickly a new shell. Unfortunately, this major effort was vanished a few hours after the start, when Davide was betrayed by a technical problem, forcing him to a definitive retirement from the race. “It has been a cold shower”, Davide Rigon – disconsolate – says. “I have to congratulate all the staff of AFCorse and Ferrari. The guys have did a miracle. They practically rebuilt the whole machine working nonstop at night, allowing us to get back on track for the warm-up. Unfortunately, the dream lasted only a few hours. A real shame”.
The premises were good. Before retiring, the #71 Ferrari was recovering. “Our pace was really good. I was regaining different positions, and when it started to rain, we guessed the strategy”, continues the driver from Vicenza (Italy). “The premises were good, but races are races. Now I just want to wish a big good luck for a speedy recovery to James”. After the terrible accident, the British driver was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed a cerebral edema.

“Now I want to leave behind this disappointment quickly and think about the next challenge in Austin, with the goal of returning to Le Mans next year ready for a redeem”. The appointment with FIA WEC is therefore set for September 20th, with the fourth round at the Circuit of the Americas.

FIA WEC – Davide Rigon: "24 Hours of Le Mans, a dream coming true"

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This weekend the spotlight will turn on the 82nd Edition of the 24 Heures du Mans, the most important and eagerly-awaited race in the Endurance panorama, and not only.
Among more than 160 riders, there will also be Davide Rigon, at the wheel of the Ferrari 458 GTE #71 of AF Corse Team, making his debut at the Circuit de la Sarthe, in pair with James Calado and Oliver Beretta. “A dream coming true. All drivers wish to run the 24H of Le Mans at least once”, the 27-year-old driver from Veneto (Italy) says.

For Davide, it will be the fourth 24H race, but the first time at Le Mans, after the races of 2008-2012-2013 alongside the amazing ups and downs of Spa-Francorchamps, with the success at the first chance at Ferrari, in the FIA World GT. “The fact I already have an experience in 24H races will be an advantage. I already know what to expect and how to measure forces, although Le Mans remains a unique race. Both for me and my team-mate James this will be the debut, but we have worked hard in these weeks to get prepared. Sharing the box with Fisichella-Bruni-Villander is certainly very stimulating”, the driver of Maranello continues.

During the collective test of the beginning of this month, Davide has begun to become familiar with French track, long more than 13 Km. “I’ve never driven on a circuit where a complete lap takes nearly 4 minutes. It’s really something crazy. I’ve had the opportunity to study the circuit through the simulator and some videos, but actually driving it is something sensational. You have to keep the concentration level very high and also for a long time, and I’ve been working hard on this with my trainer. There will be the opportunity to do three consecutive hours of race and I want to be prepared”.
The 24 Hours will also be the third round of the FIA WEC and crew #71 will arrive at the start on the strength of the fifth position. “The evaluation so far is certainly positive. Now we have several kilometres behind and several hours of driving at the wheel of Ferrari. Both my team-mate and I are young drivers, with a great desire to learn and to get noticed. Thanks to AF Corse and Ferrari we have everything on hand to make it right”, the driver of Minardi Management concludes.

Curtains will be risen already on Wednesday night at 10 pm with the first of three qualifying sessions, which will conclude on Thursday 12 June, giving way to warm-up on Saturday (9.00 am) before the official start, with Fernando Alonso ready to wave the French flag at 3 pm.

Points and Top Ten for Joao Vieira at Adria in the Italian F.4 Championship powered by Abarth

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At the Adria International Raceway, the 16 year-old Brazilian driver Joao Vieira has closed the first race of the Italian Championship F.4 powered by Abarth, the new championship strongly wanted by FIA and brought on track by ACI.

Coming from the world of Kart, at his debut at the wheel of F4 Tatuus T014 motorized Abarth 160 Hp, the young Brazilian of Antonelli Motorsport has ended the first of the seven appointments finishing in Top Ten and scoring the first point of the season.

In a line-up consisting of 22 open-wheel cars, Joao defended himself by closing the two qualifications in the first five rows, respectively with the eighth and ninth fastest lap. The greatest satisfaction came in the second of the three races, when he brought his #28 to ninth place, scoring the best result among the Antonelli’s boys, after being forced to recover in Race 1 for a not perfect start. It was a weekend of apprentice: at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit of Imola, where the next race is scheduled for June 29th, he will be able to put into practice the experience gained.

“I am very pleased with the weekend of Joao. Given the lack of experience, it was a very good weekend. He has made a big leap in quality since the last day of testing, done just in Adria, but unfortunately we paid some electrical problems that caused a lost in power to the engine. Diversely, in Race 3 we could have scored a very good result, considering that before the retirement from the race we were in seventh position, going as fast as the group before us. However, again, a nice weekend and in constant improvement, which bodes well for the next round at Imola, even if we talk about a much harder track which he doesn’t know”, Giovanni Minardi comments.

Davide Rigon: "Waiting for Le Mans"

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In a little more than two weeks the spotlight will turn on the most prestigious competition in the Endurance landscape, the 24 Hours of Le Mans: among the 168 pilots, there will be also Davide Rigon, in pair with Calado and Olivier Beretta, at the wheel of the Ferrari 458 AF Corse. The talented driver from Veneto (Italy) arrives to the appointment which is worth a season, on the strength of the podium at Spa-Francorchamps and of fifth place obtained in the opening race at Silverstone, which launched the crew #71 at fifth place in classification. “The evaluation so far is certainly positive. At Silverstone we collected less than deserved, while at Spa everything went great. The maximum would have been the second place”, Davide Rigon comments. “Now we have several kilometres behind and begin to be very familiar with the car and the team, with whom there’s a great feeling”.

Along with Bruni and Vilander, you have made Ferrari and AF Corse the leaders in their respective classifications. What are your goals?

The main objective is to bring Ferrari to success among the Constructors and then, in succession, to achieve the titles for teams and drivers, thus trying to repeat the three of last year. We’ll try to win the Drivers’ Championship, even though we are rookies. For James this is the first experience in GT, while for me it’s their first season as official driver. Last year, thanks to 8Star Team, I had the chance to get to know the championship, but now I feel much the weight of responsibility. Thanks to AF Corse and Ferrari we have everything on hand to make it right. We are professionals and we have to give the 100%.

What about your relationship with the other Ferrari drivers?

There is a great team spirit and we work very well together, also sharing the data. Gimmi and Vilander are two champions with an extensive experience: I can learn a lot from them. We have a great engineer with whom we feel very well: we build the car in order to suit our needs.

After Silverstone and Spa, now it’s time for the 24H of Le Mans.

It’s the most important race of the year and one of the finest in history. All drivers wish to run the 24H of Le Mans at least once, for its charm and importance. Perhaps it is worth more than a win in Monte Carlo. For me it will be the first time and I cannot wait.

What are your goals?

The objectives are clear. We have to run for the podium, if not for the victory. We know that it will be very tough – especially for us, considering that we are at the debut – although on our side we can count on Olivier Beretta, who can already claim a victory. We are ready to challenge ourselves: we have already analyzed and studied different strategies and we’ll have an important reference with our fellows Fisichella-Bruni-Vilander, who know this race very well. We’ll try to keep their pace in the race.

Have you already had the chance to get to know the track?

I will experiment the track for the first time in the official tests before the race. As far as now, I’ve had the opportunity to study the circuit through the simulator and some videos. It’s a very long track: I’ve never driven on a circuit where a complete lap takes nearly 4 minutes.

It will be the first time at Le Mans for you, but the fourth in a 24H race, with the 2008 success in FIA GT.

I have already run three times a 24H, although all of them on the track of Spa-Francorchamps. In 2008 I won at the debut in the FIA World GT with the Ferrari of Scuderia Italia, while in Blancpain Endurance Series I had to retire both times, including last year in the last hour of the race, due to an engine failure. I know what it means not sleeping at night. It’s a really tough race where we should not leave anything to the rivals.

What kind of physical preparation is required for this kind of race?

This year, with my trainer Emiliano Maraldi of the Driver Program Center of Forlì, we are working primarily on floor exercises with aerobic workouts and on reflexes, continuing with the program of last year. In terms of physical strength, endurance races are less demanding than Formula ones, while they require a greater resistance to heat and to extended “suffering”. Especially in the 24H I’ll have to stay several hours in the car, with stints of even three hours. For this reason, I don’t want to arrive unprepared to this important appointment.

Davide Rigon: "A podium which looks ahead to Le Mans"

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“A podium is always great, but if you get there driving a Ferrari, during a World Championship race and on Spa circuit, then it becomes special and unique”: these are the first words of Davide Rigon, back from third place at finish in the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, stage of the second round of the FIA WEC.

At the wheel of Ferrari 458 GTE, the talented driver from Veneto (Italy) has realized a great comeback, conquering the third step of the podium, assisted by teammate James Calado and by the excellent pit stop performed by the men of AF Corse, after a qualification below expectations. He drove in the first and third hour, with a double final stint, for a total of four hours at the wheel of the red #71 of Maranello.

“Unfortunately qualifying did not go as we wanted to, especially regarding the times of free practice. In the race, on dry conditions, I drove fast since the start, trying to attack Porsche, advantaged in straights and fast corners”, Davide Rigon comments. “Both James and I kept a great pace, that allowed us to catch up to the podium. It was a very competitive race – one of the kind I like most – and I have to congratulate all our mechanics for the fantastic pit stops. Every time we were able to nibble away something at our rivals”, David continues.


A podium that is good for the spirit in view of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and that represents a good close-up for the great weekend of Amato Ferrari Team. “Le Mans is a race that is worth a whole season. My double stint on the final was also a test in view of the 24H, both for me and for the tires”.

With the third place, Rigon and Calado climb the standings arriving in fifth place, with 25 points and a gap of only two points from the Top 3, contributing decisively to bring Ferrari to the first position in the LMGTE Manufacturer’s World Cup.

Davide Rigon, from Silverstone to Spa-Francorchamps

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Six hundred and forty Kilometres separate Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, location of the second round of FIA World Endurance Championship. Fifteen days after the inaugural race on the British historical circuit and the first point scored, Davide Rigon is ready to return on Ferrari 458 GTE #71 and continue his adventure in the World Championship alongside AF Corse.

Strengthened by the fifth place and by a weekend with no mistakes, despite the rain that has influenced the final result, the talented driver from Veneto is determined to improve its ranking by focusing firmly on the podium. “The weekend at Silverstone was positive, even if we were expecting something more in terms of final result”, Davide Rigon comments. “In qualifications we missed the top 3 for a tenth – the best result we could point to – contenting ourselves, however, with a good fourth place. In the race, both my teammate and I have not committed any mistake, despite the difficult conditions dictated by the rain, which came during the race. In hindsight we delayed the pit-stop too much, bringing this gap with us until the end of the sixth hour of race”, Davide continues. “Coming from two successful seasons, Ferrari has suffered the balance against Porsche”.

The mind has already turned to the next challenge and the Ardennes circuit should be more favorable for the car of Maranello, especially in dry conditions, although Spa is famous for its unpredictable weather, and not only for its charm. “The track is absolutely fantastic and racing here is always exciting. The ups and downs and the curves give you an adrenaline rush like no other track. Compared to Silverstone, Ferrari should be favoured, even if we suffer a bit in wet conditions”, the driver from Veneto concludes.

The weekend will unroll from Friday, with two free practice sessions and Qualifying, which will determine the starting grid for the 6-hour race scheduled on Saturday, May 3 from 2.30 pm onwards.

Four aces for Bhai Tech in Blancpain Sprint Series

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New year, new challenge. After dominating the scene of International GT Open, achieving the Team and Pilots titles with Giorgio Pantano, for Bhai Tech Team it’s now time for a new and exciting challenge in Blancpain Sprint Series.

Eleven teams and forty pilots are participating to this championship: the Racing division of the Bhai Tech Advanced Vehicle Science Centre (based in Mestrino, Padova – Italy) will be this weekend on the starting grid of Nogaro (France) with its McLaren MP4-12C GT3 and a new group of drivers with high experience.

Together with the champion Giorgio Pantano, for the second season at Bhai Tech Team, we’ll see the young GP2 driver Fabio Onidi (from Milan, born in 1988) – for a completely Italian pair – whereas the second car will be put into the hands of two young talents: Sten Pentus from Estonia – born in 1981, with a past experience in WSR 3.5 – and the 22-year-old British driver Daniel Lloyd, ready to take the next big step into the international scene.

“After the success of last season, this year we intend to perform an even more competitive championship, with top-level drivers and teams”, Giorgio Pantano comments. “Last year I took the necessary steps with McLaren MP4-12C and with the GT world, and I won the title. We are back to aim high and, from free practice, I’ll do my best to realize all the work done in 2013”, the young talented driver from Veneto goes on, introducing also the new teammate Onidi. “Fabio is a very fast driver and I’m really happy to share the McLaren cockpit with him. Together we make an amazing pair”, the ex-F1 pilot concludes.

The goals have been defined: Bhai Tech Team will try to repeat the successes of last season, in a championship made of seven races, from France to Azerbaijan, touching Great Britain (Brands Hatch), The Netherlands (Zandvoort), Slovakia (Slovakia Ring), Portugal (Algarve) and Belgium (Zolder). On a stage that will host the competition of the major constructors, the “Fantastic Four” – Pantano, Onidi, Pentus, Lloyd – are determined to bring home a new title, counting also on the cutting edge full-motion 6-DOF driving simulator, which is situated in the Bhai Tech suite.

FIA WEC, kick-off in Silverstone for Davide Rigon

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The long wait is over: this weekend the curtain will be raised on the championship par excellence of the Endurance panorama, with the first race of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

A track of 5.891 metres and a 6-hours race on the historical British circuit of Silverstone – a location of the Formula 1 World Championship since the Fifties – will be the kick-off of the sporting season of Davide Rigon, driving the three-world title winner Ferrari Italia 458 GT #71, alongside the Amato Ferrari AF Corse. His goal is to be confirmed as a top driver at a worldwide level.

After winning in Shanghai, finishing second in Bahrain and Sao Paulo and finishing fourth in Fuji with 8Star Team, this year the talented driver from Veneto (Italy) will be an official pilot of Maranello Team.

“I can’t wait to be in Silverstone and begin this new adventure. We’ve been working very well during last winter and we’re determined to start the season on the right foot. There’s no need to remark that Ferrari 458 is an amazing car. With Team Amato Ferrari the feeling has been good since the beginning, the same with James. Considering the level of the participants, this will be a very competitive season, where the difference will be made by details”, Davide Rigon comments.

In this new adventure, composed by eight races – from Great Britain to Brazil, touching Spa-Francorchamps, 24 hours of Le Mans, Austin, Fuji, Shanghai e Sakhir – the 27-year-old pilot will drive the glorious 458 GTE-Pro with James Calado, ranked third in the 2013 GP2 Series.

“I’m really happy to have Davide Rigon in the Team, after last season’s experience with 8Star Team when he conquered the whole staff both at human and professional level. Our main goal will be to repeat the successes of last year, with the Manufacturer, Team and Pilot Titles”, Team Owen Amato Ferrari comments.

The spotlight will be turned on the WEC Championship with the first round of free practice, leading to Qualifying – on Saturday 19th April at 1 pm (Italian time) – to decide the starting grid of the “6 Hours”, in program on Sunday 20th April at 1 pm (Italian time).

The Made in Italy is reviving

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The new racing season will shortly start and, besides Formula 1, even preparatory Championships are completing their driver line-up. Like it was in 2013, the new year started in a positive way for the three-coloured flag, in fact, although our country is in a recession which makes everything more complicated, we see many Italian drivers taking part in the most important Championships on an international scale.

Gimmy Bruni, Davide Rigon, Luca Ghiotto, Antonio Fuoco, Raffaele Marciello, Riccardo Agostini and Antonio Giovinazzi are only a few drivers who will try to make the national anthem play in the most important circuits in different racing series such as FIA WEC, GP2, F.3 Euroseries “Go-karting and Formulas are experiencing a rearrangement phase. As ACI-CSAI and Federal School, we’re reaping the benefits of 6/7 years of work and Italy is regaining reliability even on a political scale, thanks to the President Mr. Sticchi Damiani”, says Gian Carlo Minardi on the website www.minardi.it. “The goal is to go back to the magnificence of the ‘80s. Today we have two first drivers such as Bruni and Rigon who are ready to defend the Italian flag in the FIA WEC Championship, driving the AF Corse’s Ferrari; Raffaele Marciello will take part in the GP2 Championship alongside Racing Engineering, Luca Ghiotto is ready to take the next big step alongside Draco in the WSR 3.5 Championship and the trio Fuoco-Agostini-Giovinazzi will compete in the European F.3.”, says also the Faenza-born manager.

Italy will be the first country to carry out the Formula 4 project, which was strongly supported by FIA and FIA’s President Mr. Jean Todt. The new Formula 4 car is completely made in Italy: the chassis is made by Tatuus, the engine is supplied by FIAT, and compounds are made by PIRELLI. “We’re very proud to launch the first F.4 Championship, where a car completely made in Italy will be raced. All companies who resulted eligible to become official suppliers are Italian. Only the gearbox comes from France as will of the International Federation. The first deliveries will be made in April and collective testing is scheduled for May at the circuits of Vallelunga and Adria.” Good results come also from the number of cars reserved for the Championship “More than 20 cars have been reserved, so far and many teams who are already engaged in other Championships will join this competition. There’s a strong will to prepare young drivers for competing in different racing scenarios, that is to say both in covered-wheel and in open-wheel Championships.”

A good sign of this rebirth comes also from the FIAT Group, who returns to car racing “This is a positive sign, for sure. In the’70s – ‘80s the Turin-based automaker was very active in the world of motorsport”, ends Minardi “Drivers coming from preparatory open-wheel Championships were secured a professional racing career thanks to the FIAT’s engagement into several racing categories, which is something that the group hasn’t done over the past few years. This may help motorsport get back to the magnificence of past times.”

Green lights on the Bahrain pre-season testing session

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Formula 1 is ready to turn its engines on for the second session of pre-season testing. The Circus will head to Bahrain where weather is expected to be warmer than in the first session and we’ll see the Lotus E22, driven by Grosjean and Maldonado, making its debut on the Arabic track. The Frenchman will be the first to drive the car and he will give way to his new teammate for the last two days (Friday and Saturday).

All eyes will be on the V6 Renault engine and on Red Bull, who started a troublesome season, completing only 21 laps. The reigning World Champion will have to do an intensive work in Bahrain, after working hard in the team’s factory. The first driver to get behind the wheel of the new car, designed by Adrian Newey, on the two first test days will be Sebastian Vettel, who following will give way to his partner Daniel Ricciardo. The French engine manufacturer will rely on all data gained by his partners to get prepared to debut in Melbourne.

Mercedes will try to maintain the good performance level displayed on the Spanish track, with Hamilton and Rosberg ready to make a relay race behind the wheel of the new W05. The two drivers will take turns making the car and engine development program progress. After a solid start in Spain, where Alonso and Raikkonen managed to run more than 1000 km, the Maranello-based team will go ahead with the fine tuning of the new F14-T, bringing some important upgrades to the Arabic track. After winning two constructors’ Championships, one drivers’ championship and taking 39 wins, getting 122 podium finish, 29 pole positions and scoring 48 best laps when it was powered by the 056 8 cylinders-2.4-liter aspirated engine (from 2006 to 2013), the F14-T will be turbocharged by the new-born 059/3 power unit. It will be a solid re-start for the Italian team, who completed more than 400 laps thanks to the contribution of the partners Marussia and Sauber, demonstrating a good level of reliability.

Eyes locked on the Mercedes-powered Williams driven by Massa and Bottas who will try to get redemption after experiencing a troublesome 2013. On the last day of testing at Jerez, the English team delivered the best performance, leaving a positive mark. The team will still bring a hybrid-dark-blue livery to the second pre-season session in Bahrain, before officially announcing the partnership with Martini Racing. The new livery – white with the traditional blue and red stripes which made the Turin-based company well-known in the world of car racing – will be unveiled on the occasion of the third and last pre-season test session to be held in Bharain from February 27th to March 2nd.

By McLaren, Kevin Magnussen will be the first to bring the new MP4-29 to the Arabic track, his teammate Button will wrap up the session. At Jerez Magnussen drew attention on himself by setting the best chrono on the third day of the first session. Sauber has announced his cooperation with Simona De Silvestro. The goal is to allow the Swiss driver who is currently engaged in the Indycar series to get the Superlicenza. De Silvestro will join the two test drivers Giedo Van Der Garde (serving as a reserve driver) and Sergey Sirotkin.

Davide Rigon renews the contract with Ferrari and gets ready to compete in the FIA WEC

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After running a successful 2013 season behind the wheel of the Ferrari Italia 458 GT in the Blancpain Endurance Series Championship, International GT Open and FIA WEC and taking part in the rookie testing at the wheel of the F138 at Silverstone, Davide Rigon has seen his professional relationship with the Scuderia Ferrari being extended.

The Italian driver will be at the squad’s disposal also for the 2014 and 2015 season, continuing to cooperate with the Scuderia as a test driver. His cooperation started in 2011. Apart from carrying out an intensive programme at the F1 simulator, Davide will also take part in the single-seater development testing sessions. Simultaneously to the contract renewal with the Scuderia Ferrari, he will also take part in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The Italian driver, who is managed by the Giovanni Minardi’s Minardi Management, will drive the three-world title winner Ferrari Italia 458 GT, alongside the Amato Ferrari AF Corse. His goal is to be confirmed as a top driver at a worldwide level.

After winning in Shanghai, finishing second in Bahrein and Sao Paulo and finishing fourth in Fuji, this year Davide Rigon will make his debut in the Endurance racing’ s most renowned race: the 24 hours of Le Mans, which is scheduled for the week end of June 14th-15th.

In the 2014 season Rigon will race at eight of the motorsport’ s most renowned venues. The first race is scheduled for April 20th at the historical track of Silverstone and it will be followed by the 24 hours to be raced at the spectacular Spa-Francorchamps circuit (May 3rd). On September 20th the Championship will move to America and afterwards to Japan (October 12th), China (November 2nd), Bahrein (November 15th) and Interlagos, Brazil (November 30th), where the final race will be run.

On January 25th/26th Davide opened his racing season by taking part in the 24 hours of Daytona, driving the Ferrari 458 GT.

“My dream is coming true day by day. The Scuderia Ferrari is my second family and it’s a great satisfaction to have the opportunity to cooperate with the world’s most important and famous team. We carried out a well-defined programme over the last seasons, so, having the opportunity to follow up on that, it’s really exciting. New technological challenges are expected for the future and we’re ready to face them with determination. I am grateful to the President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, to the Team Principal Stefano Domenicali and to the Minardi Management’s staff, who has been by my side for 10 years”, says an excited Davide Rigon on the website www.minardi.it.

“As far as GT racing is concerned, I can’t wait to compete in the first race. To have the opportunity to compete in the FIA WEC World Championship is a great achievement and doing that behind the wheel of the reigning champion Ferrari 458 is even a more special experience. The 24 hours of Le Mans will be the cherry on top”, says also the Italian driver, “Daytona was a great experience. Thanks to Ferrari, I had the opportunity to learn a lot about this kind of competitions”, ends Rigon, “I felt comfortable behind the wheel of the 458 and I’m satisfied with my stint. Although there were more than 60 cars on the track, I made no mistakes.”

“I want to praise Davide for the results he achieved last year, thanks to which he deserved to enjoy the loyalty of the Scuderia Ferrari again. As Minardi Management, we’ve consistently worked hard throughout the season in order to reach the goals for the 2014 season. I’m sure Davide and Ferrari can achieve important goals even in a challenging season such as the upcoming one. It will be a very demanding season for Davide , especially if we consider that F1 regulations were changed a lot and he is engaged in the GT Championship”, says the manager Giovanni Minardi, “now he’s going to compete in the FIA WEC Championship. This year he will take part in the Championship from the very first event. Our goal was to make him shift from GT3 to GT2 this season and, as Minardi Management, we’re very pleased to have achieved it. It will be amazing to take part in the 24 hours of Le Mans”, ends the manager from Faenza.

The Formula 4 takes shape

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Tatuus chassis, 4-cylinder FPT 1.4 l FIAT turbo engine, Promoter: WSK Promotion….all the pieces which compose the puzzle of the new FIA Formula 4 are finding their position.

The new category, which was strongly desired by FIA and is supported by the Italian Automobile Association, was established to the purpose of discovering new car racing talents, connecting the world of kart racing and the world of Formulas, since it’s open to 15-year-old drivers.

The Italian Championship, in which the 160 hp FPT engine powered Formula cars, whose chassis is made by Tatuus, will participate, will consist of 7 racing events and will kick off in the month of May at the Vallelunga circuit and finish in Barcelona on October 19th, running through the circuits of Adria, Imola, Mugello and Monza. It has still to be defined the circuit the event scheduled for June 8th will be run at. The name of the tyre supplier will be disclosed in a short time.

As far as costs are concerned, the costs made known by FIA are confirmed. The chassis costs 33.000 euros + V.A.T. and it’s 9.500 euros + V.A.T. for the engine.