Tuttoitalia met a little motorsport champion: humble, smiling, passionate and full of vitality. The very young twelve-year-old Elia Epifanio from Würenlos (AG) is the eldest of three brothers (Gioele 3 and Romeo 7 years old). Lately he has been enjoying fair success in the world of karting, a world made of joys and glory, but also very expensive, full of challenges and constant races against time. Having climbed aboard his first kart at the age of four, he has never got off it again, except to change the type of kart and move up a category. He currently races with the team Innovate Competition of Agostino Lagrotteria from Sirnach (TG) and is the karting runner-up in the Super Mini category, but don't be fooled by the name, because these little racers reach over 100 km/h.
A passion handed down by his grandfather Franco, currently Alfa Romeo sales manager, and by his father Daniele, also a former kart driver. “Puppolo”, the nickname given to him by his grandfather, has apparently brought him luck (because in this sport you need that too), as we read on the helmet he shows us during the interview filmed at the City Garage in Wettingen. Your adventure begins about eight years ago in the car parks below the house and now he races in Switzerland, France and above all all around Italy, which represents the centre of the karting world.
Elia, how are you and how do you feel? “I'm happy, pumped up and can't wait to race again. I love racing with engines and I really hope to be able to do it as an adult too.”
On the track, what is your specialty? “I'd say I'm a very fast driver. This quality has allowed me to take pole position several times. In the race, on the other hand, I thrive in the head-to-head battle, in a broad sense of course, with the other rivals. It often happens that the first three or four drivers break away from the group and, in the final phase of the race, you stay glued to the rear of the driver ahead of you. Then I try to put pressure on whoever is in front of me. Thanks to this manoeuvre, the driver ahead of me is at a slight disadvantage, since he doesn't know at what moment the attack to overtake will be launched. An attack that often happens in the last two laps, also taking advantage of some mistake by my competitor. Clearly, when instead, as often happens, I start ahead of everyone and have no one on my heels, everything is much simpler.”
What are your achievements and which prizes have you already won? “In 2020 I make my debut in the highest kart class in Switzerland, relative to my age, and I take fifth place in the standings, also winning a race. In 2021 I become Swiss runner-up, often standing on the podium and winning many races. Besides the Swiss championship I take part three times in the WSK (World Series Kart), where drivers from all over the world compete (about 115 drivers per category). In these three races I always reached the semifinal and, as in Formula 1, tenths of a second count. I can say that I was as fast as the drivers who ended up on the podium, certainly more experienced than me. I'd love to take part in many more WSK races, but that partly depends on the resources available.”
How do you prepare for a race? “For the Swiss championship we usually prepare with a weekly plan. We leave on Thursday in the camper van with my family and we stay away from home until Sunday. The following week I catch up on the missed lessons and do all my homework in my free time.”
What do you like most when you drive? “I love speed, the constant challenge with the other competitors and above all overtaking rivals. We reach up to 103 km/h and, being just a few centimetres off the ground, I feel every tiny vibration. That too is something I love.”
And aren't you afraid when you travel at those speeds? “No, if you're afraid of having an accident or if you're a fearful type, this isn't a sport for you. If you're afraid you go slow and you can't overtake your rivals, so you never win, and I want to win. Last year my grandfather gave me a book by Enzo Ferrari where I read a phrase of his that says: ‘second is the first of the losers’, and that's why I want to win.”
What plans do you have for the future? “I'd really love my favourite sport to become my job too. My secret dream is to become a Formula 1 driver. An undoubtedly tough goal, which can be reached by winning the championships of the various minor formulas, all of them very hard. But if you don't believe in it, it's pointless to try. Then, if it's not Formula 1, I'd like to try in equally important championships like the DTM or in the GT class. In any case, I'm sure I'll make it.”
And how long would you like to keep driving karts? “To make the jump from kart to car, it would be ideal to gain the first experiences with cars before turning 16. My goal is to take part, in the coming years when I can still race in karts, in many races, especially international ones, so I can showcase and present myself even more. Hoping that my perseverance bears fruit, in the form of people who believe in me and support me so I can move forward.”
How do you manage at school, how do you handle your fame? “For now very well, more or less everyone knows that I race, also because I miss many days of school. Many cheer me on. My closest friends follow me on YouTube via live stream. The others ask me how the races went and I update them when I get back to school. Others don't react at all, but all in all I manage the situation well.”
Do you want to thank anyone in particular? “Of course, my parents first of all, who help me and support me in all my activities. Then my grandfather Franco, who follows and supports me. Then all my sponsors and supporters, whom I list below.
On that note, should anyone wish to support me as a sponsor or donor, I thank them in advance and would be happy to welcome them to our team.”
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Dr. Dominik Vock
Pompa AG
Dr. Wolfgang Fehlman
Metallgiesserei AG
Garage Vetter
Sepp Birrer
Michele De Vivo
Moira Epifanio
Official site: www.eliaepifanio.ch
Instagram: www.instagram.com/eliaepifanio
www.motorsport.ch
www.wskarting.it
