Formula 1 | 2023 of the Ferrari Driver Academy begins

Two new faces and six students confirmed from last season: the talents of Ferrari Driver Academy gathered this morning at the Maranello headquarters to begin work on a year that promises to be particularly intense, given that seven out of eight drivers will be making their debut in a new category. Two girls, six boys. They were welcomed by the Director of FDA, Marco Matassa, together with the Team Principal of the Scuderia, Frederic Vasseur, and to the Racing Director, Laurent Mekies. Missing from the roll call was Maya Weug, engaged in Davos in the Equality Lounge of the association The Female Quotient to discuss the topic "Driving Equality Forward with the Women Leading in Motorsport" (which deals with how women are carrying forward the concept of equality in within the world of motoring). Two freshmen: the Finnish Tuukka Taponen, winner of the FDA Scouting World Finals and fresh from his debut in Formula 4 UAE with two podiums in three races and Aurelia Nobels, Brazilian, winner of the 2022 edition of the FIA ​​“Girls on Track – Rising Stars” program ”, destined to compete in Formula 4.

Week full of experiences. During the week at the beginning of the year the kids will face the traditional Camp, made up of four challenging days which include lessons on various subjects as well as some psychophysical tests, a lot of sporting activity and a day of karting on the Franciacorta track together with Tony Kart, Maranello's historic partner for the program dedicated to young people. Over the course of the year, FDA will follow each of the kids in a personalized way, with support, on and off the track, and specific activities also designed according to the level of experience and the type of category in which they will be involved.

Programs. The drivers of the Ferrari Driver Academy will be competing in four different categories. In Formula 2 we will find Oliver Bearman and Arthur Leclerc, both coming from Formula 3. The two followed similar trajectories in 2022, obtaining a victory each and remaining in the running for the title until the final stages of the season. The young Englishman, born in 2005, placed third and will continue his adventure with the Prema team, while the Monegasque born in 2001 will be competing with the colors of DAMS.

Formula 3. Dino Beganovic dominated the European Formula Regional championship last year and it is natural for him to make the leap in category and therefore move up to Formula 3. The Swede born in 2004, who won four races in 2022, will remain in the ranks of the Prema team and he is ready to fight straight away to achieve the highest goal.

Regional Formula. The European Formula Regional championship last year was therefore a field of conquest for the Ferrari Driver Academy, and again in 2023 two very fast drivers will represent the Maranello company. This is Rafael Camara, a Brazilian born in 2005 who last season, on his debut in a single-seater, made a very positive impression - obtaining six victories - in the Italian, German and UAE Formula 4 championships, thus immediately showing that he was ready for the category jump. He will be competing with the Prema team. In addition to him there will be Maya Weug, born in 2004 and the first driver in the history of the Academy, who after shining in the Italian Formula 4 championship during the 2022 season is ready for the Formula Regional with the Kic Motorsport team.

Formula 4. Finally we come to James Wharton and the two newcomers, Aurelia and Tuukka. All three will be involved in Formula 4, and for Wharton and Taponen the season has already begun as they were both protagonists in the first round of the Formula 4 UAE championship where they reached the podium. I wish all the students a year full of victories, podiums and satisfactions.

“The beginning of a new academic year is a very special moment – said Marco Matassa, head of the Ferrari Driver Academy. it's nice to meet up with the guys we already know and it's even more special to open the doors to new students: a particularly intense season awaits us because seven out of eight will be making their debut in a new category and are therefore faced with an even more demanding challenge. In 2022 we returned to winning titles and for our part we are ready to give our best, with even more commitment in terms of the tools and people that we will make available to our talents to support them and help them achieve the results that we know are within their reach. scope. A special welcome goes to the rookies Aurelia Nobels and Tuukka Taponen who represent the product of our scouting strategy. Aurelia joins the FDA from the program organized in collaboration with the FIA, which has already given us some satisfaction with Maya Weug, while Tuukka was the brightest among the guys we brought to Maranello for the third edition of the FDA Scouting World Finals, a event in which the finalists demonstrated themselves to be of a very high level. We can't wait to get to work with them and all the other riders with the ambition of experiencing a new year of satisfaction together."