Controversial choice for Italian 'street racer' in Formula 2

The HWA Racelab team announced on Friday that they will field Italian drivers Matteo Nannini and Alessio Deledda in Formula 2 next season. These are both special names, although you may never have heard of the latter.

The name Nannini rings a bell for many F1 fans. He is the nephew of former F1 driver Alessandro Nannini. Nannini won the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix. The famous race in which Alain Prost collided with Ayrton Senna and Senna was eventually disqualified.

Roadrunner Deledda

It is nice that another descendant of a racing family is breaking through, but this other name is more striking. Deledda was discredited last year for some videos he posted on Instagram. One of them shows him speeding through traffic on the Italian motorway.

Alessio Deledda setting the absolute worst example...#F3 pic.twitter.com/YtsK2TRpka

— F1 Feeder Series (@F1FeederSeries1) November 26, 2020

Deledda later came up with the excuse that he was not driving himself and that he shared this video precisely to make people aware of the dangers. However credible that explanation might be, people on the internet are not happy about his chance in Formula 2. Certainly not because his results give no reason for it. Last season, he finished 34th in the Formula 3 championship for Campos Racing.