53 – Raffaele Marciello
Country of origin: Switzerland
Date of birth: 17 December 1994
Race number: 53
Raffaele Marciello, an Italian teenager chosen by Ferrari as a potential ‘star of the future’ and being groomed for a future in Formula 1 by the elite Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) will compete in the International Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand during January and February 2012.
Raffaelle started karting at a very young age, his first result coming at age 11 in 2005 when he won the Swiss Supermini championship outright. The following year he stayed in Supermini karts and won the champions cup and was second in the Swiss championship. A step up to KF3 in 2007 brought him second overall in the European Bridgestone Cup and second in the Swiss KF3 championship.
In 2008 he raced in no less than eight separate Cup or Trophy competitions and series, with best results of first in the Copa Campeones Trophy and third in the Torneo Industrie KF3.
Raffaele’s last full year in karts, 2009, was likewise a busy one and netted him fourth in the CIK-FIA European Championship.
Ferrari had talent-spotted him in European karting and he was chosen for the Ferrari academy.
In the 2010 season Raffaele got the third place in Formula Abarth ACI-CSAI with the respected JD Motor Sport team. He took two wins and five podium finishes in his debut single seater season and finished third overall in the new series.
In 2011 Raffaele competed in Formula 3 with the Prema Powerteam, driving a Dallara in the Italian Formula 3 Championship where he again claimed two outright wins and finished third in the championship, second in the rookie standings.
Born in Zurich, 17 year old Raffaele now lives in the Ferrari factory town of Romagna.
For the 2012 TRS season he will join the M2 Competition team run by ex A1GP Team NZ engineers Mark Pilcher and Jonathan Moury.
