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It's not often that the championship
is won in July, but Ronnie Marchetti
already had his hands on the Renault
Clio Cup Italia by the end of the
racing week in Misano. Although his
success hardly came as a surprise,
the 33 year old driver from
Montegranaro’s success also
represents a great satisfaction for
Composit Motorsport.
How does it feel to be crowned
number one so early in the season?
“It’s incredibly satisfying. To win the
championship with two races to go is
no mean feat and it makes me feel
really proud. It feels really strange to
go away on holiday in August
knowing that you're already the
champion”.
Were you expecting to achieve such
a fantastic run of results at the
beginning of the year?
“At the start of every season my aim
is always the same: to win the title. I
don’t always succeed, although I’ve
been very close on more than one
occasion, but in 2013 I did it. I raced
hard right from the outset and I did
everything I could to get that number
one spot. Composit Motorsport
made sure that my car was always
perfect and extremely competitive,
and I got pretty much everything
right on the track. Thanks to the
combination of these factors we
managed to win the championship
with seven wins in eight races. I say
seven, and not six, because although
I only managed third place in Imola,
the drivers who finished ahead of me
didn’t score any championship
points…”.
Who was your main rival?
“My direct adversary was Rinaldi,
without a doubt my main rival.
Unfortunately he didn’t take part in
Misano, which was probably the
main reason why I managed to win
the title in July. I also had some
pretty good tussles with my team-
mate Gioia. We have collaborated
well together the year, especially
during testing and qualifying, for
example in Monza where we were
slipstreaming for each other. He was
a tough rival too”.
What about the rest of the season?
“I’ll be driving the new Composit
Motorsport RS in the final races of
the Eurocup Clio. The meetings are
in Le Castellet at the end of
September, followed by Barcelona,
and then the final weekend in
Navarra. I have to take a test first
though because I’ve never driven the
Eurocup car before”.
And what are your plans for 2014?
“I’d like to take part in the Clio Cup
Italia again in the new Clio, but I
might also participate in the Eurocup.
I want to stay with Composit so I’ll
have to sit down and review the
situation together with them”.
A day in the life of Ronnie Marchetti?
“He’s someone who gets up at 7 in
the morning and goes to work. I
work in one of the numerous firms in
the footwear sector in my hometown
of Montegranaro. Driving is my
hobby, and I don’t have any
particular aims, apart from enjoying
myself. That’s why I’m content to
remain within the Renault
environment; I like driving the Clio
and I’m happy to maintain my
current level of commitment, rather
than moving up to a Gran Turismo
category or similar. On race
weekends I leave work on Friday
afternoon and head off to the circuit
where my Clio is waiting for me.
Then, on Sunday evening, it’s back
home again, and back to work again
on Monday morning!”
Do your bosses follow your racing
career?
“They cheer me on and they let me
have the time off when I need it for
testing. Virtually the entire firm turned
up at Misano, and we all celebrated
together: It was great moment”.
