Carrera Cup Italia, Supercup and Sports Cup Suisse (inaugurated last weekend): Dinamic Motorsport confirms participation in the three Porsche single-make brands also for 2024 and the team founded by Maurizio Lusuardi does so by making use of a new “boss” on the pit wall: the former F1 Gianni Morbidelli (already seen “in action” in the tests and now ready to inaugurate the Italian single-brand championship in Misano from today to Sunday).
For the rider from Pesaro, this is the first experience “beyond the wall”, which began with very clear ideas through some additions (well known in the environment) which concerned the technical sector of the team: “A new chapter opens for me – begins Morbidelli –; for the first time I will take on the role of team manager and I will do it in a prepared team and alongside Maurizio Lusuardi who will give me the opportunity to grow and from whom I have to learn a lot. We have decided to strengthen the technical staff by investing in quality and experienced figures such as Luca Baldisserri and Gianfranco Fantuzzi, who work alongside Bruno Chiazzaro and Mathew Ghersi and who I am sure will help us grow, not only on a technical level”.
Gianni, how did it all start and why these first decisions?
“I have a long-standing friendship with Lusuardi, we raced together in the late 80s / early 90s, and he asked me to collaborate with his team. For me it’s all new, I’m dealing for the first time with things that I’ve always experienced on the other side as a driver. My great fortune is to have worked with 33 different teams in 40 years of activity, at all levels among other things, knowing a little about all the internal dynamics of a team, without prejudice to the fact that when you have to take care of it it becomes a system certainly not easy to manage. The first thing I wanted to do was strengthen the areas that could be improved and the technical part was one of these.”
How?
“We have put together a quartet of valuable technicians, adding to Ghersi and Chiazzaro (with whom I worked in touring car racing) both Fantuzzi, who was my track engineer in my first year as a test driver in Ferrari F1 and then after many years in Ferrari was in Toro Rosso and also Toyota, both Baldisserri, another man of great experience, for many years in Ferrari even in the Todt-Schumacher era. Two characters who reinforce the already important human resources that worked in the team. This is a bit of my pride, the happiness of having brought people into Dinamic who, in addition to having a lot of experience in the sector, have a background and know-how that will allow us to grow. Personally, it is also a return to the past, if you like, but with characters who for me represent an important slice of history in motoring. Sometimes we lose sight of what’s behind a team, in reality the human aspects are fundamental.”
In the Supercup you will join the confirmed and experienced Dutchman Jaap Van Lagen with two rookies, namely Aldo Festante and Francesco Braschi, also involved from today in the Carrera Cup Italia, in this case with the third 911 GT3 Cup entrusted in the Michelin Cup to the returning Luca Pastorelli…
“In terms of drivers, I think we have an intriguing line up, a nice mix of experience and talent. In the Supercup we are focusing a lot on the two rookies, I believe in their potential.”
How did you see them in the tests?
“Braschi is a young former Formula rider, he has the right approach, very professional. I saw him well, even if you have to keep your feet on the ground, you have to grow, he has no experience with covered wheels. It’s obvious that when you come up against a very high-level line-up like in the Supercup and now also in the Carrera Cup Italia, where we really have some important references today, you have to be good at optimizing the work in a very short time and therefore also having the great ability to make the most of new tires. Qualification is very important and has become so in Italy too. Then I also expect growth from Festante during the Supercup season. And precisely on the basis of what we have put together in terms of human and technical resources, I hope that the growth of both can be quite rapid.”
In these first months as team manager of Dinamic, what impression have you had and what have you learned?
“My luck, as I was saying, is to have worked with many teams, but then you have to put everything into practice. It’s not easy, the team is busy on multiple fronts and therefore the amount of work is very important. I didn’t expect an easy life but I realize that it is an important commitment: of responsibility, of organization, of logistical and also human management and of great attention to everything. Then I can only learn from Lusuardi and his figure is fundamental for my current training, I must first of all thank him for his trust and support.”
Among other things, his team has often won in the Carrera Cup Italia…
“This denotes great work by the team. There are some very good guys, I had already noticed it in past years. Behind the riders’ results there is always a team, there are people who are committed and work hard. It is essential to have capable, balanced, good and professional kids. This was a great starting point to which I added some ‘icing on the cake’ and now each car/driver is entrusted to a highly capable engineer.”
How are they divided?
“Fantuzzi follows Braschi, Festante is with Ghersi like last year, Van Lagen has Baldisserri and Pastorelli instead has Chiazzaro. We will try every day to grow and introduce something into the team that allows us to be as organized as possible. When you have so many commitments you have to have a schedule. Among other things, I have always been fussy, it’s kind of my characteristic, it was like that as a driver and I intend to continue along this line. Working with precision and with a certain planning is in my nature and I hope that this also serves within the management of a team. I hope I’m up to par, I’m working hard and also having fun. However, fun remains fundamental in any job…”
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