MEET THE DRIVER – ANDREA CALDARELLI – ORANGE1

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ANDREA CALDARELLI
MEET THE DRIVER – ORANGE1

#ORANGE1STARS

Test Driver Toyota F1
Toyota Factory Driver 2013 / 2016
Lamborghini Factory Driver since 2017
Team Principal & Driver – ORANGE1 FFF RACING TEAM

CHAMPION INTERVIEW

I think the key to understand why Orange1 is a lead company in anything that does, is its own slogan: “We are passion”

ANDREA CALDARELLI

PROFILE

NAME: Andrea Caldarelli
NATIONALITY: Italian
BORN: 14 Febbraio 1990 – Pescara

PALMARES

2000-2002

Karting Categoria Mini kart 60 cc
Varie gare nel Campionato Italiano

2003

Karting Categoria 100 cc Junior
Ha partecipato all’ International Prize a Muro Leccese
Ha partecipato al Campionato Italiano

2004

Stop racing for study reasons

2005

Formula Azzurra 4° classificato nel Campionato Italiano (1 vittoria, 3 podi, 1 pole position)
Diventa il più giovane pilota a vincere una gara di un Campionato Italiano

2006

Formula Renault 2.0 14° nel Campionato Formula Renault 2.0 Italia Championship (1 pole-position, 1 podio)
Formula Renault 2.0 Asia Trophy (vittoria e pole position a Shanghai nella gara di supporto A1 GP)

2007

Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and Italia con PREMA Powerteam
Entrato a far parte del programma TDP – Toyota Drivers Program (2 podi)

2008

Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and WEC con SG Formula
Confermato nel programma TDP – Toyota Drivers Program
3° EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP (10 podi)
3° West European Championship (3 vittorie – 9 podi)

2009

Confermato nel programma Toyota Divers Program
Formula 3 Euroseries Team SG Formula (FRA)
Auto: Dallara F308 (Mercedes)
Test driver Toyota F1 (Panasonic Toyota Racing)

2010

Formula 3 Italy con Prema Powerteam
Auto: Dallara F308 (FPT)
3° posizione (3 vittorie – 2 pole positions – 5 podi – 3 giri veloci)
Scuderia Ferrari F1 Test a Vallelunga (1° miglior tempo)
GP2 Main Series – Test ad Abu Dhabi
4° miglior tempo con Racing Engineering

2011

GP2 Asia Series – Test ad Abu Dhabi
6° miglior tempo con Ocean Racing Technology
GP2 Asia Series: 21° in campionato con Ocean Racing Technology
11° Nel primo evento dopo un guasto tecnico in gara-1
12° ad Imola dopo aver recuperato dal fondo per un guasto alla frizione
GP3 Series con Tech 1
10° con 20 punti. 4 gare: 2 prime file, 2 giri veloci ed 1 podio
Formula Nippon pilota Toyota con Kondo Racing
14° assoluto, 5° esordiente.
Primo italiano selezionato dal FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy.

Campione European F3 Open come Coach Driver per Corbetta Competizioni ed Alex Fontana

2012

Toyota Racing – Junior Driver World Endurance Championship & 24 Ore Le Mans
Super GT – Pilota ufficiale Toyota nel LEXUS TEAM KeePer Kraft
13° con 28 punti. 2° nella 1000Km di Suzuka. Miglior rookie in campionato
Nominato Ambasciatore FIA al termine del FIA Institue Young Driver Excellence Program.

2013

Super GT – Pilota ufficiale Toyota nel LEXUS TEAM KeePer TOM’S
8° in campionato con 47 punti. Due podi 2° a Sugo, 3° al Fuji
Junior Driver per Toyota Racing nel World Endurance Championship
Super Formula – Pilota ufficiale Toyota nel TEAM KYGUS SUNOCO
Sostituto in tre appuntamenti, a Suzuka. 13° in campionato con 4 punti
Sviluppo simulatore Dallara modello SF14

2014

Super GT – Pilota ufficiale Toyota nel LEXUS TEAM KeePer TOM’S
2° in campionato con 79 punti. Una vittoria (Okayama) 3 podi 2° a Sugo, 2° a Motegi
Super Formula – Pilota ufficiale Toyota nel TEAM KYGNUS SUNOCO e Petronas Team TOM’S
Sostituto in 2 appuntamenti. Pole position al Fuji, podio 3° a Motegi
Sviluppo simulatore Dallara modello SF14

2015

Super GT – Pilota ufficiale Toyota nel LEXUS TEAM KeePer TOM’S
5° in campionato con 56 punti. Pole position e vittoria nel round inaugurale di Okayama e finale a Motegi
Super Formula – Pilota ufficiale Toyota nel Team Impul
14° in campionato con 4 punti. Pole position al Fuji
Team Manager e pilota nel progetto FFF Racing by ACM

2016

Super GT – Pilota ufficiale Toyota nel TEAM LE MANS WAKO’S
2° in campionato con 69 punti. Due podi, 3° a Buriram e 2° a Motegi
Team Manager e pilota nel progetto FFF Racing by ACM

2017

Blancpain Endurance Series – Lamborghini Factory Driver per Grasser Racing Team
Campione con 86 punti. Due vittorie a Monza e Silverstone, un podio a Barcellona
Super GT – Pilota ufficiale Toyota nel TEAM LE MANS WAKO’S
3° in campionato con 63 punti. Quattro podi, 2° ad Okayama, Fuji e Buriram. 3° a Sugo
Blancpain Sprint Series – Lamborghini Factory Driver per Grasser Racing Team
Un podio, secondo, al Nurburgring
24 ore di Daytona – Lamborghini Factory Driver per Paul Miller Racing
7° classificato in classe GTD
Team Manager e pilota nel progetto FFF Racing by ACM

2018

24 ore di Daytona – Lamborghini Factory Driver per Paul Miller Racing
3° classificato in classe GTD
Blancpain GT Series – Lamborghini Factory Driver per Grasser Racing Team
16° assoluto in campionato, 9° nella classifica Sprint, 31° nella classifica Endurance.
Due podi, 3° a Zolder e al Nurburgring

ADAC GT Masters – Lamborghini Factory Driver per Grasser Racing Team
7° in campionato con 64 punti. Una vittoria a Oschersleben e due podi al Red Bull Ring e al Nurburgring
Team Manager e pilota nel progetto FFF Racing by ACM

2019

24 ore di Daytona – Lamborghini Factory Driver per Paul Miller Racing
Blancpain GT Series – Lamborghini Factory Driver e Team Principal ORANGE1 FFF Racing by ACM
Blancpain GT Series – Overall Champion con ORANGE1 FFF Racing Team

2020

Lamborghini Factory Driver
Team Principal ORANGE1 FFF Racing team by ACM
Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona 2020 Winner – Paul Miller Racing
Le Mans Cup Winner – ORANGE1 FFF Racing Team

CURIOSITY

How do you train?
It is very difficult to find a long period of time to do a proper training schedule while the season is on. So the training is something you have to “invent” all the time according to where you are and time you have available. At the moment I spend time in the gym mostly.

The best trip you have ever done or what’s your favourite place ?
There are many places I like. However, I believe the travel is more important than destination itself. So definitely traveling with my wife is something I really enjoy.

Your first car?
Mini Cooper S

Tell us the truth! Were you good in school?
I was quite ok honestly. I graduated and started university in Management. Unfortunately due to my commitment in Japan for racing I could not finish yet.

Q&A

1. If you weren’t a driver, what would you have liked to become?
Definitely I would have aim to become a jet pilot!

2. A Professional driver during its career should have a plan B? And what about you?
I don’t believe that a professional racing driver can only focus on racing itself. You have too much spare time between races that I don’t agree you should fill up only with physical training.
I would not consider as B plan, as that means you don’t believe in your skills, but more like something you will find useful one day when you stop racing. As you may all know, I started to work on FFF project since 5 years now, and I really enjoy it.

3. How did you become part of the Lamborghini Squadra Corse world?
Bit by coincidence, as I did one race in GT Open in 2016, and at that time I was factory driver for Toyota in Japan. So, after that race Giorgio Sanna (Head Lamborghini Motorsport) called me to do a test and after that it all started… I guess I went quick enough!

4. To date, you are driver and Team Principal of a team that needs no introduction. How did this project start?
This project started back in 2014, when I was coaching and racing together with our actual team Owner. We discussed a first draft of possible plan together in an hotel room in Shanghai. We both had a dream to create a team that would become a factory supported team within 3 years from the start. It was a very hard target, but I can say now we did it.

5. What advice would you give to young aspiring Factory drivers?
I always advice that to become a factory driver you must be professional not only on track You must respect the company you race/work for. You must be quick of course but at the same time consistent, to deliver the job at any time, any place.

6. 2019 was an important year for you, the debut of FFF Racing Team in the European Blancpain GT Series after conquering the Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia, and the arrival of ORANGE1 as title sponsor that has brought to the team new colors, giving to FFF a new name: “ORANGE1 FFF Racing Team”. What does ORANGE1 mean to you?
The collaboration with Orange1 is definitely something that made us win the championship in 2019. I think the key to understand why Orange1 is a lead company in anything that does, is its own slogan: “We are passion” Sky is the limit when you do things with passion! We share the same vision!

7.If you owned a company, would you invest in Motorsport? Do you think it is an effective tool?
I definitely believe so. Motorsport is such an incredible world that does put together a lot of different companies and people together. The paddock is such a big chance of B2B that you don’t find very often in other sports. We all know that motorsport attracts a lot of business owners, CEO’s and so on. So, I believe is perfect ground to find, create and build businesses.

8. The most important victory of your life?
I would say at today, 24H of Daytona. It was a race I tried to win for 3 years in row.

9. What is your dream race to win?
SPA 24H is at the moment one of my goal.

10. there something you would like to say to Orange1 or to President Armando Donazzan?
I really would like to thank our Orange1 president, Armando, for the support he showed us during this last 2 years, first as man with a lot of good advices and always as person you can count on.

 

 

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