Tatuus iMagazine

23 Specifically, how does your program works out during the F4 weekend? "We do a track walk and meet with the drivers after qualifying. We talk with them about the previous race, taking cues from the race control reports and watching the onboard cameras of those who violated the rules. We do this to understand if the drivers had the perception of the mistakes made. Then, we discuss how the free practice went and we analyze the qualifying data by comparing each lap with that of the pole. It is a rather long match, which on average lasts a couple of hours." How is it to work and deal with 15 or 16‐year‐old drivers? "Starting from Formula Abarth, the arrival of highly‐ professional teams brought in drivers of great value. I remember Marciello and Giovinazzi, even if the latter was for there only here for one round, then with the debut of F4, we had Stroll, Mick Schumacher, and so on. We talk to them using their language. Overall the bar is constantly raising, so we focus on more and more professional parameters. I remember drivers like Minì, Pizzi, Antonelli, who know how to read telemetry to perfection thanks to the experience of high‐level karting. Years ago, there was no telemetry in karting." Is there a program like the Italian one in other Formula 4 championships? “No, it's not something that everybody does. There had been something similar in Germany, but it was later abandoned. I remember that in 2014, when Gerhard Berger was in charge of the FIA Single Seater Commission, he was impressed by our work. We were in Imola and he was on location because of European F3, the series F4 was supporting. He attended our briefings with the F4 drivers and decided to establish an FIA protocol recommending a similar type of mentoring in all F4 championships. But the advice didn't get a lot of follow‐ups also because Berger eventually left." Is there any other task for you on race weekend? "We consult with race control, helping the designated people in taking decisions regarding particular race episodes or crashes. We not only do this for F4 but for every championship on those weekends. Scuola Federale is there to help ACI Sport and it's a 360‐degree commitment. Recently, even Porsche requested our instructors as an addition to their Italian championships!"