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.
Racing Career Highlights
- 2014: Made her debut at the Coppa InterEuropa at Monza, sharing a Giulietta Sprint with her father, Luca. This sparked her motorsport journey, which includes notable successes in hill climbs and circuit racing.
- 2018: Transitioned to rallying, competing in various championships, both nationally and internationally
- 2024 Season:
- Completed two full-season campaigns: the Italian Rally Championship and the TER Series.
- Secured titles as TER Overall Champion and Italian Women’s Rally Champion
- 2025 Season:
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- Rachele will compete in a six-event European program in the World Rally Championship (WRC), in the WRC2 category. She will drive a Citroën C3 Rally2, with Nicola Arena as her co-driver, starting with the Rallye Monte Carlo.
- National Achievements:
- Four-time Italian Women’s Rally Champion: 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2024.
- International Achievements:
- Competed in the European Rally Championship (2021, 2022).
- Participated in select WRC (World Rally Championship) events, including the legendary Monte Carlo Rally (2019, 2020).
- 2024: Crowned Overall Champion in the TER (Tour European Rally) Series.
- Other Roles:
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- Since 2017, Rachele has been a Level 2 ACI Sport Federal Instructor and collaborates with driving schools for Safe and Performance Driving courses.
- She also serves as a Safe Driving Instructor at ACI Sara’s Driving Center in Arese, Milan.
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Solidarity and Advocacy
- #CorrerePerUnRespiro:
Launched in 2016, this project supports cystic fibrosis research by combining Rachele’s motorsport activities with advocacy and fundraising efforts.- Milestones and Recognitions:
- 2021: Received the EURORDIS Young Patient Advocate Award for her contributions to rare disease advocacy.
- 2023: Published an autobiographical book, #CorrerePerUnRespiro (Baldini+Castoldi), with proceeds donated to research. The book won the prestigious Geremia “CONI” Award for sports passion and ethics.
- 2024:
- Honored with the Woman in WOW Award at the Imola Circuit.
- Named DOZZAmbassador by the Municipality of Dozza.
- Received the UNA Comunicazione Career Award for her combined sporting and solidarity efforts.
- By the end of 2024, #CorrerePerUnRespiro had raised over €470,000 for the Italian Cystic Fibrosis Research Foundation (FFC).
- Milestones and Recognitions:
