Succeeding in transforming your childhood passion into your personal and professional life is something that we all dream of. Whether it’s the dream of becoming a footballer or an astronaut, you have to work on combining sacrifice and determination to reach these levels. Stefano Alessi only dreamed of one thing as a child - to work in the world of motorsport and racing. Commitment, passion and talent have led to him becoming a track engineer for the Trident team and clocking up incredible successes and victories. We interviewed him to hear his story and ask him to let us in on a few of his secrets. Stefano took us by the hand and accompanied us along his path littered with successes and motivated by the strongest drive of all: his passion for engines.  

But let’s start from the beginning. The first thing we asked Stefano was where he started from and how he ended up winning so much.

I literally took my first steps in a mechanics workshop. My dad used to take me to work with him and I spent my afternoons there after school, so I let myself get swept away by stories about mechanical engineering. I became a mechanical engineer by being surrounded by oils and lubricants.

This wasn’t enough for me, however, because I knew from a very early age that I wanted to become part of the racing world. I let myself get caught up by dad’s enthusiasm. He competed in rallies and I never wanted to miss a competition from when I was a kid. I think it must be in my blood; my DNA consists of a love of races and the mechanical components of engines. Then, one thing led to another and now I am a track engineer for the Trident racing team, that manages single-seat cars for Formula 2 and Formula 3 championships and FRECA (Formula Regional European Championship).

I have always combined work and study. I became an engineer by working in workshops which helped me acquire a broad range of both theoretical and practical skills. As a kid, I became part of a small racing team in my area, Varese. The rest followed on as a result. Little by little, I started building on my career until I ended up travelling around Europe with major teams.

I am a track engineer which doesn’t mean “staying behind the scenes” - quite the opposite, in fact, my life is chaotic! There’s no such thing as quiet days in my line of work, but despite this, it’s as if every day is my first day. My job is really stimulating and dynamic; I have to keep up-to-date, so I need to constantly learn about new technology and compare ideas with people with different points of view.

My role is no more or less important that anyone else’s. We are a team and my worth is just as important as that of everyone else’s in the team. The weekend’s result depends on everyone which is why it is essential to feel a strong sense of belonging.

The best memories - the ones I’ll remember forever - are the successes achieved with the team, from the first victory as a track engineer in formula 3 in 1991, followed by all the championships won, up to the most recent experience in GP 2.

I can’t tell you all our technical secrets about the single-seater but I can tell you about several ingredients that are indispensable:

• a strong, close-knit team that works well together
• a highly-skilled, team-player and focused driver
• the best engine lubricant oil.