Premium
Five-time national rally champion Simone Tempestini has been living his dream of being an elite athlete in Romania since he was 14. In an interview with AGERPRES, Tempestini confesses that, from a sporting point of view, he never felt Italian, but Romanian.
The sportscar driver, who obtained Romanian citizenship in 2016, recounts that since childhood he was attracted to cars, later entering the world of motoring with the help of his father, Marco Tempestini, a former rally driver who is now the manager of Napoca Rally Academy.
Tempestini also spoke of the chances he has to catch up with, or even surpass car racing veteran Constantin Aur in terms of the number of national rally titles.
The 26-year-old Tempestini recounted how a rally driver feels during a racing accident and urged immoderate drivers to be cautious in traffic.
In terms of professional goals, Tempestini is confident in his chances of winning the European and World rally championships.
Simone Tempestini won his fifth national rally championship on 26 September after winning the Transylvania Rally, the fifth stage of the Betano National Rally Championship, held in Cluj County. The last stage of the season will be the Bacau Rally, scheduled for 24 and 25 October.
AGERPRES: What were you playing with when you were a kid? What were your favorite toys?
Simone Tempestini: I've always loved cars. As a child, too, I used to play with the cars, just like I do now when I'm a grown up. Then, from cars I switched to computer games and play station. Obviously, all car games, I remember they were Colin McRae and Need for Speed. When I was 14 I came to Romania and from the miniature cars I switched to the real ones and here I am now, living my dream of being a rally driver.
AGERPRES: Did you dream of becoming a great pilot? How did you start your career as a racing driver and why in Romania?
Simone Tempestini: Obviously I was dreaming from the early years of my childhood about this, I was already imagining how I was going to drive a real car. I followed my dad to every race and I was always very happy. My career started right here in Romania. My dad used to work here, and I used to come and spend a little time with him. Even in the first years, he was participating in a race in the country and took me with him. I fell in love irretrievably. I told him I wasn't leaving without being a pilot. That's how we started. First with the parallel slalom, in the "pit" of Sibiu. The fact that we received support and facilities from the Romanian Federation of Sports Motor Vehicles mattered enormously at the time. Then I started going to rallies and watch, and that's how I got to the 10th year today as a rally driver.
AGERPRES: Tell me, please, you have Romanian citizenship, you've been here since you were 14, do you feel a little Romanian or are you Italian?
Simone Tempestini: I feel more and more Romanian. From a sporting point of view, I've never felt Italian. Romania has given me the chance to fulfill my dream and I have always wanted to be able to represent Romania in the most important races in the world.
AGERPRES: How did you and your father get to Romania?
Simone Tempestini: In the late '90s a lot of Italians came to Romania to develop various businesses here, and my father was among them. He then started to compete here, he fell for Cluj and Romania, and now we happen to be Transylvania inhabitants, if I may say so.
AGERPRES: What did you know about Romania and how was your first contact?
Simone Tempestini: As a child, I didn't really care where and how I got to, but who I was. I didn't care what was around me, as long as I was with the people I love. When I came back to Italy and told my schoolmates that I had been in Romania, some gave me a strange look. I didn't care. 10-15 years ago, Romania did not have such a good image there, there was no such nice talk about it, but I liked it from the first, as a proof now I took my citizenship and I moved permanently to Cluj-Napoca.
AGERPRES: There is a name in Romania racing, Titi Aur, you are three titles away from equalling his record, do you think you have a chance?
Simone Tempestini: Time I definitely have, chance I hope to still have. I want to do what I love for the next two years. I don't want to think about numbers and records, I always want to get better and better. My main plan is to be able to obtain a great title in the European and World championships. I already have a world junior title in the WRC, but I wish I could get into the situation of winning the big one, so I'd really feel fulfilled. Next year I hope to be able to win the European title, if the situation returns to normal. That would be one of the short-term objectives.
AGERPRES: What was the most dangerous moment of your career so far? Maybe the accident at Iasi this season?
Simone Tempestini: It was one of the most dangerous, but I remember two other equally difficult moments. One during tests in Portugal in 2015 and the second in Sweden in 2017. Both were in the World Rally Championship. These were accidents at very high speeds and we rolled over a few times.
AGERPRES: What does a race driver feel when he loses control of the steering wheel? Do you have time to think of anything else?
Simone Tempestini: When I feel like I'm getting too close to the limit or things aren't going the way I want, I realize I've made a mistake, but I stay focused because sometimes you can pull it off. At that moment I'm just thinking about how to find the best solution to make the impact as small as possible.
AGERPRES: How do you drive in traffic? Are you an aggressive driver?
Simone Tempestini: No, no way. I've always wanted to be able to set an example in traffic and that's why I always try to be tempered, not to get carried away by that wave of stress the streets offer, especially on crowded days. That's why at Napoca Rally Academy we always have defensive driving courses, we try to help everyone to avoid traffic hazards.
AGERPRES: There are a lot of young people who cause serious accidents because of rebelliousness, they have powerful cars that they don't master, what would your advice to them be?
Simone Tempestini: First of all, it's important for the people around them to explain to them as soon as they get the driver's license that they need to be cautious and obey the laws. When you're 18, you get influenced, you seek adrenaline, and you think you know everything, that's where the problems come from. They have to realize that when they get into a car they become responsible, not just for their lives, but for others. From a beautiful thing, that of driving a car, everything can turn into a tragedy if you treat road traffic like an amusement park.
AGERPRES: What's your favorite car?
Simone Tempestini: I've always liked Subaru WRC S12. It's a car from the early 2000s.
AGERPRES: How much does your team matter in a rally championship?
Simone Tempestini: Extremely much. From management, to the technical team and co-pilot. In a rally car, he's not just the navigator, he's the co-driver. Everyone has a very important mission. Then the rally car must be technically flawless to be able to evolve. It's a cumulation of factors. At Napoca Rally Academy I was lucky enough to have an extraordinary team, and that helped me enormously to evolve.
AGERPRES: You are one of the most successful riders in the history of the national rally championship at just 26 years old and world junior champion. What are your goals in the future, what's your dream?
Simone Tempestini: Like I said, in the short term, I want to be able to bring the European title to Romania next year, and then I can take another step and land a big performance in the WRC (World Rally Championship). I think every pilot in the world dreams of such results, and I think I could get them. I won't neglect the National Rally Championship either, I'll be present every year.
