Alpine has added Nicola Lacorte as its new F1 academy driver with the Italian coming through the ranks while racing in F4.
Nicola competed in the 2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship and 2023 Formula 4 Italian Championship, both with PREMA Racing, claiming his first F4 win in the Italian Championship at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari. The 16-year-old Italian driver also claimed four podium finishes (three rookie podiums and one full class) and two rookie wins across the two championships, finishing ninth overall and fifth in the rookie classification in Italian F4, and 24th overall and ninth in the rookie classification in the F4 UAE Championship.
As the latest addition to the team’s young driver development programme, Nicola will benefit from the guidance and support of both the Academy’s fleet of staff and the wider BWT Alpine F1 Team, as well as access to the team’s state-of-the-art facilities at its Formula 1 base in Enstone, Oxfordshire.
Nicola Lacorte, Alpine Academy driver: “It is a great pleasure for me to join BWT Alpine F1 Team’s driver development programme and to have the opportunity to work with the Alpine Academy team for the upcoming 2024 season and beyond. I am thankful to have the trust of the Alpine Academy management and I am more than sure that this opportunity will help me to progress in my career and aid in my further development, both as a driver and a person.”
Julian Rouse, BWT Alpine F1 Team Interim Sporting Director: “It is great to have Nicola joining our young driver programme for the 2024 season. We are continuing to expand the Alpine Academy programme and bring in new talent to support through their career. We are looking forward to helping Nicola develop as a driver, both on and off the track. As with our current drivers, Nicola will benefit from the support and knowledge of both the Alpine Academy and the wider BWT Alpine F1 Team.”
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[Note: The story is as per press release]