MPA Champions of the Future Racing Academy – Round 1, Castelletto: starting with Legend Cars
At Castelletto di Branduzzo, the first round of MPA's Champions of the Future Racing Academy: shakedown and driving fundamentals in Legend Cars, before the step up to Formula 4.
In mid-March, at the Castelletto di Branduzzo circuit, the season of the Champions of the Future Racing Academy got underway – the programme of the Motorsport Performance Academy (MPA) led by Augusto Farfus, which takes young drivers from karting to Formula 4. Autobox followed the round up close, from the paddock to the pit lane.
The theme of the first event: shakedown and getting to know the car. And the car chosen to start with is not a single-seater, but a Legend Car.
Why start with Legend Cars
Lightweight chassis, responsive engine and a locked differential: Legend Cars reward precision, smooth inputs and car control. There are no shortcuts. Every braking point, every steering correction and every throttle application has an immediate effect on balance. That is why MPA made them part of the programme: before stepping into a Formula 4 car, young drivers need to build confidence, consistency and mechanical understanding.
What a shakedown is
A shakedown is the first run on track: it confirms that everything works and sets a baseline. For the drivers it was the moment to build a working method: installation laps, a gradual build-up of pace, attention to tyre and brake temperatures and precise feedback for engineers and mechanics.
From the garage to the track
The day was structured around technical briefings, track sessions and debriefs with data analysis. Comparing what the driver feels with what telemetry and racing lines show is at the heart of the MPA method: being able to describe the car's behaviour matters as much as being fast.
The starting point
Castelletto laid the foundations for the season. From here each round adds a piece: the step up to Formula 4, car management, set-up, aerodynamics, and finally a full race weekend simulation.
