Dinamic Motorsport was born in 2011 from the will and passion of Maurizio Lusuardi. After years of success with numerous victories in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia the team made its debut in the GT World Challenge in 2019 by winning the 3 Hours of Monza. The Italian squad is based 43 kilometres north-west of Modena. Thus, they enjoy the luxury of having two world-famous circuits, Imola and Monza, literally on its doorstep. A team that prides itself in its familiar atmosphere, is headed by former F1 driver Gianni Morbidelli. After a challenging season last year, he is optimistic about the future – and relies on the power of youth: alongside Supercup veteran Jaap van Lagen, his team includes two new Italian Rookies: Francesco Braschi and Aldo Festante. With this in mind, we sat down with Gianni to discuss the valuable lessons learned from last season and how they can be applied in 2024.

Hello Gianni – what adjustments in the team are you focussing on after a difficult season last year?
We are focused on improving areas where there is more room for growth, such as human resources and engineering. This year, we hired two experienced engineers, Gianfranco Fantuzzi and Luca Baldisserri, which is a great accomplishment. We understand the importance of building a strong team in the fast-paced world of motorsport, and we believe that having skilled individuals from different backgrounds is vital for success. Maurizio shares our vision and supports our efforts.

 

As a former F1 driver who has raced for more than 30 teams and many Team Principals in a variety of motorsport disciplines, what can you bring to the team?
Driving racing cars is super exciting, but everything comes to an end sometime. I decided to retire in 2019 and move into driver coaching. I have worked with Mini Italy and BMW Italy, gaining valuable experience with young drivers. Working with them can be a challenge, especially when you have to deal with their parents. (laughs) In any case, I like to share my experiences with the young talents so that they don't make every mistake I've made themselves.

Now with Dinamic I focus on supporting a team from the other side of the pitwall. The joy of working together is our top priority: If you enjoy doing something, you do it better. I have always told my mechanics that we are lucky to do something we love. But of course, professionalism and adherence to rules are also important for success.

Your team is based in the heart of Italian motorsport. How does this heritage influence the way you prepare, test and race in the Supercup?
I have been in motorsport for 40 years. For me, when I go to Monza, when I go to Imola, when I go to any track in the world, it's always the same: I like it, I enjoy it, I have this good feeling. Everyone else in the team feels the same way. What unites us is that motorsport is in our blood – no matter which region we come from.

 

What do you expect from your youngsters? Both Francesco Braschi and Aldo Festante are participating in the Porsche Rookie Programme. Are they looking forward to talking to Marco Seefried, the Rookie coach?
Francesco has less experience than Aldo. But from the last test that we did, I have to admit that I was really surprised by him. He showed that he has potential with a good mentality. He has passion, but in the meantime, I understand that he is very professional. And I'm quite confident that they can both do a good job – they perfectly know how difficult the Supercup is. Our main task is to be fast in qualifying with both of them, as a good grid position is 90% of the race success. That’s why during preparation we use as many new tyres as possible to gain experience for hot laps. Aldo and Francesco are also looking forward to working with the Coach of the Rookie Programme, Marco. He knows a lot about the series, the tracks and the car, which can only help them.

 

The experienced Jaap van Lagen will be accompanied by the two youngsters Francesco and Aldo. Are there any milestones that the drivers or the entire team have to fulfil? What are your expectations of the drivers?
As we have seen also in F1, a young driver comes in with little or no experience and is able to push and to be fast immediately. This means that young drivers are very well prepared. They train a lot and they know what to do. The challenge for them is more a psychological one: the pressure is high in a championship that is as tough as the Porsche Supercup. When you're sitting in the car, in the middle of the field, in front of packed stands, you get nervous. That's why we prepare ourselves for all kinds of situations with targeted mental training. Jaap, who by the way I've raced against in the past, also helps us with his great Supercup experience.

 

Although you might have a favourite with the tifosi in Monza, which event are you most looking forward to?
Fortunately, Italy has two circuits – Imola and Monza – where our drivers can benefit from their experience from the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia. In Imola, in addition to the race in the Porsche Supercup, we are also racing in two other races in the national one-make cup. This means that we have to try to be particularly fast in Imola. This is one of the reasons why we have already organised tests there. Apart from our home races, Spa is a circuit that fascinates all drivers and we are also really looking forward to it!

 

How would you describe yourself as a team in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, given that you are one of two Italian entries?
When I started working with Dinamic Motorsport, I understood that they have great potential. It's a team of very good people. It's just a matter of harmonising them even better and improving a few areas where there are deficits. For example, it's about the spirit in the team, because that's fundamental to every championship. We have to work on showing that we have a good team, not only externally but internally as well.

 

Thanks a lot for the talk, Gianni!