Kei Cozzolino

Kei Francesco Cozzolino is a Japanese-Italian professional racing driver from Shinjuku, Tokyo. He competes in motorsport championships including the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, and the Asian Le Mans Series with AF Corse. Cozzolino joined the 2024 Super GT series, driving a Ferrari 296 GT3 for PONOS RACING.

Early life

Cozzolino was born in Ichigaya, Shinjuku by Japanese mother and Italian father. He grew up in Japan and had his first experience with racing at eight years old, thanks to his dad's passion for cars. When Cozzolino turned 14, they moved to Florence, Italy, where he studied at an international school.

Racing career

Karting

Cozzolino started karting at the age of nine. 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, during the second round of the championship at Sendai Hi-Land Raceway. Cozzolino finished tenth out of eleven finishers.
In 2007, Cozzolino competed in the Formula Challenge Japan and the Formula Toyota classes. In the Formula Challenge Japan, supported by Nissan, Toyota and Honda, he won one race. All the drivers who 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. He 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, Kunimoto did not finish the race, thus the championship was decided in Cozzolino's favour.

Formula 3

After his 2007 Formula Toyota championship, Cozzolino graduated to the All-Japan Formula Three Championship driving Now Motor Sport in a Dallara F308. As a result of winning the championship, he also tested for the Toyota Tom's Formula Nippon factory team. In his debut year in Formula 3, Cozzolino 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 he achieved his first pole-position and 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, he had an accident after seven laps but he was qualified 20th. In the second race, he was the last running driver in 19th place, two laps behind the winning driver.

Asian Le Mans Series

In 2018–2019, Cozzolino drove the Ferrari 488 GT3 of the privately run CAR GUY team, with teammates Takeshi Kimura and James Calado, won all four legs of the 2018–19 Asian Le Mans Series. The team achieved an auto-invitation to enter into the 2019 24 hours of Le Mans. Cozzolino returned to the series with AF Corse teaming up with Emmanuel Collard and Charlie Samani.

24 Hours of Le Mans

Cozzolino has made three appearances in Le Mans. In 2019, he finished fifth in class. At his second attempt in 2020, the Ferrari 488 GTE EVO of the MR Racing team, suffered a mechanical problem early on the race and was forced to be seven laps behind the leader. In the end, the team retired due to a gearbox failure on lap 172.
In the 2023 edition, this time with the Kessel Racing's Ferrari 488 GTE EVO number 74, he finished ninth in class.

FIA World Endurance Championship

Following his remarkable achievement in 2019, Cozzolino secured a contract to compete for the MR Racing team during the FIA WEC 2019–2020 season. He teamed up with Olivier Beretta and Motoaki Ishikawa, and their best performance came in the form of a third-place finish in the opening round at Silverstone. Unfortunately, as the season progressed, MR Racing was forced to withdraw from the series due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cozzolino made a return to the series for the final round in Bahrain, this time with Red River Sport.
In 2023, Cozzolino joined forces with Kessel Racing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Monza events. Subsequently, he made a comeback with AF Corse to participate in the Fuji and Bahrain rounds.

Super GT

In 2016, Cozzolino made his debut in the Super GT series upon being promoted as a Lamborghini Young Driver. During that year, he participated in only two rounds, driving the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 as a member of the Direction Racing team.
Cozzolino's return to the series took place in 2020 when he stepped in to replace Nicki Thiim for the Pacific - D'station Racing team, driving the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 alongside the team's star driver, Tomonobu Fujii.
In the year 2021, Cozzolino embarked on a new venture, debuting the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo with the PACIFIC NAC CARGUY Racing Team, forming a partnership with the 2012 Super GT 300 Champion, Naoki Yokomizo.
Looking ahead to 2024, Cozzolino rejoined the series as part of the PONOS Racing team, piloting the Ferrari 296 GT3. He would team up with Ferrari Factory Driver, Lilou Wadoux.