LA NEBBIA ROVINA I WEEKEND DI KART A ZUERA E FRANCIACORTA. OTTIMO DEBUTTO DI PEDRINI IN PORTOGALLO

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Cinque dei nostri piloti sono scesi in pista nello scorso weekend. Deven Lewis Grabko, Vanesa Silkunaite e Markas Silkunas hanno partecipato allo IAME Warrior Final sul kartodromo spagnolo di Zuera, caratterizzato dalla fitta nebbia, mentre Julia Angelard è stata protagonista nel ROK Cup Festival a Franciacorta.

Per quanto riguarda le ruote coperte, Giacomo Pedrini ha debuttato nella Supercars Endurance Series sul circuito portoghese dell’Estoril.

Deven Lewis Grabko
Il dodicenne svedese ha vissuto un weekend sfortunato a Zuera. In qualifica la sua ottima velocità è stata mascherata da un problema tecnico, ma ha compiuto delle buone rimonte nelle manches. Successivamente, la cancellazione della Super Heat a causa della nebbia gli ha impedito di qualificarsi per la finale.

Vanesa Silkunaite
La tredicenne lituana ha cominciato il weekend in salita. In qualifica è stata spinta fuori pista, mentre nel warm up ha mostrato un gran passo. Purtroppo nelle manches non ha ottenuto risultati importanti a causa di una penalità dovuta al musetto. Sfortunatamente, la cancellazione di varie gare (sempre a causa della nebbia) non le ha permesso di recuperare.

Markas Silkunas
Il quindicenne lituano ha rimediato ad una qualifica difficile con una grande rimonta nelle manches di qualificazione. Anche il suo weekend è stato rovinato dalla cancellazione di alcune gare, perciò non si è potuto qualificare per la finale.

Julia Angelard
La dodicenne polacca è stata la ragazza più veloce in pista nel ROK Cup Festival a Franciacorta. Si è qualificata in un’ottima decima posizione, ma un problema tecnico prima della partenza le ha impedito di schierarsi in griglia.È riuscita a partire dai box grazie all’aiuto del suo meccanico e ha rimontato fino alla 15ª posizione, ma è stata esclusa dalla classifica finale per l’aiuto ricevuto. Nonostante ciò, Julia ha dimostrato di avere il passo per lottare in top 10.

Giacomo Pedrini
Il sedicenne cesenate ha debuttato con una grande prestazione nella Supercars Endurance Series all’Estoril, dove ha condiviso la Mercedes AMG GT4 del team Lema Racing con Mark Kastelic.
In Gara 1 è riuscito a rimontare fino al secondo posto (primo di categoria) prima del cambio pilota, ma un problema di cronometraggio ai box è costato all’equipaggio un podio ampiamente alla portata.
In Gara 2 la sfortunata posizione di partenza, dovuta al traffico in qualifica, ha reso impossibile rimontare oltre la quinta posizione.
Il passo eccellente mostrato da Giacomo (reduce dal campionato Mitjet) non può lasciare indifferenti i migliori team del campionato.


Autore: Jacopo Rava

INTRODUCE MYSELF, MY NAME IS LUKA SAMMALISTO

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You were born in Tampere, Finland in 2007. How did you become interested in racing?
«I became interested in racing because my father had a small kart for my big brother, but he didn’t want to drive it, so I went driving with the kart and everything started».

When did you start racing in go-karts?
«I started racing go karts when I was seven years old».

What are the biggest difficulties switching from a kart to a F4?
«The biggest issue switching from karting to F4 is that you need to focus a lot on many corners, because the track is twice as long as a kart track. Then, in formula a small mistake will cost you a lot more time than in karting. In addition, you have front and rear brakes, which it’s even harder if you didn’t drive in the KZ category in karting».

You made your debut in Italian F4 in 2024. How was the impact in the most competitive F4 championship?
«The impact was just like I was thinking before. The level is really high. Also, I didn’t have such big expectations for my first year».

What did you learn in the championship?
«I learnt a lot of new things, like a new driving style. I also learned a lot on how to race hard in F4».

How valuable is the support of Minardi Management in your career?
«For me Minardi is important because he has many connections that can help me go forward and he helps me a lot too».

Do you already know if you will be racing for US Racing in Italian F4 in 2025?
«At the moment I’m just testing. I hope to continue with them in 2025».

Where do you see yourself in 3 years time?
«In 3 years time I see myself in F2».

What is your best quality as a driver?
«My best quality is that I am unyielding».

What is the aspect you are working on the most?
«I‘m working the most on different muscles. I’m also doing a lot of running, so I can keep my basic condition in good shape».

What’s the best racing series outside of F1?
«I have to say F2!»

Author: Jacopo Rava

IL 2024 DI LUKA SAMMALISTO SI CONCLUDE CON I TEST F4 A MISANO

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Luka Sammalisto ha terminato la stagione 2024 a Misano testando la F4 di US Racing. Il neo-diciassettenne ha macinato 638 km (151 giri) con un passo costante e un miglior tempo di 1:35.284.

Il meteo delle due giornate è stato parzialmente nuvoloso, con temperature intorno ai 15ºC.

Giorno 1
La mattinata è cominciata con un buon passo intorno al 1:37, migliorato costantemente fino a 1:35. La prima metà di giornata si è conclusa con 58 giri e un miglior tempo di 1:35.864, non lontano dal riferimento assoluto.

Nella sessione pomeridiana ha continuato il lavoro sul passo gara. Nei 19 giri completati ha gestito bene il degrado delle gomme, riuscendo sul finale a firmare il secondo miglior tempo in 1:36.213.

Giorno 2
Il giorno del suo diciassettesimo compleanno è cominciato con un passo incoraggiante. Il migliore dei 41 giri completati è stato un ottimo 1:35.284, distante appena nove millesimi dalla “pole”. Purtroppo ha faticato a trovare la costanza del giorno precedente.

Dopo i festeggiamenti, Luka ha iniziato il pomeriggio dettando il passo in 1:35.641. Inoltre, la costanza è migliorata molto: nelle ultime due sessioni ha mantenuto con grande precisione il passo in 1:36, segno della crescente confidenza con la vettura.

La preparazione in vista della prossima stagione continuerà a gennaio 2025.

Luka Sammalisto: «Per me i test sono andati molto bene. È stato bello essere qui a Misano e Imola, abbiamo provato molte cose. Penso che avessimo trovato un buon passo già a Imola e anche a Misano è stato molto buono».

«Siamo riusciti a fare la “pole position” un paio di volte e siamo stati quasi sempre in top 5, o addirittura in top 3, quindi il passo c’era. Sono davvero orgoglioso del team, si sono impegnati molto per me».

«Ora sono davvero felice di cominciare la pausa natalizia. Vediamo cosa riusciamo ad ottenere nella stagione 2025, noi daremo il massimo. Speriamo di poter vincere!»

Autore: Jacopo Rava

BUONI PROGRESSI NEL WEEKEND WSK A CREMONA

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La stagione di kart si è conclusa lo scorso weekend con la WSK Final Cup a Cremona. I cinque piloti del Minardi Management hanno vissuto emozioni contrastanti, da sfortune meccaniche a rimonte sensazionali.

Jason Kosmopoulou (35º nella categoria Mini GR3)
Il giovane greco ha concluso il 2024 in crescendo. Ha ottenuto due splendide vittorie nelle tre manches, ma in prefinale non ha potuto ripetersi per via di un incidente inevitabile. La sfortuna lo ha colpito anche in finale: il motore ha ceduto dopo una gran rimonta fino alla quarta posizione.

Nefeli Kosmopoulou (26ª nella categoria OKNJ)
La tredicenne greca non ha potuto svolgere una qualifica regolare a causa di una rottura nel telaio. Nonostante ciò, ha compiuto sorpassi importanti in ognuna delle tre manches. Purtroppo, alcuni problemi meccanici in prefinale e in finale le hanno impedito di mostrare il suo vero potenziale.

Pietro Peter Bagutti (NQ nella finale della categoria OKJ)
Il dodicenne emiliano ha vissuto un weekend sfortunato. La difficile posizione di partenza non gli ha permesso di brillare nelle manches. In prefinale è partito dal fondo, ma con una straordinaria partenza ha concluso in un’ottima 20ª posizione.

Vladimir Ivannikov (16º nella categoria OKJ)
Il quattordicenne russo ha vissuto una qualifica difficile, ma ha dimostrato tutta la sua abilità nei sorpassi durante le manches. Il suo ottimo weekend è continuato con due splendide rimonte nella prefinale e nella finale. Sfortunatamente, il suo musetto è rientrato dopo un contatto inevitabile, e la conseguente penalità gli è costata sei posizioni.

François Kerdal (NQ nella finale della categoria OK)
Il tredicenne italo-svizzero ha iniziato il weekend in salita a causa di qualche incidente e problemi meccanici. Nonostante non sia riuscito a qualificarsi per la finale, il suo stile di guida è migliorato notevolmente. La sua grande velocità fa presagire un 2025 pieno di successi.

2025
In virtù degli ottimi progressi mostrati, la stagione 2025 si preannuncia ricca di soddisfazioni per i giovani piloti del Minardi Management.

Autore: Jacopo Rava

LUKA SAMMALISTO COMPLETA DUE GIORNATE DI TEST F4 A IMOLA CON US RACING

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Luka Sammalisto ha completato due giornate di test Formula 4 a Imola con US Racing. Il finlandese ha coperto una distanza di 515 km (105 giri), ottenendo il miglior tempo assoluto del primo giorno in 1:46.162.
Le giornate sono state caratterizzate da nebbia e temperature intorno ai 10°C.

Giorno 1
La prima giornata di test a Imola è iniziata con asfalto molto scivoloso, causato dalle basse temperature e dalla poca gommatura. Molti piloti sono usciti di pista in queste condizioni, ma
Luka è riuscito a completare il programma senza intoppi. Ha completato 28 giri, il migliore dei quali in 1:46.608.
Nel pomeriggio ha completato altri 25 giri, mostrando un costante miglioramento. Dopo una buona simulazione passo gara, ha ottenuto il miglior tempo della giornata in 1:46.162.

Giorno 2
Il giorno successivo ha ripreso da dove aveva lasciato. Ha percorso 32 giri nella mattinata e ha abbassato il proprio limite a 1:45.880.
La pioggia ha cominciato a scendere a motori spenti, quindi l’attività pomeridiana è iniziata con un miglior tempo di 2:07.182. Luka ha faticato a trovare il ritmo sul bagnato, ma nell’ultima sessione la pista ha cominciato ad asciugarsi e i tempi sono scesi fino a 2:02.312.
Purtroppo la giornata di Luka si è conclusa prima del previsto, quando una sfortunata uscita lo ha bloccato nella ghiaia della Tosa.

La prossima settimana sarà a Misano per continuare la preparazione in vista della stagione 2025.

Luka Sammalisto: «Per me i test sono andati molto bene, ma sul bagnato il passo non c’era. Devo lavorare sulla guida in condizioni di bagnato. Forse l’assetto della macchina sul bagnato non era il migliore per me, ma sull’asciutto il passo era molto buono e costante».

Autore: Jacopo Rava

STEERING WHEEL AWARD 2025

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Il contest organizzato da Wolf Racing Cars vede protagonisti 20 giovani talenti (italiani e internazionali) pronti a mettersi alla prova sulle potenti Wolf GB08 Raiden motorizzate Aprilia.

Non contano i tempi: I piloti verranno valutati su professionalità, approccio al test, costanza e potenziale. Fra pochi giorni si conoscerà il vincitore, ovvero il pilota che parteciperà gratuitamente al Campionato Italiano Sport Prototipi 2025. Dalla Minardi Management ha partecipato Federico Sbardellati (in dicembre compie 14 anni) a questo contest, il pilota più giovane in assoluto. Qui qualche parola di Federico e Giovanni, dopo l’evento solto inizio settimana presso l’Autodromo di Magione.

Federico: “Il Contest è stata un’esperienza bellissima, la mia prima in macchina per lo più così performante, la Wolf GB08 Raiden, due giornate intense piene di emozioni difficili da descrivere, supportate da un team di eccellenza. Ringrazio tutti coloro che hanno permesso la mia partecipazione a questo evento meraviglioso e così costruttivo per un pilota che come me sogna di diventare un professionista.”

Giovanni: “Sapevo che Federico fosse un pilota veloce, ma mi ha comunque stupito ulteriormente in positivo. Ha avuto una facilità impressionante nel guidare senza sbavature, nonostante fosse la sua prima volta una vettura come la Wolf. Sono certo che la strada che abbiamo deciso di intraprendere per il 2025, porterà i suoi frutti quando sarà il momento di dimostrarlo.“

LUKA SAMMALISTO CONCLUDES THE ITALIAN F4 SEASON WITH A STRONG PERFORMANCE AT MONZA

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The Italian F4 season finale at Monza presented young Finnish driver Luka Sammalisto with one of his biggest challenges yet. On the legendary high-speed Monza circuit and in unpredictable weather, Luka once again demonstrated his resilience, fighting through three intense races.

Luka summarizes the weekend as follows: “Overall, it was a tough weekend. In my opinion, there are a few things that could have gone better and there is still space for improvements”

Strong Qualifying Efforts and Race Progression

Despite the fluctuating conditions, Luka managed solid qualifying results. Although he qualified in P14 for the first race, he had to start from P18 due to a grid penalty that was handed during the race weekend in Barcelona. He improved to 10th in the second qualifying. The highlight was securing P2 in the last qualifying session, marking Luka’s best starting position of the season.

Race Recap: Consistency and Determination

In the first race, the field started behind the safety car due to poor weather, which shortened the race to just 20 minutes. Two additional safety car phases throughout the race cost Luka valuable time for overtaking, yet he fought his way up the field to finish 10th, securing his first point of the weekend. In the second race, he climbed to 8th place, once again showcasing his race craft and good pace. In the third race, Luka started from P2 but dropped to P4 after a less-than-perfect start. The tricky weather conditions in Monza led to four safety car phases, which unfortunately caused Luka to lose multiple positions at a restart, eventually finishing in 12th place.

While Luka was able to collect points again this weekend, he also demonstrated his adaptability and determination to learn from each race.

Looking Ahead

With the season finale at Monza behind him, Luka takes valuable insights into the off-season, preparing for the future with a clear focus on refining his skills. The weekend in Monza provided crucial lessons, and he heads into the break with a clear focus on improving further.

For more information on Luka Sammalisto and his racing career, visit www.lukasammalistoracing.com.

INTERVIEW WITH JULIA ANGELARD

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#PROFIL
Name: Julia Angelard
Birthday: 12.02.2012
Place of residence: Piaseczno
Nationality: polish
Hobbies: Acrobatics

We already presented Minardi Management and two of its female drivers in this year‘s April issue of our magazine. The motorsport agency Minardi Management focuses on promoting young talent. Giovanni Minardi and Dorothea Schulz are very keen to make motorsport accessible to all drivers.

In this issue, we introduce you to Julia Angelard and Nefeli Kosmopoulos in an interview. First we spoke to Julia Angelard.

How did you get into motorsport?
I have an older brother, Maks, who started karting before me. I spent a lot of time watching him test and race. When I was about 4 years old, I wanted to try it myself. I really enjoyed it, so I wanted to get my own kart.

How long have you been active in motorsport?
I‘ve been active in karting for 7 years. But in the early years, it was just an occasional race when my older brother raced. Initially, I raced in the Rotax series Micromax and Minimax. In 2023, when I was 11 years old, I switched to the junior category of the ROK series. I changed series because I decided that it was what I loved and that I wanted to take it seriously. The ROK series is more similar to the main karting championships, which I want to compete in from 2025. But at the age of 11, I could only race in Poland in the Junior class due to age restrictions.

How satisfied are you with your 2024 season so far?
I drove on tracks in Italy for almost the entire 2024 season. I like the kart tracks in Lonato and Franciacorta. Those are the tracks where I feel most comfortable. I‘m happy with some races, not so much with others. I generally have a good pace in the races and on the test days. However, I still need to work a little on my qualifying pace. Because when you start in the middle of the field, there are often incidents. I‘m one of the youngest drivers and compete against other drivers who have a lot more experience. My goals for the 2024 season were therefore from the outset to focus mainly on racing and gaining experience and not just on results.

What are your best moments in motorsport so far?
One of the most exciting things that happened to me this year was being invited to the IRON DAMES Young Talent Selection Program, which I took part in at the end of July. I was one of 20 girls from all over the world and had the chance to meet a lot of great female drivers and make some new friends. It was a great experience working with the Prema team and Kart Republic, meeting IRON DAMES drivers and getting to know the general concept of the program.I also finished 4th out of 50 drivers in the 3rd round of the ROK CUP Italia in May, which was my best result so far.

Are there already plans for the 2025 season?
We are still working on that. Originally, we had planned to switch to the OK Junior Series and take part in the Champions of the Future and the FIA European Series. But as I‘m only 12 years old, I still have time. I enjoyed the ROK CUP Italia this year and had my own little personal successes. That‘s why I might stay in the ROK CUP Italia next year. The Champions of the Future Academy also seems to be a very interesting option. In general, we plan to do as many races as possible, as far as our budget allows. I will definitely take part in some WSK races as well. Nevertheless, I will continue to focus on my development in motorsport and on gaining as much experience as possible in karting. I also train my physical strength 3 times a week in the gym. Concentration and precision on the racing simulator are also part of my daily training.

What are your wishes for your future in motorsport?
My biggest wish in motorsport is to get into Formula 1. But that is a dream that is almost impossible. There aren‘t many in Formula 1 and there are currently no women in Formula 1, so the more realistic dream is to get into the F1 academy for women. Who knows what my performance would be like then. Otherwise, I would probably try to switch to racing cars like GT3 and hypercars – like the IRON DAMES do.

What else would you like to tell the readers of our magazine about yourself or motorsport?
It‘s really hard to take part in a sport that is dominated by boys and there aren‘t many girls in karting. But I want to show that a girl can do well on the track. Like many other sports, motorsport requires a lot of humility, but it also teaches precision and endurance. Driving at more than 130 km/h just two centimeters above the track gives you a lot of thrills. We have to be focused and concentrated to be safe.

#MOTORSPORTCAREER
2021
Rotax MicroMax Poland 11th Place overall
2022
Rotax MicroMax Poland 28th Place overall
2023
ROK CUP Poland 17th Place overall ROK Superfinal
2024
ROK CUP Italy 21th Place overall (best Result race 3 place 4) ROK Superfinal

Interview: Petra Röhrig
Photo: Elena Bars Instagram: Elenabarsphotographer

INTERVIEW WITH NEFELI KOSMOPOULOS

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#PROFIL
Name: Nefeli Kosmopoulos
Birthday: 15.06.2011
Place of residence: Thessaloniki
Nationality: Greek
Hobbies: Sim Racing, Drawing, Music, Climing und Skiing

As previously announced, here is the interview with Nefeli Kosmopoulos. Nefeli is another young and talented driver at Minardi Management. Find out more about her here.

How did you get into motorsport?
I got into motorsport through my father, who was a karting and rally champion and a really strong personality in Greek motorsport. My father founded the Cosmosrally Kart
Academy karting team with the support of my mother. Even though I grew up in this environment, I didn‘t want to go karting at first because I thought it was only for boys.
But that changed one day when I was 4 years old and we traveled to Italy to meet other drivers from our team. I met a young female driver who inspired me a lot.

How long have you been involved in motorsport?
I‘ve been interested in motorsport since I was a child. I grew up in the Cosmosrally team and started driving my own kart at the age of 4. A few years later, at the age of 8, I took part in my first race in Greece. In the same year, I also drove my first World Championship race in Italy. I remember that day very well, because I was super excited before that race.

How satisfied are you with your 2024 season so far?
The 2024 season was my first season in the junior categories. I learned a lot from the races and gained a lot of experience, even if the results weren‘t the best. In the first half of the season I wasn‘t able to do many races because of school, but in general I‘m still very happy with the season as I gained a lot of knowledge and I was able to arrange a lot of things for my school to be able to do more in the future.

What are your best moments in motorsport so far?
In motorsport you can experience many highs and lows, emotions can change from one day to the next. That‘s why I don‘t just have good moments in motorsport, but generally the best moments are when you achieve a good result after hard work and failures and celebrate this with family and friends from the team.

Are there already plans for the 2025 season?
My plans for the 2025 season are to ride more races than in the 2024 season, as I have found a way to solve the problem with school, improve and get better results in the world championships. I feel really ready for the season and I‘m super excited because I‘ve been working a lot. Among other things, I am doing a lot of tests in Italy and in our home country Greece. In Greece, my family and friends of ours have started to build an international karting track.

What are your wishes for your future in motorsport?
My wish is that one day I will manage to get into a program for girls and get into the F1 academy. But if you ask me, my real dream is to be a female F1 driver. I don‘t know how I will try to realize my dream (the valuable support of the Minardi management helps a lot), but I am sure that I will give everything and work hard for it. In any case, all this is taking place in a really colorful, interesting, inspiring and dynamic world and I am here to enjoy it to the fullest; with my eyes on the forest around me and not just on a tree!

What else would you like to tell the readers of our magazine about yourself or motorsport?
I would like to say that I am very grateful to my family and the Cosmosrally Kart Academy for giving me the opportunity to lead this kind of life and that I wouldn‘t trade it for anything in the world. Finally, I applaud the efforts of the FIA programs to give us (girls) more opportunities to be active in motorsport. I feel a responsibility from my own experience to inspire younger girls to get involved in motorsport.

We will continue to follow the further development of Julia and Nefeli and will of course keep you up to date.

#MOTORSPORTCAREER
2019
First race in Greece (at the age of 8)
2021
Rotax Max Challenge in Greece
(Micro Max category first place)
2021
First races in Italy (WSK series category MINI GR3)
2022
WSK series and Italian championship races
2023
Promotion to the junior class and participation in international races
2023
Participation in races in international OKJ categories and races in Italy

Interview: Petra Röhrig
Photo: Sportinphoto

FINAL PUSH AT MONZA

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After several weeks of preparation since the last Euro 4 Championship weekend at Monza, where Luka Sammalisto secured valuable points, the focus now shifts to the final race weekend of the Italian Formula 4 Championship. The goal is clear: to build on past performances and finish in the points once again.

Monza, renowned for its high-speed straights and legendary status in motorsport, will once again present a unique challenge. The weather forecast predicts rain throughout the weekend, a familiar scenario for Luka, who has already gained experience in wet conditions at this track.

Reflecting on his preparations, Luka shared: “After the Euro F4 weekend, I did simulator work on October 15th and 16th. I haven’t had any tests on the track since then, but my target for Monza is to finish inside the top 10. We’ll be testing new things during the race, hoping to find something that improves our pace.”

This weekend marks the seventh and final round of the Italian Formula 4 season. Luka currently sits 21st in the overall standings and 15th in the Rookie standings with 36 points. After securing points earlier in the season at Imola, he now aims for a strong finish to the season.

Monza’s fast layout makes qualifying especially crucial, as drivers rely heavily on slipstreaming down the long straights. A strong result in qualifying will be key to achieving the goal of finishing in the points.

The team heads into the final race weekend with optimism, ready to close out the season on a high note, and with valuable lessons learned throughout the year.