Lacorte: Daytona Father-Son Driving Team “A Dream”

Photo: Fabio Taccola/Cetilar Racing

Cetilar Racing stalwart Roberto Lacorte said it is “a dream” to share a car with his son for the first time as the two team up for the 63rd running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Lacorte and his teenage son Nicola, together with Antonio Fuoco and Lorenzo Patrese, form an all-Italian lineup aboard the No. 47 Ferrari 296 GT3.

While the elder Lacorte has gathered a wealth of experience as a Bronze-rated driver, notably making six starts in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a variety of machinery, it will be his son’s first time in the Rolex 24.

The 17-year-old has spent the past few years climbing the single seater ladder and is set to make the step up to FIA Formula 3 as a member of the Alpine Academy this year.

“For me, it’s always been a goal to be able to race with my father, especially in a race like Daytona,” Nicola Lacorte told Sportscar365.

“I’ve been waiting for this for a couple of years, when I was younger, following my dad here in the races.

“I remember watching him racing, I was wanting to get in the car with him, race with him.

“Now it’s finally possible. It’s going to be the most important race of my life so far. So it’s great to start this journey.”

While the elder Lacorte hailed the significance of the occasion, he underlined that a significant amount of work went into it to ensure Nicola would be adequately prepared for his endurance debut.

“It’s a dream, but we have to analyze very carefully and pick the best moment to create this,” he said.

“Together with Amato Ferrari, we started the [process] to evaluate the possibility to race together in October.

“After a test that we did in Barcelona in November, we decided that we are ready to race together, to bring Nicola to Daytona.

“It was not a matter of lap time because Nicola and Lorenzo Patrese, they demonstrated to be very quick.

“The fact that helped us to the decision was that we drove for two days without a mistake.

“So this is very important to evaluate if the driver is ready to manage, with the head prepared with the right approach and the right mindset for long distance racing. And after two days testing, this was very clear.”

To further help with preparations, former Cetilar WEC drivers Giorgio Sernagiotto and Andrea Belicchi have both been tapped for coaching duties.

“The main matter is the multi class management of the race,” said Roberto.

“This is the only point that we have to be focused on and with the help of Ferrari, with the help of the AF Corse and with the help of the experienced drivers like me and Antonio, I think that we can manage it and this is the only matter.

Nicola added: “I’m quite prepared mentally for this. The management of traffic, faster cars coming from behind.

“Being in an endurance race is going to be hard, because it’s a long race so being in a slower category car you need to be always ready for faster cars coming.

“Being in a long race, the focus needs to be very high for 24 hours so it’s something very new to me.

“But we’ve had some meetings, a good preparation, so I think everything will be fine.”