We spoke with the Italian driver, who returned to competition last season in a category specifically designed for mature drivers (aged 35 and above). Among the competitors, Gandolfi is joined by several others with illustrious pasts in racing.
“For me, it was an exceptional opportunity, and I’ll never stop thanking Tonykart because, without them, it wouldn’t have been possible. That said, I realized that even though it’s called ‘Master’ and is meant by regulations for non-professional (or at best former professional) drivers, the level is too high. These are professionals, no doubt about it: they race every month and spend countless hours training. Honestly, I thought this category would be more amateur—if you’ll forgive the term—and more of a sideshow to the big names of KZ1. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Competing at that level is no longer my job.”
Gandolfi is not the first to express concerns about the extremely high level of the KZ Master category. Last year, Manetti also noted that the minimum age of 35 might be a bit low, as it could include drivers who until recently were still professionals. It’s hard not to agree with Gandolfi when he points out that doing frequent testing at this level can make a significant difference on race weekends. This was a reality he experienced firsthand in Portugal last October: “Setting aside the minor mechanical issues we had at the World Championship, I realized that if you don’t stay on the kart consistently, it’s tough to match the rhythm of the fastest drivers. You understand that they go so fast not because they’re superhuman, but because you, having trained so little, struggle to keep up. Without logging kilometers upon kilometers in testing, it takes you twice as long to find their rhythm on race weekend.”
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“For me, it was an exceptional opportunity, and I’ll never stop thanking Tonykart because, without them, it wouldn’t have been possible. That said, I realized that even though it’s called ‘Master’ and is meant by regulations for non-professional (or at best former professional) drivers, the level is too high. These are professionals, no doubt about it: they race every month and spend countless hours training. Honestly, I thought this category would be more amateur—if you’ll forgive the term—and more of a sideshow to the big names of KZ1. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Competing at that level is no longer my job.”
Gandolfi is not the first to express concerns about the extremely high level of the KZ Master category. Last year, Manetti also noted that the minimum age of 35 might be a bit low, as it could include drivers who until recently were still professionals. It’s hard not to agree with Gandolfi when he points out that doing frequent testing at this level can make a significant difference on race weekends. This was a reality he experienced firsthand in Portugal last October: “Setting aside the minor mechanical issues we had at the World Championship, I realized that if you don’t stay on the kart consistently, it’s tough to match the rhythm of the fastest drivers. You understand that they go so fast not because they’re superhuman, but because you, having trained so little, struggle to keep up. Without logging kilometers upon kilometers in testing, it takes you twice as long to find their rhythm on race weekend.”
Returning to both regular practice and competition after a long hiatus was ultimately a positive experience for Gandolfi. Now that he’s back, he doesn’t plan to stop.
“My job today is here at the circuit (Cremona Circuit, editor’s note), and I’m here to support anyone involved in this beautiful sport. I don’t intend to race again at such a high level as the KZ Master, but now that I’ve started karting again, I feel reborn. I definitely plan to participate in some amateur races because karting over these past two years has brought me back to life.”
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