Andrea Palma was born in Rome on 13 June 1976. Together with Danilo Zampaloni he won the Trofeo CSAI’s GT3 class in the 2005 Sara Assicurazioni Italian GT championship. At the wheel of the AF Corse Maserati Light, Palma was one of the most consistent drivers of the season. Andrea Palma made his first competitive appearance in karting in the mid-nineties. In 1998 he made the move to the Campionato Italiano Velocità Turismo where he featured until 2001. In 2002 he took part in the Campionato Italiano Superproduzione and, the following year, in the Alfa Romeo 147 Cup. He signed up for the Trofeo Maserati Europa in 2004, winning the series and beating off the challenge of superb drivers in the process.

How did the Palma programme in the 2005 Italian GT come about?
"It came from the experience gained last year in the Maserati single-make series that I won. I got to know AF Corse at that time, which is the same organisation who run the Trofeo. The idea was to continue my career around Maserati, a marque that I have always adored. So, I decided to go into the season together with his team."

How did the Light perform in the GT3 class?
"It is a great car that handles well. Compared to the Trofeo I drove in 2004, it performs better. This is thanks to the different tyres, more advanced aerodynamics and lighter weight. For a Maserati fan, I think that the GT3 Light is a good compromise, also in terms of cost."

Palma/Zampaloni was the most consistent team in the Trofeo CSAI. How much did the fact that you always raced together have an effect, considering that your competitors often had to change their team mate?

"I would say that it played quite an important role. The equilibrium and consistency are factors that were rewarded. Even though we didn’t always win, we scored points."

Does it not bother you to have won ‘only’ one race?
"Yes, I suppose so. I would have liked to have won more. However, it doesn’t always pay to take risks. Sometimes trying to win every race can lead to losing many points. Things are summed up at the end of the season."

What was the most difficult period of the season?
"There were no really difficult moments as we were up front right from the start of the season. There was just one occasion where we were more concerned than usual and that was at Mugello when our adversaries seemed to close in more closely. In truth, we were lucky at times but that is part of the game."

How did you approach the final, decisive race at Vallelunga?
"By being careful and consistent but with an eye on the points we needed to take the overall win. In race 1 our adversaries did not score heavily and we benefited from this."

AF Corse opted to go into the season with a sequential gearbox. Could this have been a hindrance?
"I don’t think so. AF Corse chose to use a Maserati configuration that was as close as possible to that on a standard version, with a F1-type gearbox. The same can be said for the set up and the dampeners. The car was more or less as it was when supplied by Maserati."

Who was the best driver in the GT3 class?
"Rui Aguas without a doubt. There is no question of his talent. In my opinion he was the one to watch and has proved his future potential."

Talking of the future, what does Andrea Palma have in store for 2006?
"AF Corse are considering taking part in the GT3 Europa category next year and I think I will be part of one of the crews. For me, AF Corse is at the peak and so I will be part of things in whichever direction the team wants to go."