Among the new teams joining the championship paddock is Alpha 54 Racing, an Argentine squad based in Faenza, created with the goal of helping young South American talents begin their journey in European motorsport. A young project, but one built on years of experience gained in racing, including work in Formula 1.
The story behind the team is told by founders Nicolas Bianco and Gregorio Mandrini, who decided to turn their technical background into a structure dedicated to the development of Argentine drivers in Europe.
“We’ve basically been doing this our whole lives,” says Nicolas Bianco. “I’ve been preparing race cars since I was 18, and we come from more than twenty years in motorsport, always as mechanics or supporting engineers. Never as team principals or team managers, so this is a new path for us, but we’re growing quickly, also thanks to the support of many professionals in the Italian championship.”
The decision to establish the team in Faenza was far from accidental. “I previously worked at Racing Bulls, the Formula 1 team, and we decided to stay here because Faenza is where motorsport lives,” explains Bianco.
“The idea is to help Argentine and South American drivers come to Europe and take their first steps here. We don’t only support the drivers, but also their families: being separated from your children is not easy, and having someone around who speaks the same language and understands the same culture can make a huge difference.”
Even the team’s name reflects this dual identity between Argentina and Italy. “Nicolas and I lived in two towns only twenty kilometres apart in Argentina, but we actually met in Italy while working for the same Formula 1 team,” says Gregorio Mandrini. “The first part of the name comes from AlphaTauri, while 54 is Argentina’s international dialing code, as well as the racing number used by my father. Our goal is to create a real bridge between Argentina and Italy.”
Among the drivers who have chosen to begin this journey with Alpha 54 Racing is Federico Diaz, an 18-year-old coming from karting, first in the junior categories and then in the senior ranks, who after competing in the Argentine and Brazilian national series seized the opportunity to race in Italy. Still completing his studies, he regularly travels back and forth to his hometown of Cordoba between championship rounds. “My classmates understand the opportunity I have to race in Europe and they always support me when I compete,” he says.
Younger still is Thiago Palotini, who only began his karting career in Argentina in 2023, but has already progressed rapidly enough to move to Italy for the 2026 season. For him, this is the first experience away from South America, living in Faenza alongside the team. “I started thanks to my dad, who raced for many years. One day he took me to try a kart and I immediately fell in love with it,” he explains. A strong family connection to motorsport helped him approach the first stages of his career with confidence. And when it comes to the future, his ideas are already clear: “If one day I have to stop racing, I’d still like to remain in this environment, maybe running my own team.”