To say that Marco Mapelli has played an important role in the success of Lamborghini Squadra Corse since his arrival in 2017 would be an understatement, even if the man himself will not readily admit it.
An indispensable member of the Factory Driver roster, Mapelli has contributed to some of the most significant victories in Lamborghini’s GT3 history, most notably winning all three GT World Challenge Europe (Overall, Endurance Cup and Sprint Cup) titles alongside Andrea Caldarelli in 2019.
He’s notched up podiums at the Daytona 24 Hours, Sebring 12 Hours and competed in various GT3 championships from GTWC to GT Masters and DTM. Unlike a lot of drivers, Mapelli is happiest away from the limelight, which is why you won’t hear him bragging about his Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record from 2018 at the wheel of a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. Don’t worry Marco, that’s what we are here for!
Mapelli has established himself as one of the pillars of what makes Squadra Corse what it is today. He’s a race winner, a dependable figure in the testing and development of new cars such as the Temerario GT3 and also a mentor to the next generation as part of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Junior Programme.
But what makes Marco Mapelli tick? Let’s find out.
What is your earliest motorsport memory and why did you decide to start racing?
I remember that I went to a rental kart track with my family in 1993, just for a bit of fun but I don’t really remember much more than that. The day after, though, I had my first race in a mini kart which was really fun. Then, a few years later, in 1997, I started to race more seriously. In Italy, you have to be 10 years old to race nationally so we started racing with my father and uncle, so it was like a bit of Sunday fun for me back then. We had no family pedigree in motorsport and therefore no real targets. But I was getting more and more emotionally involved in the sport; instead of playing football or something, I was having a lot more fun racing.
At what point did you think that you could make a career out of motorsport?
It’s always difficult to think about a ‘career’ because you always think about the present day. I wasn’t ever thinking too much about the future, because financially we were a normal family without any possibility to pay for racing, so I always had to rely on someone else. I got contacted by a go-kart factory and asked to drive for them, and that was not so easy either because I constantly had to prove that I should be there. For me, being a professional car driver was never a dream because already then, I was happy to be able to race as go-kart factory driver without paying any money, they were paying me a small amount of money. Coming from a small place and doing what you like – I don’t like to call it a career – was already like a dream. I was fighting everywhere around the world against the likes of [Nico] Hulkenberg, [Sebastian] Vettel and future Lamborghini Squadra Corse team-mate Edo Mortara as well. Then, at some point, I woke up from a bad dream because I switched manufacturers at the end of 2003, and I realised how tough motorsport can be because the team I moved to closed. So, instead of searching for another constructor, I got the license for cars, and I moved to Formula cars and quickly understood how financially hard it is to get into the right team with the right car.
Fast forward to your arrival at Lamborghini: what has been the highlight since becoming a factory driver?
Every time we get a good result, whether it’s on the racetrack or with the road car sales, is a great feeling. On track, every time I do well, or win a race, it’s giving something back to the team, because Lamborghini puts a lot of faith in me. Personally, winning all three titles in 2019, which nobody has done before or since, was the most satisfying. Winning is for sure the most important thing, but there is always a mix of things that you need to put together. In 2024, we finished just a few points behind the title winners and then in 2025, Lamborghini won the 24 Hours of Spa, with almost no issues on the car. It is a team effort and seeing all the hard work paying off is the biggest highlight.
You’ve been heavily involved in the development of the Temerario GT3, what is it that you look for in building a car from zero?
The biggest thing that we looked for in the development of the Temerario GT3 was to make it easier to drive, especially for future customers. We pushed the Huracán to such a small operating window that it was easier to get lost in terms of setup management as well as on the driving side. This is something that we were searching to improve, comfort in the car, airflow in the car so something easier to manage. The engine makes a big difference as well to the driveability; having turbo power instead of an aspirated engine means you have to manage the torque a lot more and it also allows you to use less of the racetrack; you need to be very careful on the kerbs now and so on. Mechanically, we really tried to open the driveability and setup window to an area where even different driving styles can adapt to the car without too much difficulty.
Away from racing, what do you get up to in your spare time?
Between racing and testing, it’s true that there isn’t so much spare time. I honestly like to relax, stay at home because I spend most of my time in planes or hotels. I like to cycle a lot and spend time with my family and with those who miss you when you are away. It’s difficult to unplug your brain from your work and it’s something I need to get better at!
