Olympique Lyonnais Announces Its Driver Nelson Panciatici

Presentation of driver Nelson Panciatici Credit: Superleague Formula

Olympique Lyonnais is ready to lead France into Superleague Formula. The French Ligue 1 giant is one of three new football clubs contesting the 2009 race series, kicking off at Magny-Cours on 27/28 June. It's not only the first time that a French club has competed in the burgeoning Superleague Formula championship that features a grid full of identical V12-powered 750bhp racers representing many of the world's premier football clubs, but Magny-Cours also celebrates the thrilling series' debut on French soil.

Adding to the Gallic presence at the season opener, Olympique Lyonnais has announced today (Wednesday 17 June) that its entry will be raced by Nelson Panciatici, one of France's most promising young drivers, and managed by Barazi Epsilon, one of France's top race teams.

"I'm very happy as it's great for me to be representing a big club like this," confirmed Panciatici, 20, who will be combining his latest Superleague duties with his current GP2 programme. "Magny-Cours is probably my favourite circuit in France and I'm sure there will be lots of fans - more so as there's no French Grand Prix this year and Superleague is taking its place at the circuit. It's going to be very exciting for all of us."

PROFILE

Nelson Panciatici

Age:       20 (born 26 September 1988)
Home town: Reims, France
Lives:     Paris, France
Height:    1.75m 
Weight:    66kg
Interests: Jet-ski, football, squash
Website:   www.nelsonpancia.com

Superleague Formula Club:      Olympique Lyonnais
Favourite Football moment:     "When France won the World Cup in 1998."
Favourite All-Time Footballer: "Thierry Henry."
Can You Play Football?         "Sometimes… when I can. I prefer to play as a striker."

• Nelson started karting 1998 finishing as runner-up in the 2004 French Championship Elite.
  
  
• In 2005 he switched to single-seater circuit racing, competing in the Formula Renault 2.0 France Championship.
  
  
• Nelson remained in the Formula Renault 2.0 France Championship in 2006 scoring his first race win en route to fifth place in the final standings. He also contested selected rounds of Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup with some success.
  
  
• Acknowledging this promise, Nelson was selected to be part of the Renault Driver Development programme in 2007 and continued to contest both Formula Renault 2.0 France and Eurocup series posting several podium results.
  
  
• In 2008, Panciatici graduated to the Spanish Formula 3 Championship and finished second in the overall positions, despite outscoring the eventual champion.
  
  
• Nelson has now made the jump to both GP2 and Superleague Formula series in 2009.
  
  

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