Luca Filippi, an old-fashioned passion

When, in thinking about motorsport, you use the phrase "one never forgets one's first love", you immediately think of the world of karting. Your first contact with a real track, the engines, the bumper-to-bumper brawls, rivals, all these add to an explosive mix of emotions that only this discipline can transmit.

Born in 1985, Luca Filippi, vice world GP2 champion in 2011, has not resisted a return to karts, and he talks to us about it, an exclusive for Vroom Karting Magazine. Many memories resurface as Filippi talks, from his karting days to his sharing a few thoughts on the great epic of the regional series, the soul of karting a few years ago. The Italian does not hide the possibility of returning to a few races in the future, and also talks about the current level of racing, of the Italian drivers in F1, and the important role of coaches on the track.

Below, an excerpt of the interview with Luca Filippi, with the full version in the next issue of Vroom.

By now you are a constant presence in the various kartodromes; why this return to karts?
«Lately, yes, I travel a lot. I have often organized myself with all my equipment. I am very vintage in some respects. I use the things of when I used to run. I still have the tool box of the Junior, the pressure gauge that I used in the 60 mini. I change nothing I am attached to, emotionally, the same for rib-guards. I do it because it is the best possible training for a single-seater car, etc. Going to the gym is certainly important, but karting - there is nothing better. The kart is clearly very fatiguing and is perfect for training the muscles, but not only. Trying to be constant helps concentration, rhythm. It's truly the perfect training. Obviously it's something that still amuses me, even from the mechanical side. Going on the track, preparing the vehicle, setting it up, adjusting the pressures, etc., I like it a lot. It's nice to put your hands in and play around with it, too. It took me a long time to go back to karting. I did a last year of Super A where I was not followed in the best way probably; for this, I left it with a little bitter taste. As it is now, I am very happy with my being closer».

We saw that you ran with Vitantonio Liuzzi in Castelletto - how did it go? Give us some background info.
«I went to race with him like in the old days. We have been close friends since the days of the CRG. We've been through a lot from karting to the car. There's a profound friendship between me and him. He has a business in Milan. I live here in the neighborhood and... there we were, on a track. It was easy to convince him. Him, for karting, he is always ready. We had a lot of fun and we challenged ourselves to the hundredths. When he drives he has a really nice style to look at. I had feeling both with the track and the run. It all ensured that we really enjoyed it very much with the same lap times.
A nice scene glimpsed backstage? The track was slightly humid in the morning and gradually improved. Before lunch they were there to try to do the same identical time, neither agreeing to go more slowly than the other. Same thing in the evening; without the same lap time neither of them would have left the track».

Filippi then launches a reflection. «I think that karting doesn't need just the World Cup and the European and official teams, but also those people who when they have time, go karting, having fun and living it all like a sport, without thinking about the professional side».

Look for the next issue of Vroom, December issue, at your favourite newstand where you'll find the complete interview with Luca Filippi.


Simone Corradengo (scorradengo@vroom.it)
Trd. Luigi Monteferrante