Six titles won. Nobody did better than him. This season, Raffaele Marciello became the most successful driver in GT World Challenge Europe history, taking home the Overall and Endurance titles with the Akkodis ASP team, as he managed to do in 2022. With these latest achievements, Lello further boosted his racing resume and GT star reputation, following many other victories achieved in recent years.
The Swiss tackled the 2023 campaign being equipped by the OMP fireproof suit. He found a precious support during the weekends at prestigious European circuits such as Brands Hatch, Le Castellet, Misano, Hockenheim, Nurburgring and Valencia, where he managed to secure race wins together with his teammates Jules Gounon and Timur Boguslavskiy.
While waiting to begin a new chapter in 2024, Raffaele told us about his championship and his excellent impressions about our suits.
Raffaele, what is the ace up your sleeve for being always so competitive?
"I am able to cope well with every condition. For this reason, in my stints I am usually in the highest positions, both in qualifying and in the race. Starting from the front helps a lot, as does keeping a constant pace."
What was the most important moment of the season?
"I think the victory at the 6 Hours of Paul Ricard, but also the second place at the 24 Hours of Spa, when I drove for very long stints. And then, obviously, the race in Barcelona, where we mathematically claimed the titles."
Can we consider you the Master of GT racing? Do you think you are the fastest GT3 driver in the world right now?
"I never wanted to see myself in this way, because there are many factors in place, including the balance of performance. I competed against several high-level opponents and it is complicated to determine who is the best overall. Let's say I am in the top 10."
This year you used an OMP suit, like a few years ago when you were Formula 1 tester and GP2 Series driver. What progress have you noticed since then?
"When I was a test driver in Formula 1, the OMP suit was already a very high quality product. Once you reach the limit, the improvements become a matter of details. This year I had a great time with OMP, especially in terms of comfort and breathability. I had further confirmation of this in Spa. During the most demanding race of the season, my suit always stayed dry. It is one of the things I look at most."
What are the main needs a GT driver has for the racewear? Give us your specialist's opinion.
"While in Formula 1, for example, enormous attention is paid to weight reduction, this need is less felt in GT racing. The OMP is still extremely light, but above all it proved to be comfortable and allowed me great freedom of movement. This is a key aspect for the driver change operations. Thanks also to the features of the suit, we have always managed to make perfect pit stops."