Antonella Bassani makes impressive StockCar debut
- RACERS
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
Nineteen-year-old Antonella Bassani became the youngest woman to debut in the Stock Car Pro Series, Brazil's premier racing series, impressively gaining ten positions to finish P18 in the Velocitta feature race after a learning-oriented yet very competitive weekend.
Antonella Bassani, one of Brazil's most exciting female prospects in motorsport, made her debut in the Stock Car Pro Series, Brazil's premier racing series, and impressed with a solid feature race at the Velocitta circuit, where she gained 10 positions to finish P18 despite nursing a technical issue.
The seventh round of the season was a milestone for Antonella Bassani's career. The young star of Porsche Cup Brazil had already made history, securing the title on her race car debut in the Sprint Challenge Brazil category in 2023, finishing vice-champion in 2024, and now competing in her rookie season of Carrera Cup Brazil, where she has been consistently battling at the front of a highly competitive field.
A two-time finalist in the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars global selection, the 19-year-old became the fourth woman to ever enter the Stock Car Pro Series and the youngest to debut in the series. Bassani replaced two-time champion Rubens Barrichello, who missed the Velocitta round due to prior commitments. Driving the #72 Toyota Corolla Cross for Full Time Sports, she lined up among the fastest racing drivers in Brazil.
"Stock Car has a very high level of competitiveness. It's where the best drivers in Brazil are, and it's a category I've always aspired to be in," Bassani commented before the weekend. "I've always wanted to race here one day. I didn’t think it would be like this, replacing an idol and two-time champion like Rubens Barrichello. It gives me butterflies, but it's been a great experience."
Coached over the last few years by Bia Figueiredo, Bassani now follows in the footsteps of her mentor as the newest female driver in the championship. The pioneer was Regina Calderoni, who raced twice in 1984. Two decades later, Figueiredo competed in the series from 2014 to 2019, with 126 starts and a best finish of fourth. Former W Series driver Bruna Tomaselli then joined the grid at the final round of 2024, making her debut at Interlagos before returning to a Stock Car Light program in 2025.
The challenge ahead was considerable, but Bassani, who has been breaking records since stepping into a race car just a few years ago, was determined to turn it into a valuable learning experience.
She completed 32 laps across the three scheduled practice sessions, recording a best time of 1:29.864, which placed her among the top 20 in one session. That marked a positive first impression as she familiarized herself with a completely new car.
In qualifying, Bassani ran in Q1 Group B and set a 1:30.267, only 1.3 seconds off the overall fastest lap by Arthur Leist. She finished 15th in her group in what was a solid first qualifying attempt in Brazil’s premier series.
The sprint race on Saturday afternoon marked her official Stock Car debut. Track temperatures soared close to 60°C, adding physical challenges to an already demanding 30-minute contest. Starting 28th on the grid, Bassani avoided the chaos of the opening lap: multiple cars tangled, including Khodair, Muggiati, and Massa, while others were forced off-track in avoidance. Bassani managed to get through by taking to the grass but moved up to 27th before the safety car was deployed.
On the restart, she pressured Denis Navarro while holding P27, before another neutralization followed after Enzo Elias went off. Many cars opted to pit early, but Bassani stayed out, moving up to P17.
Her pace was immediately solid, lapping consistently in the 1:31s and then improving to a personal best of 1:31.5. By lap 11, she was running seventh with a new best of 1:31.2, proving she could run with the midfield. She eventually pitted on lap 13, rejoining in P28 but climbing back as the pit cycle unfolded.
She gained further positions when Nelson Piquet Jr. was tagged into a spin and moved ahead into P24. In the closing stages, Bassani chased Felipe Massa while also defending from a recovering Piquet Jr. She held her ground to secure P24 in her very first Stock Car race, in a very positive debut performance.
On Sunday, Bassani lined up P28 for the feature race. At the start, she briefly moved into 27th before slotting back to 28th after a cleaner opening lap compared to the sprint. A clash between Khodair and Massa sent the latter around, shuffling the order ahead.
Bassani soon showed strong pace, running quicker than Vicente Orige and putting him under pressure. Felipe Massa recovered through the field and overtook her on lap 6. With pit stops beginning early, Bassani again chose to run long, cycling up into P17. She steadily improved her times, setting a 1:32.529 on lap 11, then climbing to P14 and eventually P11 during the pit window.
Traffic hampered her pace slightly, but she still reached the top ten before finally pitting from ninth. She rejoined 28th, with only Thiago Camilo yet to pit from the lead. Bassani picked up another position when Lucas Foresti suffered a wheel issue and was forced to limp back to the pits. On fresh tyres, she improved to 1:32.309 and climbed to P25, before the safety car bunched up the field with 20 minutes to go.
At the restart, Bassani advanced to 24th. When Arthur Leist pitted with issues, she picked up another place and joined a fierce battle with Kohl, Gama, and Massa. She overtook Massa on lap 26 to move into P22, then gained another spot when Rafael Reis pitted with damage.
With five minutes to go, Bassani was running within a tenth of her personal best, catching Rafael Suzuki ahead. While Suzuki recovered his pace, the final lap brought more drama: Zezinho Muggiati went deep into Turn 1 and rejoined into Vicente Orige, with both eliminated. Bassani crossed the finish line in P18, completing a composed, mistake-free race in which she gained 10 places from the start, in an impressive first top-20 finish on debut despite nursing some engine issues.
"It’s difficult to put into words everything I experienced this weekend," Bassani said afterwards. "I never imagined I’d realize a dream like this so soon, and it’s already etched in my memory forever. I hold everything I learned and every person I met in my heart with great affection. And discovering that there are so many people rooting for me was a wonderful surprise, because I truly never imagined I’d have this much support."
"It was challenging to drive a car completely different from what I was used to, but this opportunity was a turning point in my career both on and off the track", she continues.
"Unfortunately, during the race, we had an engine problem that significantly hampered our performance, but we kept going, persisting, and learning, finishing in 18th place. I had an excellent pit stop. The most important thing was to finish the race, and we did! We evolved a lot throughout the week, and all this learning will be cherished as an essential part of my professional and personal growth."
"I want to give a special thanks to my team Full Time Sports for their kindness, support, trust, and encouragement. You made everything so much easier. You can’t imagine how much I’ll miss working with each and every one of you. Team, you were fundamental to every evolution I’ve made. I will definitely remember you forever, and I hope this isn’t a goodbye, but rather a see you soon."