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Kei Francesco Cozzolino (born in Shinjuku, Tokyo, November 9, 1987) is a Japanese-Italian professional racing driver from Shinjuku, Tokyo. He competes in motorsport championships including the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, and the Asian Le Mans Series with AF Corse. Cozzolino also joins the 2024 Super GT series, driving the Ferrari 296 GT3 for PONOS RACING.
Kei Francesco Cozzolino | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | 9 November 1987 |
| Nationality |  Japan |
| Occupation | Racing driver |
| FIA World Endurance Championship | |
| Racing licence |  FIA Gold |
| Years active | 2019 – 2023 |
| Teams | AF Corse |
| Championship titles | |
| GT World Challenge Asia Asian Le Mans Series Lamborghini Super Trofeo Esso Formula Toyota | |
| Awards | |
| 2022GT World Challenge Asia Overall Champion 2018 Asian Le Mans GT Champion 2017 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia Champion 2007 Esso Formula Toyota Champion | |
Cozzolino was born in Ichigaya, Shinjuku by Japanese mother and Italian father. He grew up in Japan and had his first experience with racing at 8 years old, thanks to his dad's passion for cars. When Cozzolino turned 14, they moved to Florence, Italy, where he will study at an international school.[1]
Cozzolino started karting at the age of 9. He competed and won in various competitions in classes in Japan and around the world. His karting career ended in 2005 when he switched to racing cars.
In 2006, Cozzolino made his debut in auto racing, in the Formula Toyota series, during the second round of the championship at Sendai Hi-Land Raceway.[2] Cozzolino finished tenth out of eleven finishers. In 2007, he competed in the Formula Challenge Japan and the Formula Toyota classes. In the Formula Challenge Japan, supported by Nissan, Toyota and Honda, Cozzolino won one race. All the drivers who entered both the Formula Toyota and Formula Challenge Japan series were supported by Toyota. This was to promote the Formula Challenge Japan as a replacement of the Formula Toyota after the series disbandment.[3] In the final season of the Formula Toyota, Cozzolino won the title. Cozzolino was strong all season long, but Keisuke Kunimoto had the lead before the final round of the season. At the final round of the season at Fuji International Speedway Cozzolino qualified second and Kunimoto sixth. After a strong race Cozzolino won the race, KyoYu did not finish the race, thus the championship was decided in Cozzolino's favour.
After his 2007 Formula Toyota championship the young driver graduated to the All-Japan Formula Three Championship driving Now Motor Sport in a Dallara F308. As a result of winning the championship Cozzolino tested for the Toyota Tom's Formula Nippon factory team. In his debut year in Formula 3 the young Italian achieved four podium finishes and a ninth place in the championship. He also participated in the 2008 Macau Grand Prix Formula Three where he finished fifteenth. For the 2009 season, Cozzolino switched to the only Honda powered entry Toda Racing. He achieved his first win in Formula Three during the round at Twin Ring Motegi. But with the Toyota Tom's team dominating the championship Cozzolino was best of the rest finishing fourth.
For the 2010 season, Cozzolino graduated to the Formula Nippon, the highest racing class in Japan. Cozzolino participated in a Toyota powered Swift FN09 entered by Team LeMans.[citation needed] His best finish was a fourth place at Autopolis. During the non-championship Fuji Sprint Cup he achieved his first pole-position and eventually finished tenth in the standings.[citation needed]
After more than a year without racing Cozzolino was announced as a replacement of Alberto Cerqui for the Guia Race of Macau.[4] 29 drivers attempted to qualify for the event of which 23 could start the race, Cozzolino qualified 22nd. In the first race he had an accident after seven laps but he was qualified 20th. In the second race he was the last running driver in 19th place 2 laps behind the winning driver.
In 2018–2019, the Ferrari 488 GT3 of the privately run CAR GUY team, with fellow team mates Takeshi Kimura and James Calado, win all four legs of the 2018–19 Asian Le Mans Series.[5] The team achieves an auto-invitation to enter into the 2019 24 hours of Le Mans. Cozzolino returns to the series with AF Corse teaming up with Emmanuel Collard and Charlie Samani.
Cozzolino has made 3 appearances in Le Mans (2019, 2020 and 2023). In 2019, he finishes 5th in class. At his second attempt in 2020, the Ferrari 488 GTE EVO of the MR Racing team, suffers a mechanical problem early on the race and forced to be 7 laps behind the leader. In the end the team retires due to a gearbox failure on lap 172. In the 2023 edition, with the Kessel Racing's Ferrari 488 GTE EVO number 74 finishing 9th in class.
Following his remarkable achievement in 2019, Cozzolino secured a contract to compete for the MR Racing team during the FIA WEC 2019-2020 season. He teamed up with Olivier Beretta and Motoaki Ishikawa, and their best performance came in the form of a 3rd place finish in the opening round at Silverstone. Unfortunately, as the season progressed, MR Racing was forced to withdraw from the series due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.Cozzolino made a return to the series for the final round in Bahrain, this time with Red River Sport.
In 2023, he joined forces with Kessel Racing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Monza events. Subsequently, he made a comeback with AF Corse to participate in the Fuji and Bahrain rounds.
In 2016, Cozzolino made his debut in the Super GT series upon being promoted to the prestigious position of a Lamborghini Young Driver. During that year, he participated in only two rounds, driving the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 as a member of the Direction Racing team.
Cozzolino's return to the series took place in 2020 when he stepped in to replace Nicki Thiim for the Pacific - D'station Racing team, driving the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 alongside the team's star driver, Tomonobu Fujii.
In the year 2021, Cozzolino embarked on a new venture, debuting the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo with the PACIFIC NAC CARGUY Racing Team, forming a partnership with the 2012 Super GT 300 Champion, Naoki Yokomizo.
Looking ahead to 2024, Cozzolino is set to rejoin the series as part of the PONOS Racing team, piloting the Ferrari 296 GT3. He will be teaming up with Ferrari Factory Driver, Lilou Wadoux, in this exciting new chapter of his Super GT career.
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Driver's Championship | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Now Motorsports | FUJ 3 |
FUJ 5 |
AUT 2 |
AUT 4 |
SUZ 6 |
SUZ 3 |
MOT 8 |
MOT 4 |
OKA 7 |
OKA 7 |
SUZ 5 |
SUZ DNF |
MOT 6 |
MOT 6 |
FUJ 3 |
FUJ 4 |
SUG 6 |
SUG DNF |
6th | 133 |
| 2009 | Toda Racing | FUJ 4 |
FUJ 4 |
OKA 4 |
OKA 4 |
SUZ 5 |
SUZ 5 |
FUJ 5 |
FUJ DNF |
OKA 9 |
OKA 7 |
MOT 2 |
MOT 1 |
AUT 4 |
AUT 3 |
SUG 4 |
SUG 4 |
4th | 66 |
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blancpain GT Series Asia | |||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Car Guy Racing | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 | Silver | SEP 1 | SEP 2 | BUR 1 | BUR 2 | SUZ 1 | SUZ 2 | FUJ 1 1 |
FUJ 2 15 |
SHA 1 | SHA 2 | ZHE 1 | ZHE 2 | 20th | 25 |
| 2018 | Car Guy Racing | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 | Pro-Am | SEP 1 | SEP 2 | BUR 1 | BUR 2 | SUZ 1 16 |
SUZ 2 12 |
FUJ 1 30 |
FUJ 2 18 |
SHA 1 | SHA 2 | NIN 1 | NIN 2 | NC | 0 |
| GT World Challenge Asia | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Car Guy Racing | Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 | Pro-Am | SEP 1 | SEP 2 | SUZ 1 1 |
SUZ 2 5 |
FUJ 1 1 |
FUJ 2 3 |
SUG 1 2 |
SUG 2 3 |
OKA 1 2 |
OKA 2 12 |
1st | 126 | ||
| 2023 | Car Guy Racing | Ferrari 296 GT3 | Pro-Am | BUR 1 | BUR 2 | FUJ 1 12 |
FUJ 2 9 |
SUZ 1 | SUZ 2 | MOT 1 7 |
MOT 2 24 |
OKA 1 6 |
OKA 2 16 |
SEP 1 | SEP 2 | 27th | 16 |
* Season still in progress.
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Car Guy Racing |
Takeshi Kimura Côme Ledogar |
Ferrari 488 GTE | GTE Am |
332 | 35th | 5th |
| 2020 | MR Racing |
 Vincent Abril Takeshi Kimura |
Ferrari 488 GTE Evo | GTE Am |
172 | DNF | DNF |
| 2023 |  Kessel Racing |
Yorikatsu Tsujiko Naoki Yokomizo |
Ferrari 488 GTE Evo | GTE Am |
303 | 38th | 9th |
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Lamborghini Team Direction Shift | Lamborghini Huracan GT3 | GT300 | OKA 16 |
FUJ 17 |
SUG |
FUJ |
SUZ |
CHA |
MOT |
MOT |
NC | 0 |
| 2018 | CarGuy Racing | Honda NSX GT3 | GT300 | OKA |
FUJ 26 |
SUZ |
BUR |
FUJ |
SUG |
AUT |
MOT |
NC | 0 |
| 2020 | Pacific - D'station Racing AMR | Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 | GT300 | FUJ1 10 |
FUJ2 19 |
SUZ1 10 |
MOT1 18 |
FUJ3 24 |
SUZ2 24 |
MOT2 25 |
FUJ4 |
28th | 2 |
| 2021 | Pacific - Car Guy Racing | Ferrari 488 GT3 EVO 2020 | GT300 | OKA 23 |
FUJ1 |
SUZ |
MOT1 |
SUG |
AUT |
MOT2 |
FUJ2 |
23rd* | NC* |
| 2024 | PONOS Racing | Ferrari 296 GT3 | GT300 | OKA |
FUJ |
SUZ |
FUJ |
SUZ |
SUG |
AUT |
MOT |
* Season still in progress.
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
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