In honor of the Vallelunga Racing Weekend, we had the pleasure to interview David Tonizza. The driver from Viterbo told us his story, his journey in Motorsport starting from a virtual world to the real one. He also didn’t forget to mention some anecdotes and curiosities.
At 22 years old, Tonizza’s sporting career is surely a pillar for his peers and not only. He debuted in the F1 Esports Championship in 2019, with Ferrari, winning the world championship in the last race that took place in Brazil. Today David drives not only in Esports, with Lamborghini, but his career has also expanded in the real world of Motorsport. One year ago he started out and won in the Predator Championship and this year it seems like there could be the possibility to achieve the win once again, with team Nem Racing.
David entered the world of virtual Motorsport the same way as many of us: he was just a kid wanting to have fun. Nevertheless he also managed to stand out in a context that fascinates him even more. The life-changing moment arrived in 2019, when Ferrari decided to bet on him. Being only 18, he was given an enormous opportunity he didn’t want to pass on, and so he didn’t. He brought Ferrari, a team that was also debuting in the Esports, to the final victory. David tells us of his dreams, the way he’d been imagining participating in this championship for many years and once it was over, of how his life and his career changed deeply.
He is aware of the fact that having entered a company like Ferrari and having won in his debut year, has for sure helped him in the fame he acquired, giving him many important opportunities. The final victory has been an incredible emotion for him, he’s felt extremely proud of being Italian and to have won for a team such as Ferrari. This success has been the key to open many future possibilities, like driving for Lamborghini in the virtual world, taking part in the Predator championship and collaborating with other F1 teams for many more exciting activities.
Talking about the psychological aspect or the training on the simulator, in the gym or on track, which would you say are the most important differences between Motorsport in the virtual world and in reality?
“Virtual Motorsport demands a different type of preparation: it’s more of a mental training, you train your nerves. On the sim you don’t find complicated problems concerning your weight. Training on the sim consists in simply staying there, doing constrained exercises and training as much as you can to make a difference. On the other hand, on track it’s not like that: adding to a psychological preparation, you feel a much heavier physical effort and this is why you need a good training, especially in summer races. It’s crucial to observe the required minimum weight and therefore to be out of shape can bring you multiple issues both in terms of speed and also on a physical level. I’m not a big fan of lifting weights and going to the gym. I prefer doing cardio but the important thing is to be consistent.”
The Vallelunga circuit is a track you’ve already driven on. Is it a circuit you like? Compared to other tracks, are there any details that excite you in any way or, on the contrary, are there any parts you’re not comfortable with?
“Last year, during my second test with Predator, I had a negative view of the Vallelunga circuit. I didn’t like it, even on the simulator and, because of many difficulties on track, my opinion on it worsened, to the point of hating it. This year though, I changed my approach. I trained more intensively on the sim, managing to set aside my prejudices on the circuit. The track has high levels, with fast straights where the aerodynamics are key, and slow turns where during the weekend I made a difference. I love tight racetracks with a lot of re-starts, tight corners and in general, I love stop and go circuits.”
Even though we can’t really see it, the work that is put into bringing the car to its best is enormous. David confirmed it as well but also his results on track did so. In the FX Racing Weekend, held in Vallelunga during the first days of September, David had some issues with his single-seater already from the first session of free practice. He managed to obtain only 6 points in two races. However two weeks later, the result was completely different: he got pole position and a win in both races. David underlined that the adjustments to the car have been possible thanks to the restless work of the mechanics who worked day and night, doing an incredible job.
With these cars, that don’t usually release that much power, the details are what makes a difference. Many small changes have modified the car, turning it into more balanced and faster. In addition, David has revealed that, after free practice, the team found a short-circuit in the electric system, thus succeeding in restoring the same performance as the beginning of the year.
How difficult can it be for a driver to plan his future? A lot, both in the virtual and the real world. David says that the two realities of Motorsport have their own challenges: in the virtual world, it’s not that easy to plan what you will be doing the year after, rarely you succeed in doing so. At the end of September, after the last race of the Esports GT World Challenge, he will discuss future projects. As for the real world in Motorsport the situation is a lot more complex: the main issue is the budget and understanding which categories are open. The target is to drive again with his current team, Nem Racing, with the FX Pro, the old Formula 4 cars.
There are also other opportunities: David is in fact collaborating with a company, he still can’t reveal its name, that is tied to Motorsport but not with single-seaters or esports events.
In the last years many Motorsport enthusiasts have gotten a lot closer to the minor categories in the sport, showing more and more interest in understanding the soul of Motorsport. Surely also thanks to individuals that have a fanbase of an important size or assurances like Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who has grown in fame thanks to the ACI events. So what can these categories offer to the public and why would they come to these weekends?
“These categories have a lot to offer, even more than F1 or WEC in my opinion. They’re a lot more affordable. Attending an F1 weekend, especially for a family, is not an easy expense and it is not something that anyone can afford, compared to the ACI weekends that are free and cost a lot less. The categories that run during these days are a lot of fun and most of the time, the cars have a large engine size. You can see many fast cars and even more passionate pilots. In environments like Formula One a driver’s mindset is a lot different. In the minor categories, other than the urge to win that characterizes all the drivers, of any category, here they want to have fun, something that should always be there along with the many sacrifices we have to go through to drive. This brings the public to grow even more attached to this world.”
David Tonizza has shown himself as a simple lad, passionate and always bright. The fame he has gained hasn’t distracted him from what his true passion is, his goals and his principles.
We really wish David a big ‘good luck’ for his future and we thank him for the willingness he’s shown us.
Comments