Ferrari: 13-year-old Filippo Sala joins Maranello team’s Driver Academy. Ferrari has selected 13-year-old from Trento Filippo Sala.

Ferrari has announced the entry of Filippo Sala into the Driver Academy. The 13-year-old Italian driver has consistently been at the top of international karting for several seasons, attracting the interest of many junior programs linked to Formula 1 teams.

In the end, Sala chose Maranello’s Driver Academy, following just a few weeks after another recruit, his peer Noah Baglin. His entry into the FDA brings an Italian youngster back to Maranello seven years after Antonio Fuoco’s exit.

Born on July 28, 2011, in Trento, Sala got behind the wheel of a kart for the first time in 2015 at the age of five, and in 2017 he won his first race. The following year he claimed 18 wins out of 21 in the Entry Level 60 championship, and in 2019 he moved to the United States, where competitive racing can start at age 8, compared to 9 in Europe. In the U.S., he won five out of six races and the Challenge of America title, and the following year he became Easykart world champion.

In 2021, he won the Italian IAME 60 title and secured several podiums in the WSK championship. The next year he triumphed in the prestigious Trofeo delle Industrie, and in 2023 he moved up to the OKJ125 category, breaking into the top 10 of the FIA Karting ranking.

In 2024, he repeated his victory in the Trofeo delle Industrie, and with 14 pole positions and one championship win, he climbed to fourth place in the ranking. In 2025, Filippo claimed victory in the OK class in Sarno, a WSK championship round in which he aims to be consistently among the frontrunners.