Vincenzo Sospiri

Vincenzo Sospiri, born on October 7, 1966, in Forlì, Italy, is a former racing driver whose career spanned from karting to Formula 1, sports cars, and team management. Sospiri's early career was marked by dominance in karting, with Michael Schumacher describing him as a leading figure in the sport. He secured multiple Italian and European karting championships, culminating in the 100cc World Karting Championship in 1987. In the late 1980s, Sospiri transitioned to single-seaters, competing in British Formula Ford and winning the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in 1988.

Sospiri progressed to Formula 3000, winning the title in 1995 with Super Nova. He briefly entered Formula 1 in 1997 with the Mastercard Lola team; however, the effort was unsuccessful. Transitioning to sports car racing, Sospiri achieved considerable success, winning the Sports Racing World Cup in 1998 and 1999 with a Ferrari 333 SP, partnering with Emmanuel Collard. He participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving for Toyota.

After retiring from racing in 2001, Sospiri transitioned to team management, founding Vincenzo Sospiri Racing (VSR). His team has been involved in various GT championships, including the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, and has provided opportunities for drivers who later moved to Formula 1, such as Robert Kubica and Jerome d'Ambrosio. Today, Vincenzo Sospiri Racing competes in the GT World Challenge Asia, Italian GT Sprint and Endurance Championships, the International GT Open series, and the GT World Challenge Europe.