Overview
- At an Automóvil Club Argentino event, Alpha 54 Racing confirmed Thiago Palotini and Federico Díaz for the 2026 Formula 4 Italy season with backing from the ACA, YPF and the City of Buenos Aires.
- The team operates from Faenza, runs Tatuus-built cars and has already completed tests at Cremona, Monza and Mugello with added work on top simulators and physical and mental training.
- Founders Nicolás Bianco and Gregorio Mandrini, both with experience in the Faenza F1 environment, frame the project as a structured bridge for Argentine talent into European single-seater racing.
- Cost hurdles remain for other prospects as 16-year-old Lautaro Campione, who tested with the team in winter, seeks about €140,000 to fund a full season seat.
- Officials cast the launch as Argentina’s return to sponsoring a European team after roughly five decades, and they note Italian F4 is a leading junior series that often feeds drivers into higher categories.