Kei Cozzolino

Kei Francesco Cozzolino (born in Shinjuku, Tokyo, November 9, 1987) is an Italian Japanese racing driver who currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Red River Sport Ferrari 488 GTE EVO and in the Super GT series with Pacific-D'station Racing AMR - Aston Martin Vantage GT3.
Racing career.
Karting.
Cozzolino started karting at the age of 9. He competed and won in various competitions in classes in Japan and around the world. His karting career ended in 2005 when he switched to racing cars.
Junior formula.
In 2006, Cozzolino made his debut in auto racing, in the Formula Toyota series. The Italian driver made his debut during the second round of the championship at Sendai Hi-Land Raceway. Cozzolino finished tenth out of eleven finishers. In 2007, he competed in the Formula Challenge Japan and the Formula Toyota classes. In the Formula Challenge Japan, supported by Nissan, Toyota and Honda, Cozzolino won one race. All the drivers whom entered both the Formula Toyota and Formula Challenge Japan series were supported by Toyota. This was to promote the Formula Challenge Japan as a replacement of the Formula Toyota after the series disbandment. In the final season of the Formula Toyota, Cozzolino won the title. Cozzolino was strong all season long, but Keisuke Kunimoto had the lead before the final round of the season. At the final round of the season at Fuji International Speedway Cozzolino qualified second and Kunimoto sixth. After a strong race Cozzolino won the race, KyoYu did not finish the race, thus the championship was decided in Cozzolino's favour.
Formula 3.
After his 2007 Formula Toyota championship the young driver graduated to the All-Japan Formula Three Championship driving Now Motor Sport in a Dallara F308. As a result of winning the championship Cozzolino tested for the Toyota Tom's Formula Nippon factory team. In his debut year in Formula 3 the young Italian achieved four podium finishes and a ninth place in the championship. He also participated in the 2008 Macau Grand Prix Formula Three where he finished fifteenth. For the 2009 season, Cozzolino switched to the only Honda powered entry Toda Racing. He achieved his first win in Formula Three during the round at Twin Ring Motegi. But with the Toyota Tom's team dominating the championship Cozzolino was best of the rest finishing fourth.
Formula Nippon (Super Formula).
For the 2010 season, Cozzolino graduated to the Formula Nippon, the highest racing class in Japan. Cozzolino participated in a Toyota powered Swift FN09 entered by Team LeMans. His best finish was a fourth place at Autopolis. During the non-championship Fuji Sprint Cup the Italian driver achieved his first pole-position. The driver eventually finished tenth in the standings.
World Touring Car Championship.
After more than a year without racing Cozzolino was announced as a replacement of Alberto Cerqui for the Guia Race of Macau. 29 drivers attempted to qualify for the event of which 23 could start the race, Cozzolino qualified 22nd. In the first race the Italian driver had an accident after seven laps but he was qualified 20th. In the second race he was the last running driver in 19th place 2 laps behind the winning driver.
Asian Le Mans Series.
In 2018–2019, the Ferrari 488 GT3 of the privately run CAR GUY team, with fellow team mates Takeshi Kimura and James Calado, win all four legs of the 2018–19 Asian Le Mans Series. The team achieves an auto-invitation to enter into the 2019 24 hours of Le Mans.
24 hours of Le Mans.
Cozzolino has made 2 appearances in Le Mans (2019 and 2020). In 2019, he finishes 5th in class. At his second attempt in 2020, the Ferrari 488 GTE EVO of the MR Racing team, suffers a mechanical problem early on the race and forced to be 7 laps behind the leader. In the end the team retires due to a gearbox failure on lap 172.
FIA World Endurance Championship.
After his remarkable achievement in 2019, Cozzolino signed to drive for the MR Racing team in FIA WEC 2019-2020 season. Pairing up with Olivier Beretta and Motoaki Ishikawa, the team's best finish was 3rd in the opening round at Silverstone. However later into the season, MR Racing has withdrawn from the series due to Covid-19.
SUPER GT.
His debut in Super GT was at his promotion to become a Lamborghini Young Driver in 2016. Cozzolino participates in only 2 rounds with the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 of the Direction Racing team. He returns to the series in 2020, to replace Nicki Thiim in the Pacific - D'station Racing team's Aston Martin Vantage GT3, pairing up with the team's ace driver Tomonobu Fujii.