A duo of Italian drivers will contest the 2021 FIA Formula 2 Championship for HWA RACELAB. Alessio Deledda and Matteo Nannini will be behind the wheel for the team from Affalterbach in the highest Formula racing series for young drivers. Nannini will compete on two fronts in the 2021 season, as he lines up for HWA RACELAB in both Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3.
FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3 races will once again share the bill with the Formula 1 World Championship in 2021. There will, however, be one change, from which HWA RACELAB is set to benefit: FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3 will hold their races on different weekends this season. This makes it possible to field one driver in both series. Matteo Nannini is one driver who will take on double driving duties. The 17-year-old will have the opportunity to gain as much experience as possible within HWA's Formula 1 talent development programme.
The nephew of former Formula 1 Grand Prix winner, Alessandro Nannini, has already completed his first drives in the HWA RACELAB Formula 2 car. Back in December 2020 he represented the team at the post-season Formula 2 tests in Sakhir (Bahrain).
Alessio Deledda has spent the past two years driving for Campos Racing in the FIA Formula 3 Championship, and is now stepping up to the more powerful cars in FIA Formula 2. While the Formula 3 cars have 380 hp, the cars in Formula 2 take to the track with a mighty 620 hp. Alessio started his professional motorsport career in motorcycle racing, and appeared in the Italian Supersport 600 championship in 2017. In 2018, he switched to Formula racing and started in the Italian Formula 4 series.
HWA RACELAB will use the official pre-season tests, from 9th to 11th March in Sakhir (Bahrain), to prepare for the 2021 FIA Formula 2 Championship. The season gets underway from 26th to 28th March - again in Sakhir, where the first three of the 24-race 2021 season will take place.
Alessio Deledda (26, Italy)
“FIA Formula 2 is a new experience that I have been waiting for years. I am excited to be participating in such a competitive championship and testing my skills. I am sure that, together with a team rich in experience like HWA, we will be able to grow together on this journey that awaits us.”
Matteo Nannini (17, Italy)
“I am really looking forward to such a busy season! 45 races in 2021 are going to be demanding, but I feel ready and determined to grow as a driver, having the opportunity to race in both FIA F2 and F3. It will be my first year in Formula 2. I know it will not be easy, but I am willing to learn as much as possible. I am confident heading into my second season in Formula 3 and I am sure that HWA will provide me with a competitive package to do well. I truly believe in HWA’s F1 Talent Factory programme and I am excited, as my double commitment in 2021 will be key to bring me one step closer to Formula 1.”
Thomas Strick (Team Principal HWA RACELAB)
"We have found a good mix for our team, with a young and very talented driver, together with a slightly older but equally ambitious driver. We have taken a conscious decision to field Matteo in both series. The advantage for the young driver is that he can be introduced more quickly to the high performance of a Formula 1 car, as the Formula 2 car comes far closer to matching this performance."
About Alessio Deledda:
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Born:
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10th December 1994 in Rome (Italy)
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Career:
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2018
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Italian Formula 4
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2019 - 2020
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FIA Formula 3
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2020
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F3 Asian Championship
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About Matteo Nannini:
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Born:
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10th July 2003 in Faenza (Italy)
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Career:
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2016
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Kart champion in the ROK Cup Italy (class: Junior ROK 125)
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2016
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Kart champion in the Trofeo dei Campioni (class: Junior ROK 125)
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2019
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Champion in the Formula 4 UAE Championship
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2020
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FIA Formula 3: 3rd place in Barcelona
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