Photo: KSP Reportages
Italian kart racer Filippo Sala has been announced as the latest addition to the Ferrari Driver Academy.
The 13-year-old is the fourth karter to become a Formula 1 junior with Ferrari, and is one of two in its current roster alongside Noah Baglin. The pair were both named by Formula Scout in a list of the best young karters without F1 patronage.
Sala is also the first Italian member of the FDA since Antonio Fuoco graduated from its ranks at the end of 2018.
Last year Sala raced on OK Junior karts, and was the Trofeo delle Industrie winner, WSK Final Cup runner-up, third in the WSK Champions Cup, fourth in the Champions of the Future series and WSK Euro Series, fifth in the CIK-FIA European championship, seventh in the WSK’s Super Master Series and 50th in the CIK-FIA World championship.
A star of mini karting in 2022, Sala was a consistent contender at the junior level in 2023 by being WSK SMS runner-up, making the Trofeo delle Industrie podium and the top five in several other high-level events and series. While 2024 did not quite lead to the expected step up in results, it remained impressive given he did not turn 13 until the summer of last year.
There was a consistent problem in most of the events Sala competed in, where he was usually the driver to beat in his qualifying group but then would make mistakes later in events – such as in finals – when it proved more costly in positions. For example, Sala came fifth in the European championship despite never finishing a round in a position higher than that.
This year he has stepped up to OK karts, and has already come fourth in WSK SMS. Following the opening rounds of each, he sits seventh and ninth respectively in the standings of the European championship and CotF.