Alessio Rovera
The 18-year-old car racing rookie was a revelation in the 2013 Italian Formula Abarth Championship, dominating the series on his way to the title. Despite a lack of a well-known record in karting, the young Italian hit the ground running from the very first session of the season and left the others in his wake.
The statistics speak for themselves – Rovera took six race wins, nine pole positions, twelve podiums and seven fastest laps on his way to the title, leaving him 68 points ahead of his nearest rival. He enjoyed the pace advantage over his competitors at the start and made the most of that, immediately building a strong lead in the championship. Despite frequent inconsistencies, he managed to deliver race victories in every round up until the Monza finale. He struggled somewhat in reverse-grid outings, but his pace advantage was obvious, allowing him to create an unmatched qualifying record.
He has been very quiet in off-season testing, apart from an Auto GP run which was a prize for his Formula Abarth title, but a move to one of the second tier Formula Renault 2.0 championships, the Alps or NEC, still seems fairly likely and would be a logical step for the Italian ace.
Stephen Goddard