Alessandro Giardelli (born October 5, 2002) is an Italian professional racing driver. He finished second in the 2021 Porsche Carrera Cup Italy season and participated in the Porsche Junior Shootout for national Carrera Cup drivers.[1][2] In 2015, Giardelli won the KFJunior class of the Italian Karting Championship.[3] He became the youngest driver to compete in the KZ1 top karting category of the Karting World Championship in 2017, at 14 years old.[4]
Career
Karting
Giardelli began his career in 2012.[5] Since then, he has won numerous national and international competitions and awards.[6] His accomplishments include first place in the Italian Open Masters,[7] third place at the WSK Night Edition,[8] eighth place[9] and fifth[10] place in the WSK Champions Cup, fourth place in the WSK Final Cup,[11] first place in the Rok Cup Italy,[12] fifth place in the Rok Cup International final,[13] fifth place in the Trofeo Margutti,[14] second place in the industry trophy,[15] first place in the 500 miles of Granja Viana,[16][17] third place in the race of Karting European Championship[18] and the victory of a race in the Karting World Championship.[19] He competed for the CRG (kart manufacturer) official team,[20][21][22] and Tony Kart[23][24] which is part of the OTK group and also racing for the official team Lariomotorsport.[9]
After two DNFs in the second round at Misano, Giardelli moved to MM Motorsport. At Imola, he finished 11th in Race 1 and retired from Race 2 after a crash.[29][30] In the fourth round at Vallelunga, he started second and maintained his position to finish as runner-up.[31] In Race 2, Giardelli started seventh on the inverted grid and finished second overall.[32]
In Race 1 at Monza, he finished eighth after a collision with another driver, who was later penalized.[33] In Race 2, Giardelli suffered a punctured tire following another collision, forcing him to pit for repairs and ultimately finishing 12th.[34] He did not participate in the final race of the championship at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
Giardelli participated in the official pre-season tests of the Porsche Carrera Cup Italy in Imola on May 18, achieving the fifth-fastest time of the day.[41][42] He made his debut in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italy at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli during the first race of the 2021 championship.[43][44][45][46] He recorded the fifth-fastest time in free practice,[47] and eighth place in qualifying.[48] In Race 1, he climbed to fifth place,[49] while in Race 2, he earned a podium finish in third place, becoming the best performer among drivers in the Porsche Scholarship Program.[50][51][52][53][54]
In the second round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Italy at the Mugello Circuit,[55][56][57] Giardelli recorded the fastest time in the official free practice session on Friday.[58][59][60] On Saturday, he qualified fourth,[61] and in Race 1, he secured a podium finish in third place and recorded the fastest lap.[62][63] In Race 2 on Sunday, he achieved another podium finish, placing second.[64] With these results, Giardelli maintained third place in the championship standings and first among the drivers in the Porsche Scholarship Program, achieving three podium finishes in four races.[65][66][67][68][69]
After his performances in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italy, Giardelli was called upon to replace Simone Iaquinta, who had suffered an injury, in the Porsche Supercup. This marked Giardelli's debut in the Porsche Supercup at the Hungary round, held during the same weekend as Formula 1.[70] Despite his lack of familiarity with the track and the new 992 model, which lacked ABS control, Giardelli managed a strong performance. He placed 20th in free practice, improved to 16th in qualifying—where he initially ranked in the top 10 but was hampered by traffic—and delivered an impressive comeback in the race, finishing 10th on his debut.[71]
In the fourth round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Italy at the Vallelunga Circuit, Giardelli entered as the championship leader.[72][73][74][75][76] He secured the second-fastest time in free practice,[77] and qualified in fifth place.[78] In Race 1 on Saturday, he finished in sixth position.[79] In Race 2 on Sunday, Giardelli achieved a podium finish, taking second place and maintaining his lead in the championship standings.[80][81][82][83][84][85]
In the fifth round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Italy, held at the Autodromo of Franciacorta during the Porsche Festival, Giardelli faced a challenging weekend. He encountered setup issues with the car,[86] which resulted in a ninth-place finish in qualifying.[87] In Race 1, he finished in eighth place after a collision that cost him the chance to compete for the top five positions.[88] He also finished eighth in Race 2.[89]
In the final championship race at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza,[90] Giardelli began the weekend strong, finishing fourth in free practice with more worn tires than his competitors.[91] In qualifying, he claimed an extraordinary pole position, setting a new record for the Monza circuit with a Porsche Cup car.[92][93]
In Race 1, held under rainy conditions, Giardelli dominated, lapping more than a second faster per lap than his rivals to secure victory.[94][95][96] In Race 2, Giardelli entered with a seven-point advantage in the championship standings, but due to the discard regulations, he trailed his closest rival by one point.[97] Starting sixth on the inverted grid, he faced misfortune after contact at the Variante della Roggia forced him out of contention. Despite this, Giardelli concluded the championship in second place overall and as the top driver in the Porsche Scholarship Program during his debut season.[1][2][98]
In November 2021, Giardelli participated in the Porsche International Shootout.[99]
In the first round of the championship, Giardelli faced an unlucky weekend, securing 7th place in qualifying and finishing 11th in both races.[102]
Ferrari Driver Academy
In 2018, while competing with the official Tony Kart team, Giardelli displayed the Ferrari Driver Academy logo on his helmet, suit, and kart.[103]
Personal life
Giardelli's brother, Luca Giardelli, is also a racing driver.[104] In 2013, the Giardelli family opened a track named Lariomotorsport[105] and established a karting team under the same name.[106]