Magione (PG), November 18-19, 2024 – The second phase of the Steering Wheel Award concluded at the Mario Umberto Borzacchini circuit in Umbria. This contest, organized by Wolf Racing Cars in collaboration with ACI Sport, featured 20 young drivers selected from 43 candidates from the karting world. Up for grabs was free participation in the 2025 Italian Sport Prototypes Championship, driving the prestigious Wolf GB08 Raiden powered by Aprilia.
The selection included 20 young kart drivers, six of whom were international: Swiss Christian Canonica, Greek Vasilis Apostolidis, Romanian Victor Ionescu, Norwegian Cyrus A. Gargari, German Tim Melzer, and Colombian Daniel Perez Luis. The Italian participants were: Simone Bianco, Daniel Cogoni, Maria Luisa Della Pietra, Luca Esposito, Alberto "Kiko" Fracassi, Alberto Jr. Fulgori, Giacomo Maman, Nicolas Marchesi, Emanuele Romanelli, Lorenzo Rubens, Giacomo Pellegrino, Andrea Pizzo, Federico Sbardellati, and Marco Tormen.
An ambitious goal for the future of Sport Prototypes
The Steering Wheel Award was created with a clear and ambitious goal: to bring young talents closer to the world of motorsport by providing them with both theoretical and practical skills to become professional drivers. Through a focused program centered on safety, participants had the chance to drive a real race car for the first time. Wolf Racing Cars and ACI Sport, with the high-performance Wolf GB08 Raiden and the Italian Sport Prototypes Championship, are offering an alternative to the traditional single-seater training formulas (with similar characteristics and performance). This bold alternative enables young drivers to embark on a professional journey at a reduced budget.
The contest phases: from theory to practice on the Ttack
The competition was divided into three main phases:
Day 1
On November 6, the first day of the contest was dedicated to discovery and preparation. The top karting talents were welcomed at the new headquarters of Wolf Racing Cars, where they immersed themselves in the world of prototype racing. It was a crucial opportunity to get acquainted with the environment, meet the team, and receive the first technical instructions.
Days 2 and 3
Track familiarization - In the initial phase, the young drivers explored the Magione circuit accompanied by an expert instructor. In a touring car, they applied theoretical knowledge acquired earlier at the Wolf Racing Cars facility, focusing on lines, driving techniques, and braking points. The instructor later sat alongside them to offer advice and refine driving skills.
Introduction to the Wolf GB08 Raiden - The second phase was the true trial by fire. Participants got to grips with the Wolf GB08 Raiden, completing progressive driving sessions: starting with a warm-up lap (out lap) and moving on to more intense 5-lap sessions.
A comprehensive evaluation: not just about speed
Unlike other competitions, the Steering Wheel Award 2025 did not base victory solely on lap speed. The young drivers were judged by a panel of industry experts, who assessed criteria such as professionalism, approach to the test, learning curve, consistency, and potential. Each judge gave scores from 1 to 5 in each category, focusing on the driver's overall qualities rather than just lap times. The panel, which accompanied the drivers on the track and will decide the most deserving, included Giovanni Bellarosa (Founder and COO of Wolf Racing Cars), Angelo Sala (CTO and race engineer of Wolf Racing Cars), Maurizio Bellarosa (CEO of Wolf Racing Cars and Head of the Drivers Academy), and Antonello Raineri (former manager of Fisichella, Trulli, and Valsecchi).
The driver with the highest score, whose name will be announced in the coming days, will be the winner of the Steering Wheel Award 2025, securing free entry into the Italian Sport Prototypes Championship.
A special thanks
"First and foremost, we want to express our deepest gratitude to the young drivers who took part in this adventure, and to their families, for the trust they placed in us," said Giovanni Bellarosa. "Thanks to them, we had the chance to introduce these young talents to a Sports Prototype category car. It was a privilege to witness their passion, commitment, and desire to grow in this sport.
We are extremely pleased with how the event unfolded. This month-long journey required a massive organizational effort on our part, but we can proudly say it was worth it. Here are some of the key milestones we achieved:
We can confidently say it was worth it, and we can’t wait to see many of them on the track in the 2025 Italian Sport Prototypes Championship."
Looking to the Future
The Steering Wheel Award 2025 has once again highlighted the importance of investing in young talents, offering concrete and accessible opportunities to enter the world of motorsport. Thanks to initiatives like this, Italy continues to nurture a new generation of drivers ready to challenge the limits of speed and technology.
Now, we just have to wait for the winner to be announced, but one thing is certain: all participants have shown talent, passion, and determination. "We are confident that many of them will continue to make a name for themselves in the world of motorsport," added Ivan Bellarosa, "and we look forward to seeing them in action in the 2025 Italian Sport Prototypes Championship."
