Full Throttle

Francesco Castellacci has spent two decades at the sharp end of motorsport, from single-seaters and Formula 3 to GT3 and now the FIA World Endurance Championship with Ferrari and AF Corse. More recently, the Italian driver collaborated with Bellini Yacht to create the one-off Astor 38 Pista, which channels his Ferrari LMGT3 Evo’s livery and cockpit-inspired ergonomics into a performance yacht.

Take us back to the beginning — when did you first know that motorsport was going to be your life?

Motorsport has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was born in Rome, and before racing became a profession, it was a passion that slowly became impossible to ignore. My first real steps were in single-seaters, with Formula Azzurra and then Formula 3. Those years were very important because they taught me discipline, precision, racecraft and the importance of working closely with a team.

I do not think there was one single moment when I decided, “this will be my life”. It was more a natural progression. Every time I stepped into a car, I felt I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Racing gives you a rare combination of adrenaline, focus, discipline and emotion. Once you experience that at a certain level, it becomes part of who you are.

Your career has taken you from GT racing to endurance events at the highest level. How would you describe your evolution as a driver — and which chapter of your career are you most proud of?

I would describe my evolution as a process of becoming more complete. I started in single-seaters, where the focus is naturally on pure speed, qualifying laps and finding the limit of the car. Then my career moved into GT and endurance racing, and that world teaches you something different. You understand that being fast is only one part of the job. You need consistency, patience, respect for the car, respect for your teammates and the ability to read a race over many hours.

Winning the FIA GT3 European Championship in 2011 with the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 was obviously one of the most important chapters of my career. But I am also very proud of the chapter I am living now in the FIA World Endurance Championship with AF Corse and Vista AF Corse. Racing with Ferrari, in a championship that includes events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is something extremely special.

Endurance racing demands a very different mindset to sprint racing. How do you approach the mental and physical preparation for events like Le Mans or the WEC, and what does that preparation look like in the weeks before a major race?

Endurance racing is about performance under pressure, but also about managing yourself. You need to be fast, but you also need to stay lucid after many hours, sometimes at night, sometimes in difficult conditions, and sometimes when the race is not going as planned.

In the weeks before a major race, preparation is very structured. There is physical training, of course, with a focus on endurance, reaction time, neck strength and general conditioning. For a race like Le Mans, cycling is very useful because it teaches you rhythm. You learn how to control your energy, when to push, when to recover, how to keep your concentration for hours. That is very similar to endurance racing. You cannot be at 100% aggression all the time; you need intelligence, patience and consistency.

The mental side is just as important. I spend a lot of time studying data, onboard footage, strategy scenarios, track conditions and the characteristics of the circuit. Before a race, you prepare not just for speed, but for fatigue. Sleep, nutrition, and hydration all become part of your performance.

Last year was my tenth participation at Le Mans, and that made the preparation even more meaningful. I also celebrated the milestone with a special “10 Years Le Mans” helmet, which I designed myself, as I always do with my helmets. For me, it was not only a design exercise; it was a way to honour a race that has been such an important part of my career. The goal is always to arrive at the race with a clear mind, because in endurance racing the smallest mistake can have consequences for the whole team.

You’ve raced alongside and against some of the world’s finest drivers. Who has influenced you most — either as a teammate who pushed you or a rival who made you better?

In a career like mine, you learn from many different people. Some teammates push you because they are extremely fast. Others teach you through their professionalism, the way they work with engineers, the way they manage pressure or communicate inside the team. I have been lucky to share cars and paddocks with very strong drivers, especially in the Ferrari and AF Corse environment. What I appreciate most is when a teammate raises the level of everyone around him.

In endurance racing, you are not driving only for yourself. You drive for the crew, for the mechanics, for the engineers, for your teammates. That changes the way you think. Davide Rigon, for example, is a driver with huge experience and speed, and working in that environment always pushes you to be precise and professional. I have also shared important moments with Thomas Flohr over many seasons, and that continuity is very valuable in endurance racing. But in general, every strong teammate and every strong rival has helped me improve.

Italian drivers carry a particular legacy in motorsport. Does that heritage feel like a weight or an inspiration when you climb into the cockpit?

For me, it is an inspiration. My blood is Italian, my roots are Italian, and that will always be part of who I am.
Italy has an incredible motorsport culture: Ferrari, Monza, Imola, legendary drivers, legendary races. When your story is connected to that world, especially through Ferrari and AF Corse, you naturally feel the heritage behind it.

Today I am also proud to be a citizen of the Principality of Monaco, a place with a unique relationship with motorsport, elegance and international culture. But that does not take anything away from my Italian identity. If anything, it adds another dimension to my story.

On my helmet, I have a wolf. For me, it is a very personal symbol. It represents instinct, loyalty, strength and identity. It is also deeply connected to Rome, where I was born. So, every time I put the helmet on, I carry that part of myself with me.

I do not see heritage as a weight. I see it as an inspiration and a responsibility. When I climb into the cockpit, I think about doing my job properly, representing my team well and honouring the different worlds that are part of my identity.

What does your 2026 racing programme look like, and what are your primary targets for the season ahead?

At this stage, I prefer to keep it a little open. Motorsport can move very quickly, and sometimes the best opportunities are the ones that develop naturally at the right moment. The objective is clear: I want to remain at the highest level of GT and endurance racing, in a competitive environment, with the right team and the right programme around me. For me, the priority is not only to be on the grid, but to be in a position where I can fight for strong results, bring value to the team and continue to grow as a driver.

The GT and endurance landscape is evolving quickly, with new manufacturers and new formats reshaping the calendar. Where do you see the greatest opportunities — and the greatest challenges — for a driver at your level in 2026?

The greatest opportunity is that GT and endurance racing are becoming more global, more visible and more competitive. More manufacturers are entering the scene, the calendar is becoming stronger, and the level of attention around endurance racing is growing every year. For a driver, this is very positive because it creates more possibilities: more competitive programmes, more international exposure and more chances to be part of projects that connect performance, technology, luxury and lifestyle.

At the same time, it also means that the job of a driver is becoming more complete. It is not only about what you do in the car. Of course, performance remains the most important thing, but today you also need to understand how to represent a team, a manufacturer and the partners around you.

This is where communication and personal branding become important. Not in a superficial way, but because sponsors and brands want to be part of a story, not only a result sheet. They want to see the preparation, the pressure, the behind-the-scenes work and the values behind the sport.

The biggest challenge is that the level keeps rising in every area. The cars are complex, the teams are extremely professional, the margins are very small, and the expectations around the driver are higher than before. You have to be fast, consistent and adaptable — but also credible outside the car. So, I think the opportunity is huge, but only for drivers who understand that modern endurance racing is not just about driving. It is about performance, professionalism and the ability to bring value to the whole project.

Motorsport at your level is all-consuming, but we know the sea plays a significant role in your life away from the circuit. When did the sea become important to you, and what does time on the water give you that racing cannot?

The sea has always represented freedom and balance for me. Racing is intense, structured and very demanding. Every second is measured, every decision is analysed, and you are constantly working under pressure.

When I am on the water, I still feel connected to performance and technique, but in a different way. You have to read the conditions, understand the boat, respect the sea and manage the rhythm. There is precision, but there is also space. That is what I love about it. It gives me the possibility to disconnect, to slow down mentally, but without losing that relationship with control, sensitivity and performance that I have in racing.

It is also something I associate with sharing. Motorsport is a team sport, but it is also very focused and intense. The sea gives you a different kind of connection with people, with friends, with family, with the moment itself. That is something very valuable to me.

The yachting world and the motorsport world seem to be converging, with shared audiences, shared sponsors and shared aesthetics. Do you feel a genuine cultural overlap between the two communities?

Yes, absolutely. Motorsport and yachting may look different on the surface, but they share many values: engineering, performance, design, attention to detail and emotion. In both worlds, the final result must look effortless, but behind that there is a huge amount of technical work. A racing car and a yacht are both about balance: materials, weight, ergonomics, comfort, reliability, responsiveness. Everything has to work together. There is also a shared culture of craftsmanship and personalisation.

In motorsport, every detail has a function. In yachting, especially in a bespoke project like the Astor 38 Pista, it is the same. The details are not just decorative; they tell a story, and they improve the experience. I think the audience understands this. People who appreciate racing often appreciate boats for the same reasons: performance, aesthetics, innovation and lifestyle.

Tell us how the collaboration with Bellini Yacht came about — was the Astor 38 Pista something you were approached about, or did it emerge from a shared conversation about what a performance-oriented yacht could be?

It emerged from a very natural conversation with Bellini. I had a clear vision: I wanted a boat that could translate some of the sensations of racing — adrenaline, precision and control — into a completely different environment, the sea.

What impressed me immediately was Bellini’s approach. It was not simply about choosing a yacht and customising a few details. It was a real bespoke process. We spoke about the concept, the materials, the colours, the atmosphere, the ergonomics and the way the boat should feel.

The interesting thing is that Bellini was already developing a new model, and our ideas met at the right moment. That is how the Astor 38 Pista was born: as a one-off project, but with a vision strong enough to become something more.

For me, that was the most exciting part. It was not a branding exercise. It was a shared project, built detail by detail.

The Pista designation carries obvious motorsport connotations — pace, precision, edge. How directly did your experience as a racing driver inform the brief, and where do you feel your influence is most tangible in the finished boat?

My experience as a racing driver influenced the brief very directly, but not only in terms of aesthetics. “Pista” is not simply about speed. It is about precision, control, responsiveness and the feeling that every element has a purpose.

I think my influence is tangible in the overall attitude of the boat. The silver and red metallic finish creates a direct connection with my Ferrari LMGT3 Evo, but there are also more technical references: the carbon-fibre details, the cockpit-inspired ergonomics, the steering wheel with the red central insert, and the custom seats inspired by the iconic Ferrari Daytona upholstery.

There are also details I really like because they are functional, not just visual. For example, the yellow indicators highlight moving elements such as the bow anchor and the opening sunpad at the stern. That is very close to the racing mindset: important elements must be clear, readable and immediate. So yes, the boat has a strong racing identity, but it is not excessive. It remains elegant, balanced and refined. That was very important to me.

Performance and luxury are sometimes seen as opposing forces in yacht design — the pursuit of one compromising the other. How did you and Bellini Yacht navigate that tension in the Astor 38 Pista?

We never saw performance and luxury as opposites. In my world, true performance is also about refinement. A racing car is not only powerful; it is precise, balanced, efficient and reliable. Luxury, when done properly, follows the same logic.

With Bellini, the goal was not to create something aggressive at the expense of comfort, or something luxurious at the expense of character. The idea was to find the right balance between adrenaline and elegance.
The Astor 38 Pista had to feel dynamic, but also comfortable and usable. The hull is designed for stability at high speeds, the cockpit layout is inspired by motorsport ergonomics, and at the same time the interiors are refined and functional.

For me, that is the real meaning of this project: performance expressed through quality, comfort and attention to detail. It is not performance against luxury. It is performance and luxury speaking the same language.

What were the non-negotiables for you personally in this collaboration — the elements where you held firm because they mattered most to the experience of sailing the boat?

For me, the first non-negotiable was coherence. Every reference to racing had to feel authentic, not decorative. I did not want a boat that simply looked “sporty”. I wanted a boat that had a real connection with my world. The second point was the feeling on board. A boat can be beautiful, but it also has to be intuitive, functional and enjoyable to use. The cockpit, the seating position, the layout, the way people move on board — these things matter a lot.

Then there was the visual identity. The connection with the colours of my Ferrari LMGT3 Evo was very important because it makes the boat personal. The silver and red finish, the Giallo Modena detail around the windscreen, the red line, the carbon-fibre elements and the custom seats all work together to create a direct line between track and sea. But I also wanted the boat to remain elegant. The challenge was to create something with personality, without making it too loud. I think Bellini understood that perfectly.

When you first sailed the finished Astor 38 Pista, was there a moment where you felt the brief had been truly realised — where the boat responded in a way that felt unmistakably like the vision you’d had?

Yes, there was definitely a moment. When you work on a bespoke project, you spend a lot of time discussing details, materials, colours and sensations. But the real test is when the boat is in the water. The first time I saw the Astor 38 Pista finished and experienced it properly, I immediately felt that the brief had been respected. It had the personality we wanted: sporty, elegant, precise and personal.

What I liked most was that the racing inspiration was not only visual. You could feel it in the ergonomics, in the way the cockpit was organised, in the stability, in the sense of control. At the same time, it was still comfortable, refined and enjoyable. That was the moment I understood that the project had worked. It felt like a real collaboration, not just a customisation. Something built with intention.

If you could take the Astor 38 Pista to any sailing ground in the world tomorrow — conditions perfect, schedule clear — where would you go, and who would you want on board?

I would probably choose somewhere in the Mediterranean. Sardinia would be perfect: beautiful water, incredible coastline, the right atmosphere and a strong connection with the Italian lifestyle. The Mediterranean has a special energy for me. It is elegant, familiar and still capable of surprising you every time. It is also the ideal environment for a boat like the Astor 38 Pista, because you can enjoy both the performance and the comfort.

As for who I would want on board, definitely my family and my closest friends. Racing involves so much travel, pressure and time away, so when I have moments like that, I like to share them with the people who really matter to me.

A boat like the Astor 38 Pista is made to be enjoyed, not only admired. For me, the perfect day would be simple: the right sea, the right people, and the freedom to enjoy the boat exactly as it was imagined.

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