Tuukka Taponen joins the Ferrari Driver Academy

La Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) is expanding with the signing of a hopeful from Scandinavia. Finnish Tuukka Taponen, 16, beat five other young candidates in the FDA Scouting final: Rashid Al Dhaheri (United Arab Emirates), Jack Beeton and Gianmarco Pradel (Australia), Emerson Fittipaldi Jr (Brazil) and Jesse Carrasquedo (Mexico ). 

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

Tuukka Taponen has won the #FDA Scouting World Finals and join the @ScuderiaFerrari family 🏎👏
➡️https://t.co/VDPX0FY8im#FDA #TonyKart pic.twitter.com/1jmmSAk4MS

— Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy (@insideFDA) November 15, 2022

“We watched him closely last year and felt he had the potential which he then confirmed this season, explains Marco Matassa, Head of Ferrari Driver Academy. A year later, he has matured, so that in addition to his pure speed, he has other essential qualities, such as the ability to interact with engineers, give accurate feedback and be able to assimilate the instructions given to him.

On the track, behind the wheel of a Formula 4 car, Tuukka immediately impressed us with his performance and the speed with which he learned, given his limited experience in single-seaters. He also proved that he was down to earth and willing to work hard, qualities shared by the most talented drivers.

I thank Tony Kart who has done a great job with him so far (world champion in OK class in 2021. Editor’s note). This famous brand is one of the long-standing partners of the Ferrari Driver Academy and several of their drivers have joined our program. Tuukka will now begin a new chapter in our shared history.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our other partners – ACI Sport, Escuderia Telmex and Motorsport Australia – with whom we have established a detection program that works very well and is extremely effective. Thanks to him, we have identified all the most recent pilots who have joined the Academy, coming from several different continents…

“Spending a week in Maranello and driving on the Fiorano circuit was an extraordinary experience, continues Tuukka Taponen. I can't wait to start working at the Academy with the other guys and engineers I've met on the track. I am very proud to wear the Prancing Horse uniform. »

The Finn's 2023 program is unknown but should undoubtedly focus on Formula 4 in Europe. He follows in the tradition of Oliver Bearman, the English nugget who burst into the open in the FDA Scouting 2021 and who will participate in the Formula 2 in 2023 at Prema.

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