June 7, 2023: Father and son share the seat of the beautiful Giulia GTAm 2000, brought to the track by their team, the OKP Alfa Delta Racing Team. The name of the team already says a lot about the special sympathy that the two have for Autodelta, the historic racing department of the Alfa Romeo company.
Two racing and Alfa Romeo enthusiasts could not find a better place to give vent to their passion than in the Alfa Revival Cup in Canossa.
Fabian. “This is a really good championship, because all the cars we find in the grid are only Alfa Romeos and this makes me even happier to participate. The races are very nice and the atmosphere with these racing cars is enjoyable.”
What is the secret that makes the Alfa Revival Cup so fascinating?
Fabian. “You can feel the feeling with these cars since when you go inside and see the design of the past. You start the engine and hear the sound of the engine and realize where you are, what kind of car you’re sitting in. On this kind of Alfa you know what is happening, you don’t have any kind of electronics and you realize that you are sitting in a particular car and it is very exciting to race with it.”
How did your passion for Alfa Romeo come about?
Fabian. “I have been cultivating this passion since I was ten years old. I grew up surrounded by cars because I used to visit racetracks and rallies with my father. With my father I started very early and I flourished with this passion.”
You compete in a context where the cars have an important racing history and you share the wheel with a special team-mate, your father Mathias. Who is the fastest?
Fabian: “At the moment he is still the fastest. He puts his own into it and knows what to do, but little by little I’m taking the field and learning. Sharing the car with my father is fabulous, he has been racing for a long time and this allows us to spend time together and discussing the things that happen on the track. Sharing this great passion with him allows me to have some great moments.”
We move on to Mathias who listens having fun. You have passed your passion for cars and for the Alfa Romeo brand to your son. Where does your love for this Italian brand come from?
Mathias. “My passion for Alfa started when I was 17/18 years old. In that period, I knew any GTs, the Giulias and… I loved them immediately. So I started buying the first Giulia GTs, I restored them and since then this passion has always grown. I use vintage Alfa Romeos in summer, spring, winter… every day. Also here, at Mugello, we came from Monaco with the Alfetta GT. We also go on long journeys with the Alfa. I passed this passion to him (Fabian) because he grew up with these cars around him.”
You are immersed in Alfa Romeos and racing with your son. How do you feel about this side of racing?
Mathias. “It gives me a lot of satisfaction because we have a common passion that allows us to spend time together. The races allow us to spend a few days together, we go on trips, we are at the racetrack together and we spend quality time. The Alfa Revival Cup gives us the opportunity to be together and it’s something I love very much.”
After the Mugello round, the Alfa Revival Cup is ready for another wonderful track, the Red Bull Ring, in Austria (10-11 June).
Mathias. “I am happy to go to Red Bull, to race the Alfa Revival Cup outside of Italy. The Red Bull Ring is a very nice circuit which remembers the Mugello’s environment, because there are some hills and the track has some ups and downs. It is a difficult circuit where F1 races currently. We have already gone outside Italy once with the Alfa Revival Cup and it was very nice! That type of track (Red Bull Ring) is perfect for our classic cars, with the structures, the pit laine, the boxes that are very modern.”
Are there any special corners at the Red Bull Ring?
Mathias. “I really like the first corner uphill (Niki Lauda Kurve), after the main straight. I also particularly like the second right corner (Remus Kurve), which takes the second gear. The circuit is beautiful, one of my favorite circuits, in step with Mugello. Compared to the old Zeltweg they have renewed it to bring it to F1 levels and it is safe too. I really like Italy, but I think it’s a good thing to have a race abroad and I hope that many Italians will come and race there. Furthermore, I am convinced that other drivers will come from Austria and Germany.”
