Rachele Somaschini, born in Milan in 1994, is a passionate and tireless rally driver who has made motorsport a way of life with a mission: “Racing to support research.”
A strong woman thriving in a traditionally male-dominated sport, Rachele races against time and the genetic disease she has battled since birth—cystic fibrosis.
Inspired by the motto “You are all the limits you overcome,” which she adopted from her late friend Angelica, also a cystic fibrosis patient, Rachele dedicates her motorsport career to raising awareness and funds for research into the disease. Since her debut in 2014 at the Coppa InterEuropa at Monza, where she competed alongside her father Luca, Rachele has combined her passion for racing with her commitment to fighting cystic fibrosis.
In 2016, Rachele launched #CorrerePerUnRespiro (“Racing for a Breath”), a solidarity initiative that merges her sporting career with fundraising efforts for cystic fibrosis research. By the end of 2024, the project had raised over €470,000 for research initiatives.
Rachele Somaschini Career Highlights
- Bio
Born in 1994, Rachele Somaschini is a professional rally driver.
She is a four-time Italian Female Rally Champion (2019, 2021, 2023, 2024) and an ACI Sport Federal Instructor.
Rachele lives with cystic fibrosis and serves as a spokesperson for the Foundation for Cystic Fibrosis Research (FFC).
She uses her platform to raise awareness for cystic fibrosis through the project CorrerePerUnRespiro that she founded in 2016, and authored an autobiography of the same name with charity purposes.
Her life and career are guided by the motto: “You are all the limits you overcome.”
Racing Career
Rachele began racing in 2013 at the Coppa Intereuropa in Monza with her father Luca. After gaining experience in hill climbs and track racing, she debuted in rallying in 2018.
WRC & International: Competed in the European Rally Championship (2021-2022) and the World Rally Championship, including Rallye Monte-Carlo (2019, 2020, 2025).
Major Titles: 4-time Italian Female Rally Champion; winner of the TER – Tour European Rally Series (2024).
2025 Season: 5-round WRC2 program in a Citroën C3 Rally2 with co-driver Nicola Arena.
2026 Dakar Classic: Part of the first all-female Italian crew to contest the race in a truck (a 1988 Mercedes-Benz Unimog 435). They Finished P5 in the Truck category and P40 overall.
Professional Activity
Rachele is a Level 2 ACI Sport Federal Instructor. Since 2017, she has taught safety and sports driving at the ACI Sara Center in Arese and collaborates with various driving schools.
Charity & Awards
Through #CorrerePerUnRespiro, Rachele has raised over €530,000 for cystic fibrosis research.
2021: EURORDIS Young Patient Advocate Award.
2023: Published her autobiography; won the Premio Geremia “Coni” for sports ethics.
2024: Received the UNA Career Award and 2nd place at the “Protagonisti dello Sport” awards.
