Bertolini ends his extraordinary career in Monza

From Monza to Monza on a journey spanning 25 years. It was at the National Circuit of the city in Lombardy that Andrea Bertolini, Development Driver for the Maranello-based manufacturer, began his motorsport career and now, after a quarter of a century, has decided to call it a day. In the second round of the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe – Endurance Cup season, he will be at the starting line for his last professional motor race, driving a Ferrari 296 GT3 for the AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors team. He chose the Brianza circuit where it all began to say goodbye to teammates, friends and colleagues at a press conference organised by SRO to pay tribute to his extraordinary career.

First steps. Born in Sassuolo in 1973, he made his debut in the minikart category at the age of 11 and raced until he was 16, with a temporary break in his career of a few years. After obtaining his diploma in mechanical engineering from the Ferrari Technical Institute in Maranello, at the age of 19 he became the youngest test driver of Ferrari GT road cars, working on experimental development. At the end of the 1990s, he resumed his competitive career, again in karting, with many victories, especially in 1999 and 2000 in the 125 Formula C category, before moving on to the FIA GT championship (in 2001). At the beginning of 2003, his professional career at Ferrari took a turn, with his move from the Road Experience department to the Corse Clienti Ferrari and Maserati department, still in the role of test driver. In 2004, Bertolini was called upon to serve as official test driver for the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team. 

The most successful Italian in GT racing. In the first decade of the 2000s, Bertolini rewrote the history of the FIA GT, winning everything, including the world title in 2010. In 2002, he raced in a Ferrari 360 for the JMB team, winning the N-GT title the following year, before joining manufacturer Maserati in 2004 and achieving success with the Maserati MC12. In 2011, he added a new championship to his trophy cabinet: International Superstars. 

After his successes with Maserati, Andrea returned to represent the Prancing Horse, taking the wheel of a Ferrari 458 for the AF Corse team, with which he won the Spa 24 Hours in 2012 in the Pro Am category (becoming a specialist with five career successes). In 2013, he triumphed in the Asian Le Mans Series in the GTC class, racing with a Ferrari 458 for the AF Corse team.

In 2014, he joined the SMP Racing team and, with the same car, won the European Le Mans Series title in the GTE class, once again climbing the top step of the podium at the Spa 24 Hours in the Pro Am category.

In 2015, he celebrated victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMGTE Am class with the SMP Racing Ferrari 458, also adding the Pro Am category title. In 2022, he won his tenth international title, winning in the Pro Am class in the GT World Challenge Europe - Endurance Cup, becoming the Italian driver with the most international titles to his name.

Development and Ambassador driver. Not only has Bertolini has been a point of reference in racing over all these years for the many drivers who grew in Maranello, but also for technicians and engineers, thanks to his role as Development Driver, making his experience on the track available and contributing to the creation and development of many cars, such as one of the most recent, the 296 GT3. When the LMH (as initially named, before becoming the 499P, able to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans two years running) made its debut on the Fiorano track, Andrea was there to break it in. 

A circle closes, marked by 10 international titles, which does not represent the end, but a new beginning, because Bertolini will remain a Ferrari man.