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Sant’Agata Bolognese, December 9, 2021 – Leonardo Pulcini and Arthur Rougier have been announced as the stand-out drivers from the Young Driver Program and GT3 Junior Program 2021 and will receive official support from Lamborghini Squadra Corse next year, taking part in the International GT Open and ADAC GT Masters championships respectively.
Since 2014, the Young Driver and GT3 Junior Programs have been key to the long-term strategy of the Sant’Agata Bolognese car maker’s motorsport department and offer young talent a career opportunity as instructors and test drivers. The aim is to become a Factory Driver, following in the footsteps of Giacomo Altoè and Sandy Mitchell, who both trained with the Lamborghini training programs before being admitted into the ranks of the official drivers.
In 2021, the program coordinator, Raffaele Giammaria, selected 13 drivers for the Young Driver Program and 10 for the GT3 Junior Program, following the drivers during the Super Trofeo and GT championship race weekends. Mid-season, they were called to the Lamborghini Drivers Lab in Sant’Agata Bolognese for intense physical training, including sessions using TecnoBody professional equipment and O2H cryochamber, as well as a psychometric test.
At the end of the season, the most deserving were entered into a shootout at the Vallelunga circuit near Rome, where not only their performance behind the wheel of the Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 and GT3 EVO were put to the test, but also their ability to work as a team and interact with technicians and engineers. Leonardo Pulcini and Arthur Rougier were judged to be the best in the respective programs. Pulcini, born in Rome in 1998, also won the Super Trofeo Europe title together with Kevin Gilardoni in the #11 Huracán of Oregon Team. Rougier, French and born in 2000, competed in the GT World Challenge Europe with the Huracán GT3 EVO #114 crew, ending the championship in sixth place in the overall classification.
Both drivers will race in the 2022 season with the support of Lamborghini Squadra Corse. Pulcini will make his debut in the International GT Open behind the wheel of the Huracán GT3 EVO #63 of Oregon Team; Rougier will work with the Emil Frey Racing team in the ADAC GT Masters. A special mention goes to Mattia Michelotto, winner of the World Finals at Misano Adriatico, who will race in the Italian Gran Turismo Championship Endurance in car #63 of Vincenzo Sospiri Racing.
“Once again this year the level of the participants in our young talent programs was extremely high,” commented Giorgio Sanna, Lamborghini’s Head of Motorsport, “and it wasn’t easy for Raffaele to choose the best drivers. Leo and Arthur showed that they don’t just have a talent for driving, but also the right mindset and determination to pursue a professional career. Our aim is to give them the tools to be competitive and help them as much as possible on their development path, both on and off the track”.