ITALY’S SIMONE FAGGIOLI POISED FOR 2025 RETURN TO PIKES PEAK
Colorado Springs, CO – The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo, will host drivers from 13 countries in June. Testing days, Tech Inspection, and multiple practice and qualifying sessions will take place before 70 drivers take on the mountain on June 22.
Italy’s Simone Faggioli will return to competition following his outstanding rookie run of 08:37.240 in 2018. His lauded result, behind the wheel of the 2018 Norma M20 SF PKP, landed him in second place overall, earning him the Rookie of the Year award. The only competitor besting him was Romain Dumas in the all-electric VW I.D. R with his course record time – 07:57.148.
To date, Faggioli is one of only five drivers to clock a sub-9-minute run. He joins Sébastien Loeb, Romain Dumas, Rhys Millen and Robin Shute in the elite group.
FIRST RUN ON THE MOUNTAIN
Asked how he decided to enter the Pikes Peak Hill Climb for the first time in 2018, Faggioli replied, “The key event was having met Fabien Bouduban. He became first a friend and a team mate, and then we decided to undertake this adventure with the support of Norbert Santos and Guillem Roux of Norma.”
“Pikes Peak is a very extreme race. Everything is demanding. It’s a challenge inside ‘the’ challenge.”
Simone Faggioli
PROVING GROUND
Although Faggioli hasn’t competed on America’s Mountain since 2018, he certainly made his mark in the motorsports world when he was selected to drive the Lamborghini Urus up the mountain in a private, certified course time attempt.
His clocking was 10:32.064 in a Production SUV, though not an official race record, was sanctioned by the PPIHC and recorded by the official timekeepers. The run, completed on the challenging 12.42-mile course, demonstrated the Urus Performante’s exceptional performance capabilities and showcased Lamborghini’s commitment to pushing boundaries. This demonstration highlighted the vehicle’s balance, powertrain resilience at high altitude, and overall durability in extreme conditions.
ACCOLADES
Faggioli is a highly decorated European hill climb racer, having won the European Hill Climb Championship an impressive eleven times. He is also a track record holder at Trento-Bondone, and a twelve-time winner.
In the past year alone, Faggioli secured his fourth consecutive victory at the Trofeo Vallecamonica, setting a new track record of 03:42.600 on the 8.6-kilometer Malegno-Ossimo-Borno course in his Nova Proto NP01 Bardahl.
In 2024, Faggioli established the first benchmark for road cars in the Set the Time event at Rieti-Terminillo. In partnership with Pirelli, he drove a Porsche 911 (992) on the route of the legendary hill climb. He also won the Rieti-Terminillo race itself in his Norma M20 FC last year.
RACE READY FOR 2025
Simone Faggioli will compete in the Unlimited division in a 2018 Nova Proto NP01 Bardahl. He will be joined by first-time PPIHC competitor, and fellow countryman, Diego Degasperi, in the same division, also driving a Nova Proto NP01 Bardahl.
GET TO KNOW SIMONE FAGGIOLI
Instagram: @simonefaggioli
Fun Facts:
“I play football, and I’m also part of the Italian HillClimb Drivers National Team.”
“I love mountain biking with friends on the hills around Florence.”
“Spaghetti with meat sauce (Bolognese) is my comfort food.”
“I am a big Fiorentina FC supporter!”
Three Must-Haves in the Race Trailer: “Tyre warmers for sure! Torchlights, too. And heavy jackets to face the early morning temperatures on the mountain.”
Any superstitions, good luck charms, or routines you have before a race? “As a driver, and mainly as an Italian, I have some superstitions and routines, but I can’t reveal them or they don’t work!”
Any Pikes Peak heroes or mentors? “I started thinking about coming to Pikes Peak in 2013 when I first saw Sébastien Loeb in his attempt. I was fascinated by that project.”
Who do you want to thank for helping you get to Pikes Peak? “For sure I need to thank my sponsors, my family, my crew. We’ve been working hard together. A special mention to Nova Proto and Emap who are a fundamental part of this adventure. Finally I can’t forget Bardahl, supporting us as a partner since our first steps toward Colorado.”
Advice for a PPIHC rookie: “Try to live this experience in the most relaxed way possible. The week of the race is very long and the pressure is always high. You need to be as rested as possible on race day.”
Favorite Tracks: Trento Bondone and Rieti Terminillo in Italy, and Ecce Homo in the Czech Republic.
SIMONE FAGGIOLI IN HIS 2018 SUB-NINE MINUTE RUN
Photos by: Larry Chen Photo; Larry Chen, Louis Yio, Jason Zindroski; Scott Payne Photography, Paul Kolinksi, Jamey Price, Pirelli.
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Contact:
Lisa Haight
Communications Manager / Historian
lisa@ppihc.org
(719) 685-4400
www.ppihc.org
