Raffaele Marciello Bio
Raffaele Marciello, nicknamed “Lello,” is a Swiss-born Italian professional racing driver born on 17 December 1994 in Zürich, Switzerland. He currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup for BMW M Team WRT. A former member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, he was the 2013 European Formula Three Champion, a reserve and test driver for the Sauber Formula One team in 2015, and spent three seasons competing in the GP2 Series. He is widely regarded as one of the most versatile drivers to transition from open-wheel racing to sportscar and GT competition.
Early Life and Background
Raffaele Marciello was born in Zürich, Switzerland, to Italian parents, and holds dual Swiss-Italian heritage. He grew up in a European environment that exposed him to a wide range of motorsport cultures, from the karting circuits of Italy to the sportscar events of Belgium and France. From an early age, he showed a natural aptitude for racing, and his family supported his ambition to pursue a professional driving career.
Marciello made his karting debut in 2005 and quickly rose through the junior ranks. He progressed steadily over the following seasons, eventually reaching the KF2 category by 2010. His consistent results in European karting caught the attention of scouts from major racing academies and set the foundation for his move into single-seater competition.
Path to NASCAR
Marciello does not compete in NASCAR. His career has been built entirely within the open-wheel and sportscar racing ladder systems of Europe and the international stage. After karting, he graduated to single-seaters with the Formula Abarth series in Italy in 2010, racing for JD Motorsport. He won the opening race at Misano and another at Varano, finishing third in the standings. During that same season, he and fellow Formula Abarth competitor Brandon Maïsano were named members of the Ferrari Driver Academy, which launched his professional trajectory.
Raffaele Marciello Career
Early Career (2011-2013)
In 2011, Marciello stepped up to the Italian Formula Three Championship with Prema Powerteam, claiming wins at Misano and Adria along with four additional podiums. He finished third overall and lost the rookie title to Michael Lewis, though he outpaced Maïsano by seven points. The following year, he continued with Prema into both the Formula 3 Euro Series and the revived FIA European Formula Three Championship, finishing second in the European series with seven wins and third in the Euro Series with six wins. He scored more victories than any other driver in both championships.
Remaining in F3 for 2013, Marciello emerged as the pre-season favorite and delivered on that promise by winning the European Formula Three Championship. That title cemented his reputation as one of the top young talents in single-seater racing and paved the way for his graduation to the GP2 Series.
GP2 Series Breakthrough (2014-2016)
The Ferrari Driver Academy announced in January 2014 that Marciello would race in the GP2 Series, and a month later it was confirmed he would drive for Racing Engineering. He achieved his first GP2 victory in the feature race at Spa-Francorchamps after a hard fight with McLaren junior Stoffel Vandoorne. The result highlighted his race craft and tire management on one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar.
Marciello joined Trident Racing for 2015 and finished seventh overall in his debut season with the team. He moved to Russian Time for 2016, replacing Mitch Evans, but was unable to mount a consistent title challenge across his three GP2 campaigns.
Formula One Experience (2014-2015)
On 26 November 2014, Marciello made his Formula One debut behind the wheel of the Ferrari F14 T during the post-season test at the Yas Marina Circuit. He set the second-fastest time of the session, half a second behind Pascal Wehrlein in the Mercedes. On 31 December 2014, he was announced as a test and reserve driver for the Sauber Formula One team for 2015. In January 2016, Sauber dropped him and he parted ways with the Ferrari Driver Academy for personal reasons, closing the chapter on his open-wheel single-seater career at the top level.
GT Racing Era (2017-2023)
In 2017, Marciello transitioned to sportscar racing, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for AKKA ASP in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup and Sprint Cup. He impressed in his debut year, scoring two podiums in each championship and finishing third at the 24 Hours of Spa after a standout 14-hour driving stint. Ahead of the 2018 season, Mercedes-AMG promoted him to a full factory driver. That year, he won the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup with Michael Meadows and scored victories at the Suzuka 10 Hours and across multiple European rounds.
Marciello claimed the FIA GT World Cup at Macau in 2019, controlling the main race from pole position to secure his first win at the Guia Circuit. In 2022, he won both the ADAC GT Masters title with Team Landgraf and the GT World Challenge Europe overall title, while also taking a landmark victory at the 24 Hours of Spa alongside Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella. The Spa triumph marked his first major endurance race victory and confirmed his status as one of the leading GT drivers in the world. In 2023, he defended the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup title with Gounon and won the FIA GT World Cup in Macau for a second time, presenting the victory as a farewell gift to Mercedes after seven years with the brand.
BMW M Team WRT Era (2024-Present)
The week after his 2023 Macau victory, Marciello announced that he would join BMW as a factory driver. In January 2024, he was confirmed to make his debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship in the top-flight Hypercar class, driving the BMW M Hybrid V8 for Team WRT alongside Dries Vanthoor and Marco Wittmann. The move represented a significant step up into prototype racing at the highest level of endurance competition.
He continues to balance his FIA World Endurance Championship program with selected GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup outings for BMW M Team WRT, maintaining his reputation for versatility across multiple racing formats.
Driving Style and Strengths
Marciello is widely respected for his smooth and precise driving style, particularly in long-distance endurance events where consistency and tire management are critical. His race craft in traffic, combined with strong strategic input during multi-class endurance formats, has made him a valued asset in the GT and Hypercar ranks. His successful partnerships with co-drivers such as Timur Boguslavskiy, Jules Gounon, and Daniel Juncadella highlight his ability to lead a team and manage a stint program effectively.
Notable Races and Milestones
Marciello’s signature moments include his 2013 European Formula Three Championship title, his 2022 victory at the 24 Hours of Spa, and his two FIA GT World Cup wins at Macau in 2019 and 2023. His transition to the Hypercar class with BMW in 2024 marked a new chapter, placing him on the grid at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a factory prototype for the first time.
Raffaele Marciello Career Wins
Raffaele Marciello has built an extensive winning record across open-wheel, GT, and endurance racing. His victories span Formula Abarth, Italian Formula Three, the FIA European Formula Three Championship, the GP2 Series, the Blancpain GT Series, the ADAC GT Masters, the GT World Challenge Europe, the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the FIA GT World Cup, and the 24 Hours of Spa.
FIA GT World Cup Highlights
Marciello won the prestigious FIA GT World Cup at the Guia Circuit in Macau in 2019 and 2023. The 2023 victory was particularly emotional, as he dedicated it to Mercedes-AMG in what was his final race with the brand. Both wins came from pole position and were defined by dominant opening stints.
Other Wins and Performances
Marciello’s endurance credentials were confirmed with his 2022 win at the 24 Hours of Spa, a result he followed with a second-place finish at the same event in 2023. He also took victory at the Suzuka 10 Hours in 2018 and won the 2022 and 2023 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup titles. In 2021, he opened the ADAC GT Masters season with a commanding pole-to-flag win at Oschersleben alongside Maximilian Buhk, and later added the 2022 ADAC GT Masters title to his résumé.
Raffaele Marciello Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Marciello was born to Italian parents in Zürich, Switzerland, and grew up with strong ties to both countries. He holds dual Swiss-Italian heritage and switched to a Swiss racing licence in 2022, citing a lack of support from the Italian motorsport governing body as the reason for the change. His family supported his move into karting at a young age and backed his progression through the European junior racing ladder.
Personal Life
Marciello is known by the nickname “Lello” within the motorsport community. He is active on social media and maintains a close connection with his fanbase through his official channels. Beyond his racing commitments, he has spoken publicly about his appreciation for the cultural diversity he experienced growing up between Switzerland and Italy.
2025 Season Performance
Raffaele Marciello enters 2025 in his second season with BMW M Team WRT, continuing his dual program in the FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar class and the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. His campaign in the Hypercar ranks represents one of the most closely watched driver pairings in the series, sharing the BMW M Hybrid V8 with Dries Vanthoor and Marco Wittmann.
With a full season of Hypercar experience now behind him, Marciello is expected to play a leading role in BMW’s push for consistent podium finishes and a potential challenge for the overall FIA World Endurance Championship title. His proven ability to manage tire wear, traffic, and stint length will remain central to the team’s long-distance strategy.
In the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, Marciello remains a benchmark driver for BMW’s customer racing program. His continued presence in both championships reflects his versatility and the brand’s confidence in his ability to compete at the front across multiple formats and platforms.