Michela Cerruti. Photo / Supplied
One of the overseas rookie drivers in this year's Toyota Racing Series is Italian Michela Cerruti.
Formerly a competitive skier, Cerruti moved to four-wheel racing when her dad, former racecar driver Aldo Cerruti, enrolled her in a safe driving course in 2006. Impressed by Cerruti's speed and car control, course organiser Mario Ferraris convinced her father to let her go racing.
Cerruti, who turns 25 next month, debuted in the Italian Touring Endurance Championship in 2008, racing an Alfa Romeo 147 in a shared drive with Ferraris and finished third in the class.
In 2010 Cerruti moved up to the Superstars Series in a Mercedes C63 and competed in the Italian GT Championship in a Ferrari F430.
At the opening round of her second season at Monza, Cerruti topped the two free practice sessions, finished second in race one before winning the second race. The series went to the wire, with Cerruti settling for second.
Over the weekend Cerruti participated in her first open-wheel race at the opening round of the TRS championship at Teretonga, Invercargill. Driven sat down with her after her first race to see how she got on.
What's the fascination with motor racing?
After getting my driver's license it was like a little crazy and it started as a bit of a game. We did that for a while and the results came and came and then we decided to take it seriously. It was then that I decided to try the Formula cars [single-seaters] because they are the real race cars.
What do you like about racing?
Women do a lot of sports around the world and I have a very strong sense of competition and this is just one kind of sport which a woman can express it. It is unusual for a woman to do motor racing because it's a universal thing for men to do and that's not fair in my opinion. In racing you can feel adrenaline, passion and speed and other wonderful things. I like all those things and I think some women don't like speed because they are afraid of it.
So you like the sensation of going very fast and being competitive?
Yeah, yeah. Racing against men is another kind of satisfaction and beating some of them is very good for sure. It was nice to finish in mid-field because it was my first race in a Formula car so I didn't think I could have raced so well. I didn't do anything special, as it was a strange race with lots of yellow flags and safety flags. For me the race it wasn't too stressful.
Did you manage to get any practice in a Formula car before arriving in New Zealand?
I did some practice with GP3 and Formula Three for about five days and that's all. I'm now racing with all these guys who have all this experience. Open-wheel racing is very strange for me and is a great challenge.
You seem to have adapted very quickly to the challenge of racing single seaters.
I think so, too, as I have not had much time and I know I have a lot of new things to learn because the driving and racing styles are all so very different to saloon cars. Especially in this weather [pouring rain] I miss my roof and wipers. I think it's more amazing with Formula cars.
If you have success in the Formula cars in New Zealand do you hope to continue racing them in Europe?
I would like to continue to race Formula cars in Europe. I am using this championship [TRS] to train with the intention to do other Formula car championships. I was doing so well in saloon cars so I'll have to see how my results are in Formula cars to be sure what to do. If I could do both that would be perfect. But the priority at the moment is Formula cars.
When you get back to Europe what do you want to do?
It depends how it will go here. It could be in England or Italy or anywhere in Europe. I don't know yet.
Why do you race with the number 88?
The number has a beautiful aesthetic to it and has a nice design.
Cerruti's steady progress and increasing confidence in single seaters will see her head to Timaru for round two in 10th place.
You can follow Michela Cerruti at michelacerruti.com.