Benvenuto, cari amici! With Ombra Racing, a second Italian team will be competing as a permanent team in the eight rounds of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup 2022 – on the most spectacular Grand Prix race tracks in Europe. The team from Bergamo already made guest starts in the series, and have been a permanent fixture in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia since 2018, where they finished second in the team standings last season. With two permanent drivers, they are now also going after points in the Porsche Supercup. We are excited to see them race, and we asked team manager Davide Mazzoleni about his goals.

Ciao Davide,
you guys have been in the racing circus almost as long as the Porsche Supercup. Can you tell us about your path into the world of motorsport and why you decided to enter the Porsche one-make cups?
Ombra Racing was born in 1994 thanks to the passion of Gianfranco Colleoni and Matteo Quadri. Gianfranco was a racing driver and, together with his friend Matteo and the help of his father Giovanni, they decided to build a Formula Junior racing car and team. This was the beginning of a long road that turned Ombra into a professional team in 2003 with the arrival of me as a driver and partner. Ombra was involved in formula cars until 2012,  the same year our experience in GT3 began. The evolution in the motorsport market and the strong growth of the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia led the team to enter the Porsche one-make series in 2017/2018 with the arrival of the 991.2 version of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Becoming a part of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup was the goal from day one!

 

“Storia e passione” is your claim. What does that mean exactly, and how would you describe Ombra Racing to viewers who don't know you yet?
These two words express the spirit that drives Ombra Racing: We have a long history and a strong passion that together form the foundation of our approach to motorsport.

 

What do you do besides racing? Are there any areas in which Ombra Racing is also involved?
Ombra has a well-developed restoration department that is growing and improving year by year. At the end of 2021, we set up our own workshop to open up new opportunities dedicated to historic vehicles, it’s an area we believe in very strongly.

Two Italian circuits are on the calendar this season. What are you most looking forward to, and what is your message to the tifosi?
Our previous Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup experiences in Monza were affected by COVID restrictions, and so it was difficult to connect with the guests and spectators. For this reason, we are particularly looking forward to Round 1 and Round 8, where we will meet many of our fans and share with them the feeling of being on track together with Formula 1, which will be fantastic.

 

Can you say a few words about each of your drivers and what makes the team special this season?
We built a good relationship with Gianmarco during our adventure in the Porsche Carrera Cup France in 2021, and we know what he is capable of. We have worked hard together to bring his and our full potential to the track.
Loek is new to the team. He is young, intelligent and fast. He shares our attitude and is a very committed driver who has a lot of experience thanks to his involvement in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. 
This season we have a great line-up, a good mix of youth and experience, with drivers who also race in the national Porsche one-make cups, which is very important for their preparation.

 

What is your relationship with Dinamic Motorsport, the other Italian team? Will there be an Italian duel?
The 2022 season will be the first time that two Italian teams will compete in the PMSC, so we expect a certain friendly rivalry between us. But beyond that, we have a good relationship with Dinamic, which is a very professional team, and we are always willing to work with them as we have done in the past.

 

Thanks and good luck, Davide!