Stéphane Richelmi (born 17 March 1990 in

Monte Carlo Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the Ward (country subdivision), ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to ...

) is a Monégasque professional

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

. He is the son of former

World Rally Championship The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is an international rallying series owned and governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA. Inaugurated in 1973, it is the oldest FIA world championship after Formula One. E ...

driver Jean-Pierre Richelmi.

Career

Formula Renault 1.6 & 2.0

Richelmi began his

Formula racing Formula racing, also known as open-wheel racing in North America, is any of several forms of open-wheeled single-seater motorsport. A "formula", first devised by FIA for its post–World War II single-seater races, is a set of regulations for ...

career in the Belgian Formula Renault 1.6 category in

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, ending the year in 12th place. The following year, he stepped up to the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 series, racing for Boutsen Energy Racing. He finished the season with no points, with his best race result being an 18th place at the

Hungaroring The Hungaroring is a motorsport racetrack in Mogyoród, Pest County, Hungary where the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtai ...

. He also contested two races of the

Italian Formula Renault Championship Formula Renault 2.0 Italia was a Formula Renault 2.0 racing series that is based in Italy. The series raced mostly on Italian races but it had regular races at Belgium's Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and in Spain. Several Formula One drivers ra ...

. In

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

, Richelmi participated in both the Eurocup and Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup series. He failed to score a point in eight Eurocup races and left the series after failing to qualify for either race at the

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

meeting. He finished only 16th in the qualifying race for drivers who failed to make super pole, with the top twelve in the race qualifying for the weekend. In the West European Cup, he scored points in three of his seven races to finish 16th in the championship.

Formula Three

Richelmi made the step up to

Formula Three Formula Three (F3) is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers. History Formula Three (adop ...

in late 2008, taking part in the final six races of the Formula 3 Euro Series season with Barazi-Epsilon. His best result was an 18th place on his début in

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

. The following year, Richelmi and the team entered the

British Formula 3 Championship The British Formula Three Championship was an international motor racing series that took place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It was a junior-level feeder formula that used small single sea ...

, running a

Dallara F308 The Dallara F3 cars are open-wheel formula racing car, designed, developed and built by Italian manufacturer Dallara, for Formula Three categories. F305 The Dallara F305 was built in 2005. It became upgradable with aero kits, and its evolutions b ...

chassis in the International Class. Despite not finishing in the points in any of his 15 races, he was awarded two points at both

Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), informally referred to as Spa, is a motor-racing circuit located in Francorchamps, Stavelot, Wallonia, Belgium, about southeast of Spa. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, ho ...

and

Portimão Portimão () is a city and a municipality in the district of Faro (district), Faro, in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. The population in 2022 was 63,079 in an area of 182.06 km2. It was formerly known as Vila Nova de Portimão. In ...

due to a number of cars finishing ahead of him who were ineligible for championship points. He was classified 19th in the final standings. During the year, Richelmi also took part in the

Italian Formula Three Championship The Italian Formula Three Championship was the Formula Three racing competition in Italy. History Formula Three has traditionally been regarded as the first major stepping stone for F1 hopefuls - it is typically the first point in a driver's care ...

, driving for

RC Motorsport RC Motorsport was an auto racing team based in Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the ...

. Despite missing the first two rounds at

Adria Adria is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Rovigo in the Veneto region of northern Italy, situated between the mouths of the rivers Adige and Po River, Po. The remains of the Etruria, Etruscan city of Atria or Hatria are to be found below ...

and

Magione Magione () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italy, Italian region Umbria, located about 15 km west of Perugia. Magione borders the following municipalities: Castiglione del Lago, Corciano, Panicale, Passignan ...

, he finished sixth in the standings, scoring podium places at Varano,

Imola Imola (; or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical region Romagna ...

and

Vallelunga Vallelunga (Italian for ''long valley'') is a valley, or plateau,Tonino Floris, Marco Spada, ''Pedalando nel Lazio''p. 97 Edizioni Mediterranee, 1996 . near Campagnano di Roma, Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in S ...

. Richelmi continued in the Italian Formula Three series in

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

, switching to the

Lucidi Motors Lucidi Motors is an auto racing team based in Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into th ...

team. He finished the season as runner-up behind BVM-Target Racing's

César Ramos César Altair Zanetti Ramos (born 25 July 1989 in Novo Hamburgo) is a Brazilian racing driver currently competing in the Stock Car Pro Series with A.Mattheis Motorsport, Ipiranga Racing. Ramos has also previously raced in Formula Renault, Itali ...

, taking four race victories and eight podium places in total. Along with Ramos and

Andrea Caldarelli Andrea Caldarelli (born 14 February 1990) is an Italian racing driver who currently competes in IMSA in the GTP class for Lamborghini- Iron Lynx in the Lamborghini SC63 Hypercar alongside Matteo Cairoli and former Formula One driver Romain Gro ...

, Richelmi tested a Ferrari F2008

Formula One car A Formula One car or F1 car is a single-seat, open-cockpit, open-wheel racing car, open-wheel formula racing car used to compete in Formula One racing events. It has substantial front and rear wings, large wheels, and a turbocharged engine mid ...

as a prize for finishing in the top three in the championship, with the test taking place at Vallelunga on Thursday 2 December. He completed 25 laps during the test and was the slowest of the three runners with a time of 1:17.97.

Formula Renault 3.5 Series

In October 2009, Richelmi tested a Formula Renault 3.5 Series car for the first time, taking part in the first post-season test session at

Motorland Aragón MotorLand Aragón (alternative Spanish name: Circuito de Alcañiz) is a race track used for motorsports located in Alcañiz, Spain. The circuit was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke in conjunction with the British architectural busin ...

with the recently crowned champions Draco Racing. He completed a total of 80 laps, recording a best time of 1:44.526 on the second day of running. A year later he tested again for Draco at Barcelona and Motorland Aragón and also had an outing with

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

team

Tech 1 Racing Tech 1 Racing is a racing team based in Toulouse, France. Founded in 2000 by racing driver Simon Abadie and his sister Sarah, it has garnered success in the World Series by Renault, the Eurocup Mégane Trophy and the GP3 Series, most notably ...

at the latter venue. It was announced in January 2011 that Richelmi would join the series for the 2011 season, racing for International DracoRacing alongside fellow newcomer

André Negrão André Negrão (born ) is a Brazilian racing driver. He most recently drove for Alpine in the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2023, and spent a total of seven seasons with the team during his tenure. Negrão is a for ...

Sports cars

Jackie Chan DC Oreca 07 Richelmi Silverstone 2018

In October 2009, Richelmi took part in the French FFSA GT Championship round at

Paul Ricard Paul Louis Marius Ricard (; July 9, 1909 – November 7, 1997) was a French industrialist and creator of an eponymous pastis brand which merged in 1975 with its competitor Pernod to create Pernod Ricard. Ricard was also an environmentalist and t ...

, supporting the FIA GT race held on the same weekend. Sharing a Chevrolet Corvette C6.R with Éric Cayrolle, he finished second in the first race before winning the second event.

GP2 Series

Richelmi made his

GP2 Series The GP2 Series was a form of open wheel motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000. The GP2 format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, while Ecc ...

début in the

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

season finale at

Monza Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...

, replacing his injured compatriot

Stefano Coletti Stefano Coletti (born 6 April 1989) is a Monaco, Monégasque former professional Auto racing, racing driver who raced for SMP Racing in the European Le Mans Series. His sister Alexandra Coletti is an alpine skier. He is the first Monégasque drive ...

at the

Trident Racing Trident Motorsport (formerly known as Trident Racing) is a motor racing team that competes in Open-wheel car, single-seater formula racing. It was founded in 2006 in order to compete in the GP2 Series, GP2 championship, which was Europe's second h ...

team. His team-mate was

Rodolfo González Rodolfo González may refer to: * Rodolfo González Pacheco (1882–1949), Argentine writer, playwright, orator, anarchistic journalist and activist * Rodolfo González (boxer) (born 1945), Mexican boxer * Rodolfo González Rissotto (born 1949), ...

. Despite not having tested the car before the event, he finished both races ahead of González. He remained with Trident for the 2012 season, alongside Julián Leal. Taking a best result of third place in the feature race at

Hockenheim Hockenheim () is a town in northwest Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about 20 km south of Mannheim and 10 km west of Walldorf. It is located in the Upper Rhine Plain, Upper Rhine valley on the tourist theme routes "Baden Asparagus Route" ( ...

by gambling successfully on tyre choice in changing weather conditions, he finished 18th in the championship. For

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

, he moved to reigning teams champion

DAMS A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, ...

alongside

Marcus Ericsson Marcus Thorbjörn Ericsson (born 2 September 1990) is a Swedish racing driver, who competes in the IndyCar Series for Andretti Global, Andretti. Ericsson competed in Formula One from to . In American open-wheel racing, Ericsson won the India ...

, he managed to score a podium finish at Silverstone and finished 8th in the standings on 103 points. Richelmi continued with

for the 2014 season, this time with champion of that season

Jolyon Palmer Jolyon Carlyle Palmer (born 20 January 1991) is a British former racing driver, broadcaster and journalist, who competed in Formula One from to . Since retiring from racing, Palmer has been a pundit for the BBC, Channel 4 and F1TV. Prior to ...

. Richelmi scored his maiden GP2 victory in the sprint race at his home event in Monaco and another podium in the sprint race at Italy ensured he finished 9th in the championship on 73 points which helped DAMS take the teams championship.

Racing record

Career summary

^† As Richelmi was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.

Complete Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Complete Formula 3 Euro Series results

key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) † Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.
‡ As Richelmi was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.

Complete Formula Renault 3.5 Series results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Complete GP2 Series results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) † Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

Complete GP2 Final results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Complete GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup results

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete European Le Mans Series results

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Richelmi, Stephane 1990 births Living people People from Monte Carlo Monegasque racing drivers British Formula Three Championship drivers Italian Formula Three Championship drivers Formula 3 Euro Series drivers Formula Renault Eurocup drivers Formula Renault 2.0 WEC drivers Italian Formula Renault 2.0 drivers Belgian Formula Renault 1.6 drivers World Series Formula V8 3.5 drivers GP2 Series drivers GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup drivers 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers 24 Hours of Spa drivers FIA World Endurance Championship drivers Epsilon Euskadi drivers RC Motorsport drivers Draco Racing drivers Trident Racing drivers DAMS drivers W Racing Team drivers Signature Team drivers Jota Sport drivers Audi Sport drivers Boutsen Ginion Racing drivers Le Mans Cup drivers Vector Sport drivers