09/11/27 - Raimondo Continues Formula 3 Testing - Official Release
Gianmarco Raimondo, 2008 Formula BMW Americas Rookie Champion, continued his racing journey and 2010 preparations with a series of Formula 3 tests in Europe. Raimondo recently flew to Paris in early November and headed straight the famed Magny-Cours racing facility in Nevers, France where he continued to test and impress in the F3 cars. The circuit is located 15 km (10 miles) southwest of Nevers, on the banks of the River Loirs, halfway between Paris and Lyon. The picturesque landscape plays host to one of racing's most famous venues and the location for Raimondo's first test session.
First on the slate was a test with team Alan Racing. The Italian-based team is the only F3 Italia Series team that uses the Mygale chassis, the same manufacturer that built the Formula BMW FB02 car. All of the other F3 Italia teams use the Dallara built chassis. While the day was completed under wet and cloudy conditions, GMo had a very successful test day and was impressive in his first outing in the Mygale car. The Mygale factory is situated at Magny-Cours and 20 Mygale executives and representatives were present to watch the testing as they celebrated their 20th anniversary.
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09/10/20 - Raimondo tests Formula 3 in Italy - Official Release
Gianmarco Raimondo, 2008 Formula BMW Americas Rookie Champion, headed straight to Italy following double podiums in the final round of the 2009 Formula BMW Americas Championship at Mosport. The 18-year-old rising star in open wheel racing tested with Team Corbetta Competizioni of Italy at the Vallelunga Circuit. Setting a blistering pace and coming to grips with the car quickly, Raimondo was impressive in his maiden F3 run. For the young Canadian talent this would be the first racing experience at the wheel of a Dallara F309, after concluding with a victory in his final weekend of FBMW Americas competition.
"I was surprised it didn't take me long to get use to the car. It has roughly the same power to grip ratio as the Formula BMW, so I could transfer a lot of my driving habits to the car, which was a big bonus," comments Raimondo. "However, the tracks over in Italy also help with your driving and racing because they are very smooth and have plenty of grip."
On the heels of the successful test weekend, Raimondo along with Team Corbetta Competizioni principals decided to extend his European program. Raimondo stayed abroad as a guest of the team at Imola, where he could assist to the sixth round of the F3 Italian Series and get acquainted with the technicians on the team. In a recent Team Corbetta Competizioni release Angelo Corbetta, Team Principal had this to say about Raimondo’s test:
"Raimondo showed since the first kilometers a deep technical maturity and an highly professional approach to working. Obviously he needs to adapt to a completely new single seater but in his first testing day he scored very interesting lap times; we do not have particular objectives for Vallelunga: it will be important for him to run as many kilometers as possible and to start acquiring that experience that in the future we hope will allow him to aim high in Italy too."
Team Corbetta Competizioni decided to take Raimondo to debut at Vallelunga in the second last round of the Italian Formula 3 championship. In the first practice session on day one, Gmo would clock in at 13th and then headed into the second practice and crossed the stripe in the 16th spot. Following a debrief with the team and working with a new engineer, the team looked to make some changes to gain speed in critical sections of the track.
Raimondo would hit the track for qualifying and secure the 16th spot for race one. In race one Gmo would move forward quickly toward the top ten and finish 11th after a solid battle in the closing stages of the race. In race two Gmo started from inside the sixth row in the 11th position. Battling a less than perfect car, Raimondo would continue to struggle with understeer which hampered his forward progress at the sharp end of the field. At the flag he would cross in tenth spot, a solid debut weekend making all the scheduled laps and running consistent laps.
"I fell in love with the Formula 3 car. It's such a better car than I expected. When braking at 3G's and accelerating from 0-100 km/h in under three seconds, its such an amazing feeling," smiles Raimondo on his return to Canada. "To race them was even better, especially in the rain. For my first F3 experience, it was definitely a good one because I managed to learn and race the car in almost every type of weather condition."
Before heading home, Raimondo had one more, small piece of business - a trip to England for the Grand Prix Shootout. There are a number of "young driver" programs in motorsport, however, none of them are as international or accessible as the Grand Prix Shootout. Grand Prix Shootout is a genuinely global competition and is not at all exclusive. The test took place at the Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire, in the UK. Rob Wilson, lead instructor, uses standard hatchbacks and works with the driver to set the fastest time possible around the circuit, the same format he used to select the drivers for Honda F1's young driver program. With as many as 80 drivers competing worldwide, only eight will be called back to compete in Wales, UK for the final shootout in late November.
"The Grand Prix Shootout in England was also a good learning experience because of the training we received from Rob Wilson. It was very different driving on the right side of the car rather from the left, and shifting with your left hand as oppose to your right," recalls Raimondo. "Adapting to the Fiat 500 Abarth was a challenge as well because I just came from racing F3, however after 2-3 laps I was comfortable with the car."
09/09/18 - Corbetta Competizioni takes Gianmarco Raimondo to the Formula 3 debut
By: f3italia.it
Team Corbetta Competizioni, after the positive test held last week, decided to take the driver Gianmarco Raimondo to debut, this weekend at Vallelunga in the second-last round of the Italian Formula 3 championship.
For the young Canadian talent this will be the first racing experience at the wheel of a Dallara F309, after concluding with a victory a two years long very positive period in the Formula BMW Americas.
Angelo Corbetta, Team Principal:
"Raimondo showed since the first kilometres a deep technical maturity and an highly professional approach to working. Obviously he needs to adapt to a completely new single seater but in his first testing day he scored very interesting lap times; we do not have particular objectives for Vallelunga: it will be important for him to run as many kilometres as possible and to start acquiring that experience that in the future we hope will allow him to aim high in Italy too".
Gianmarco Raimondo:
"The car is amazing and the very sophisticated aerodynamics allows an impressive cornering grip. After watching the races at Imola, I also figured out in the tests that the level of the ITalian Championship is very high: I will have a lot to learn at Vallelunga and it is not gonna be easy. We will see how it goes, now I can't wait to get on track".
09/09/08 - Gianmarco Raimondo at Vallelunga's test with Corbetta Competizioni
By: CorbettaCompetizioni.it
The Canadian Gianmarco Raimondo will take part, tomorrow, in the collective tests for the Italian Formula 3 championship at Vallelunga. During the last weekend, the driver has been guest of the team at Imola whereby he could assist to the sixth round of the season and get acquainted with the technicians of the team.
Raimondo, class 1990, just concluded with a victory at Mospost the Formula BMW Americas 2009 where he already won the rookies' title in 2008 and said to be enthusiastic for this chance: "This is gonna be my first experience at the wheel of a Formula 3 and I can't wait to start lapping. I will also have to learn the track, therefore my day will be fairly busy.
At Imola I was impressed by the championship: the level of drivers is very high, there are several teams able to fight for the victory and the test with the Ferrari F.1. at the end of the season is the icing on the cake.
Team Corbetta is very professional and I hope I can do a good job with them tomorrow, I do not hide that I'd like to be racing in Italy next year".
We are very motivated by the idea of working with a driver having International experience like Raimondo" added the team principal Angelo Corbetta. "The test at Vallelunga will be his first contact with this single seater to which we hope will follow an intense preparation work for the 2010 season".
09/09/01 - Raimondo Ends 2009 Season with a Stellar Victory and Launches a new Website
Gianmarco Raimondo, 2008 Formula BMW Americas Rookie Champion, headed to Mosport International Raceway with one goal in mind - win in 2009. On his way to taking first place in round 13 and third place in round 14, the second year FBMW driver capped off a stellar Junior open wheel season hitting his goal and making his mark. Raimondo ended his 2009 campaign third in the overall Formula BMW Americas point standings. The young driver showed great character, shaking off a tough weekend in previous rounds at Road America, to charge back and go two-for two on the podium on home soil.
The win would not come easy, as Raimondo would have to fight off pressure right from the start to hold P1 through out the race. The 2009 FBMW Series Champion tried several times during the 30-minute race to wedge into P1, but Gmo closed the door more than once to hold point and control the race. Raimondo would hang tight on the final lap as the second place driver tried to pass under braking inside the double apex 5A/5B, a mistake that would give Riamondo the space he needed to pull ahead up the long back straight and cross the line in P1.
"Race one was a big accomplishment for me. I went into the weekend wanting my first win of the year, and I knew it would be possible starting from pole because it is very difficult to pass at Mosport," comments Raimondo. "After grabbing the checkered, I felt such a high. Mainly because I achieved my goal of winning at Mosport and because I won in front of my home crowd."
In the final round at Mosport, Gmo would show his true skill having to make the best of a challenging starting position. Starting from the second row, Raimondo's car was set-up to be quick early, hoping to get the jump on the leaders and the most from his tires. The set-up change forced the Gmo to defend his third place position at mid way and not be in position to challenge the leaders late in the race.
"Finishing on the podium in my final Formula BMW race was such a thrill," continues Raimondo. "I would like to thank Team Autotecnica for making this weekend such a success and my personal trainer Andrew Yap of Speed Unlimited Sports Specific Conditioning Service for getting me in such great shape."
Things really kick off this week with the launch of a new and improved website located at www.gianmarcoraimondo.com. The site is designed to promote this rising star in open wheel racing and build on his existing support programs.
"I'm really excited about the new website because it has a new modern look, appropriate as I move on to the next level of racing," states Gmo. "We have so much going on right now and having the right promotional program in place is critical to supporting our partners."
Gianmarco Raimondo is a second year Formula BMW Americas Junior Driver, winning the coveted Junior Scholarship in 2007 and taking the 2008 Formula BMW Americas Rookie title for Team Autotecnica. Gmo was born and raised in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada and is building a strong on track racing resume, along with off track appearances and special event programs. For more information on Gianmarco Raimondo's racing career and sponsorship opportunities please visit www.gianmarcoraimondo.com or call 905-650-5623.
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09/08/31 - Giamarco Raimondo Scores First Formula BMW Americas Win of Season - BMW-Motorsport.com
By: BMW-Motorsport.com
Gianmarco Raimondo won the first two Formula BMW Americas races that he ever entered, but it wasn't until a cloudy Saturday nearly two full seasons later that he got to share the victory celebration with his hometown fans.
The St. Catherines, Ontario native drove a picture-perfect race around his hometown Mosport International Raceway layout Saturday to score his first win of the year, holding off series champion Gabby Chaves to win by .855 seconds.
"Gabby battled me tough for sure," Raimondo said. "I tried to pull as hard as I could but he was there the whole time. But I knew I could hold him off in most of the corners and we got it done. It's great to get a win at Mosport!"
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09/08/29 - St. Catharines teen wins cliffhanger race at Mosport - TheStar.com
By: Norris McDonald/Wheels.ca
Teenager Gianmarco Raimondo of St. Catharines won a thrilling duel against Gabby Chaves of Colombia today to capture the first of two BMW-Americas championship races at Mosport International Raceway.
The Formula BMW race was the first of six scheduled support events for the annual Mobil 1 Presents the Grand Prix of Mosport featuring the exotic prototypes and touring cars of the American Le Mans Series.
In the BMW race, it came down to the last lap of the 30-minute timed contest. Raimondo had led from the start but Chavez, in second place, was pressing closer and closer.
Coming out of Moss Corner (in reality, two turns - corners 5 and 5A), Chavez tried to duck inside Raimondo and bobbled slightly. It was enough for "Gee-Mo" to open up a gap and he held on for his first victory of the season.
Chavez, who clinched the 2009 title previously, came home second and Giancarlo Vilarinho of Brazil finished third.
The second BMW race of the weekend - and the final race in the BMW-Americas championship series, which was cancelled as the result of BMW's exit from Formula One - will go to the post tomorrow morning.
Today's event was run on a slightly damp track as the result of overnight and morning rain and that proved to beRaimondo's advantage and Chavez's undoing.
"Every lap, I was quicker and quicker than Gianmarco through there (Moss Corner)," Chavez said afterward.
"Unfortunately, the track was still a little bit wet and it didn't work out. But it was a great race and it's still my championship, so I'm happy."
Raimondo, 18, said the hardest part of the race for him was "staying consistent."
"You weren't a hundred per cent sure if the track was dry so you had to be careful out there," he said.
For Raimondo's 17-year-old St. Catharines neighbour, Alex Ellis, it's all going to come down to tomorrow.
Ellis finished fourth in today's Formula BMW-Americas race and is sitting second in the rookie championship standings behind American Michael Lewis.
If he wins the race tomorrow and Lewis finishes down in the order (or any combination of finish that gives Ellis eight more points than Lewis), then he'll win the rookie title.
Practice and qualifying for all other support series, as well as the American Le Mans Series itself, is continuing this afternoon.
Racing in all classes starts tomorrow morning and the ALMS headliner, a 2-hour, 45-minute timed event, will start at 3:05 p.m.
09/08/15 - Gianmarco records another podium, places 3rd in round 10 at Road America
Gianmarco fought from the fifth starting position in the tenth round of the Formula BMW Americas championship at Road America on Saturday to finish in third place. This is Gianmarco's seventh podium finish this season. Gianmarco was fourth going into the last lap and was able to take advantage when the driver in third went wide, leaving the door for Gmo to get past for position. There are two more races on on Sunday and results will be posted as they become available.
09/07/21 - STRONG OUTING FOR RAIMONDO AT LIME ROCK PARK
Gianmarco Raimondo, 2008 Formula BMW Rookie Champion, had an outstanding weekend at Lime Rock Park, host to Rounds #8 and #9 of the 14 round Formula BMW Americas Series. In Friday timed qualifying action Raimondo would look to strike early and capture pole position. In the first round of timed qualifying Raimondo would clock in the third spot with a time of 58.169 just 0.125 off pole, but would later be promoted to second position following post-technical inspection. In the second qualifying session, the 18-year-old sophomore pilot would take third spot under changing track conditions. This would give Raimondo two great opportunities to score podium finishes in Saturday racing action.
"Qualifying was really good for me," comments Raimondo. "We had a good set-up on the car, and I was able to get the best out of it early in the session and get the quick laps I needed. The weather turned for the worse near the end of the second session, and I was lucky to get a least a couple of decent laps in early." Read More
09/06/17 - Canadian teens hone skills in Formula BMW - The Globe and Mail
By: Jeff Pappone/Globe and Mail
Last year's top rookie, Gianmarco Raimondo, helps teammate Alex Ellis make the transition from karting
Forget about math, Gianmarco Raimondo's high-speed lessons bring tutoring to a whole new level.
After winning the Formula BMW Americas rookie title in 2008, the 18-year-old, St. Catharines, Ont., driver is now the grizzled veteran helping his close friend and series rookie Alex Ellis through the transition from karting to racing cars.
"The racing part to me is more second nature because I have already had a year in FBMW," Raimondo said.
"Alex is still in his learning phase, so he uses my knowledge and experience to help him, but he helps me as well if he's faster in a certain area. But he and I are really competitive so we will try to beat each other no matter what."
The arrangement works well for the Team Autotecnica drivers, who are the only Canadians in the series this year. The lessons have helped bring some positive results for Ellis, who lives down the street from his tutor. The 17-year-old has scored two podium finishes in seven starts and lies third in the rookie standings with 50 points.
"It's almost like having a book right next to me telling me what to do when I have a problem," Ellis said.
"It's a ridiculous amount of fun to drive the car but I am at a bit of a disadvantage this year because I didn't get a lot of preseason testing."
"So, I am really pushing now to learn."
Ellis was leading the rookie points heading to the last race weekend in mid-May, but dropped to third after finishing sixth in each of the three rounds in Utah's Miller Motorsport Park. U.S. driver Michael Lewis leads the rookie standings with 57 points. Drivers score 20 points for a win.
While learning to race a car from karting is a huge job, Ellis feels that the higher pressure of racing cars is the biggest challenge he's faced this year.
"Before it was basically just jump in and drive, now it's training off the track and worrying about nutrition and, because the budgets are much higher, I'm dealing with sponsors more too," Ellis said.
"It went from being a sport to a career – it's a big transition in the commitment level and everything that goes with it."
His more experienced teammate has four podium finishes and six top-four results in the seven races this year, good enough for third in points with 71. The next two rounds of the season go July 17-18 at Lime Rock Park, Conn.
The bad news for the Canadian pair has been the Eurointernational team, which always seems to be a step ahead. Its drivers, Brazilian Giancarlo Vilarinho and Gabby Chavez of Colombia, are the only race winners this season. Vilarinho's five wins has him atop the points standings with 119, followed by Chavez five behind.
"I think they are able to get a fast setup sooner than we can," Raimondo said.
"We can get close to them in the race, but in qualifying we are struggling a little bit. The team and Alex and I have developed a good base setup to work from, so I think that will change."
After losing ground to the leaders early, Raimondo hasn't given up hope of winning the championship, but he knows it will be difficult. Whether or not he pulls it off, Raimondo has already begun exploring a move to a European championship next year, possibly Italian F3.
"You have to be at least a year ahead of yourself and I am already looking at what I'm will be doing next year," said Raimondo, who also needs to raise some money to chase his Formula One dreams.
"I don't have any official sponsorship - it's mostly my parents. The economy is very bad and I have had people say they want to help but they can't really do anything because of the situation."
Unfortunately, the pair will not race at the FBMW World Final after it was quietly cancelled last month due to the economic downturn. Begun in 2005, the world final winner earned an F1 test with the BMW-Sauber Team.
globeauto@globeandmail.com
09/06/06 - St. Catharines teenaged friends chase racing glory together
By: Norris McDonald/Wheels.ca
It's not my style to start a column with a quote. But this one pretty much wraps up everything this story's about:
"We're the only two Canadian drivers in Formula BMW-Americas and we come from the same town and live in the same neighbourhood and drive for the same team. It's just a crazy concidence."
So spoke 18-year-old Gianmarco Raimondo a few weeks ago at an open house held by Team Autotecnica at its racing headquarters near the corner of Keele St. and Hwy. 7, Vaughan. Read More
09/05/17 - Salt Lake Race 3 - Another podium for Gianmarco
Gianmarco would end the weekend at Miller Motorsport park with three top-five results including two trips to the podium. He would visit the podium for the second time following the final race of the triple header weekend at Miller Motorsport Park where he put in a consistent race running with the lead group. Gianmarco maintains his spot of third in the overall championship.
09/05/16 - Salt Lake Race 2 - Gianmarco ends the day in fourth
Starting from the third position, Gianmarco would finish race two of the triple-header weekend at Miller Motorsport Park in fourth place, just missing the podium. Gianmarco mounted a late challenge for the final podium spot but ran out of time. Gianmarco remains third overall in the series championship.
09/05/15 - Salt Lake Race 1 - Gianmarco on the podium
Gianmarco would have a fight on his hands at Miller Motorsport Park but despite closing on the car ahead in the closing laps, Gianmarco would record his second straight podium taking third in the first race of the triple-header in Utah. This coming off his third-place finish in race two at VIR just a few weeks ago.
Gianmarco started from the inside of row two and was able to run with the leaders while building a substantial gap over fourth place. As it is a triple-header weekend, this means Gianmarco will start third on the grid for the race two on Saturday as positions are based on where you finish is race one. He has also qualified third for the final race of the weekend on Sunday afternoon.
09/04/26 - Gianmarco takes the podium on Sunday, P4 on Saturday, Third in series championship
Gianmarco would have great start in the second race at VIR and go on to record another podium finish for the season taking taking a third-place finish. Gianmarco had just missed the podium in the weekend's first race taking fourth on Saturday. Gianmarco is now sitting third overall in the series championship.
"We had a few issues this weekend but I just kept my head down" commented Gianmarco. "The goal was to gain points and we did that in both races. Now we move on to the next round at Miller Motorsport Park and try our best to reach the podium once - or twice, again."
09/03/21 - Gianmarco earns first podium of the season
The weekend started out positive for Gianmarco as he qualified third for the first race of the season. Unfortunately, the race did not go as planned and he was out of the race early. Sunday would be a different story however and Gmo put in a strong effort to take second place. Starting from fifth on the grid, he was up to third place by lap two. He would move to second on the halfway point of the race and build a comfortable margin over his team mate in third.
This is a a good start to the season for the 2008 Rookie Champion as he makes a bid to win the overall championship in 2009. We will update driver point standings as they become available.
09/03/17 - 2009 racing season starts this weekend
The Formula BMW Americas season gets underway this coming weekend (March 20-22) at the 2.09-mile (3.363km) Autodromo Miguel E. Abed in Puebla, Mexico. Gianmarco has already completed some pre-season testing with Team Autotecnica and he is all set to take a run at the 2009 championship.
Gianmarco comments on the new season in a press release issued by the series today: "I'm really looking forward to Puebla," said 2008 Rookie Champion Gianmarco Raimondo. "The first race will be interesting because it will let the rookies know what the competition is like and how these cars are like to race. I've learned a little about each driver over testing and realized it's not going to be easy. I feel the team has developed the car well and we are looking confident heading into the season. I'm just hoping for a reliable car and to get the most out of the car every weekend. If we can accomplish that task, it should be a great season."
On track activity starts on Friday with qualifying and racing on both Saturday and Sunday.
09/02/18 - Gianmarco completes first 2009 test
Returning with Team Autotecnica to contest the 2009 Formula BMW Americas championship, Gianmarco was in Palm Beach the last few days for the first official test of the season for the series. At the end of the test, Gianmarco held the third-best time for combined sessions and was generally running in the top five throughout. There is a second test session scheduled for early March at North Carolina Motorsports Park.
Coming back for season two with Autotecnica, the team he partnered with to win the 2008 Rookie Championship, will give Gianmarco a great advantage moving forward. There is a high level of comfort between driver and crew and everyone has established strong communications which is important when it comes to getting it right on track. This gives Gianmarco a good shot at the series championship in 2009.
By virtue of winning the Rookie Championship in 2008, Gianmarco also returns to the series as a Formula BMW Junior which includes additional support and training as part of the program.