Riccardo Ianniello's return to the track in the 2025 Italian GT Sprint Championship represents far more than a simple comeback after an injury. It's the result of a scientific and human approach that redefines the standards of elite sports rehabilitation.

An Inside Look at Excellence

To analyze the journey that brought Riccardo back to the top of GT racing, we interviewed Alessio Erra, founder and head of rehabilitation and physiotherapy at Athletica Cetilar, the Pisa-based center that guided the driver's recovery every step of the way.

Through his direct testimony, we reconstruct a journey that goes beyond simple physical rehabilitation, touching on aspects of mental preparation, scientific methodology, and the holistic approach to sports performance that characterizes Italian excellence in the field.

A Season Cut Short

2024 was supposed to be Riccardo Ianniello's year of confirmation. At 17, with the title of youngest Italian GT champion already under his belt and entry into the prestigious Lamborghini Young Driver Program, the Velletri-based driver had a season full of expectations ahead of him. Then, in a split second, everything changed.

A road accident just a few hundred meters from home required two complex leg surgeries, putting not only the 2024 season at risk, but the young driver's entire career. "It was the darkest period of my life," Riccardo recalls. "Watching others race while I was stuck was destroying me. For months I feared my career was over before it had really begun."

Athletica Cetilar Steps In

The relationship between Riccardo and Athletica Cetilar didn't begin with the emergency of the accident, but has roots in an already established collaboration. "There was already ongoing contact with the driver regarding physical preparation," explains Alessio. "Then this injury occurred with the complications we all know about."

This continuity proved fundamental during the most difficult moments: "We maintained constant contact with Alessio (the young driver's father) and with him, both to help in whatever way we could from a distance and to keep Riccardo's morale up," recounts the founder of Athletica Cetilar.

The support wasn't just technical, but profoundly human: maintaining the motivation of a young athlete who saw his dream at risk was an absolute priority for the Pisa-based team.

The Method: Total Immersion

The protocol developed by Athletica Cetilar for Riccardo represents a revolutionary approach to sports rehabilitation. For the first 4-5 weeks, the young driver experienced complete immersion in the world of elite sports medicine.

"Riccardo would be dropped off by his father on Sunday evening and picked up on Friday evening to go home for the weekend," recounts Alessio, head of rehabilitation at Athletica Cetilar. "From Monday morning to Friday evening, he lived alone in a hotel, we would pick him up in the morning and take him back in the evening, and he spent the entire day at our facility."

The program included 8-9 hours daily of structured activities: physical exercise for muscle tone and mobility recovery, instrumental therapies like laser and TECAR for inflammation control, specialized manual work on the scar, and a psychophysical training protocol specific for drivers.

The Complexity of Recovery

The complexity of rehabilitating a professional athlete lies in finding the perfect balance between pushing for improvement and protecting against setbacks. "With a professional athlete, there's always this challenge," explains Alessio. "It's difficult for the rehabilitator, physiotherapist, doctors to find this balance between pushing, increasing workloads to meet the sport's demands, and managing to avoid inflammation, pain, discomfort that can slow down rehabilitation."

With Riccardo, this balance was achieved through continuous feedback and constant monitoring. "I think we managed to find this balance very well," continues Alessio.

Mental Training

One of the most innovative aspects of the Athletica Cetilar method is the systematic integration of mental training into the rehabilitation process. The Pisa center dedicates 50 square meters exclusively to mental training, with specialized sports psychologists and mental coaches.

"Riccardo worked with our mental coach on emotion management, stress management, attention management, and special techniques to apply when returning to the car," explains Alessio. "It's normal to feel some tension, pressure, stress when getting back in the car after such an injury."

In parallel, a psychophysical training program maintained the driver's specific cognitive abilities: hand-eye coordination, reactivity, reaction times. "To keep the brain trained, and we do this from the rehabilitation phase," Alessio specifies.

The Motorsport Assessment

The timing of the return was determined through Athletica Cetilar's Motorsport Assessment, an evaluation protocol that represents excellence in the field. After intensive rehabilitation weeks in Pisa, Riccardo followed a home training program, then returned to the Pisa center for three days of complete sports assessment.

"He underwent a series of psychophysical tests and analyses that we conduct in our Motorsport Assessment, to understand his level and compare it with hundreds and hundreds of drivers we've worked with over the years," explains Alessio.

The result? "He was clearly below par, but we deemed it sufficient for return," the head of Athletica Cetilar admits honestly. But technical data wasn't the only parameter: "If he hadn't felt ready, we wouldn't have recommended his return."

Ready for Return

The final decision to return to the track came through a combination of performance data and professional intuition. "There was a moment when I looked Riccardo in the eyes and understood he was ready to return, even if he wasn't at 100%," recounts Alessio. "He was ready because he felt ready, mentally he was ready, the physical tests we did in the gym were sufficient enough to return without risk of injury in the car."

This approach highlights Athletica Cetilar's philosophy: technology and objective data guide decisions, but the human element and the athlete's psychological preparation remain central to the decision-making process.

Beyond Physical Recovery

The journey with Athletica Cetilar produced results that go beyond simple physical recovery. "These are serious injuries that either break you down or make you stronger," observes Alessio. "Riccardo became stronger, compared to before the injury, he became mentally stronger, knows better what he wants, commits more during training."

The transformation is also evident in his approach to work: "He understood he needs to follow a certain path to reach his goals. And physically, clearly, from the beginning of the process he's improved tremendously because we went from a rehabilitation phase to a proper athletic preparation phase where he's now pushing and training hard, something he did less before the injury."

Athletica Cetilar's Excellence

Riccardo's successful recovery fits into a context of excellence that has characterized Athletica Cetilar for over a decade. The Pisa center, born from the partnership between founders Alessio and Filippo and Pharma Nutra (the company behind the Cetilar brand), represents an international reference point for sports medicine applied to motorsport.

"Filippo and I have about 15 years of experience in motorsport, we've worked with drivers of all types, from LMP to Formula 1," explains Alessio. "To name a few: Leclerc, Kubica, Alonso, Russell, in motorcycles Petrucci, Scott Redding, Miller."

The facility isn't limited to motorsport: the team has overseen Luna Rossa's athletic preparation in the Barcelona America's Cup, works with the Italian national karate team, and follows elite athletes in golf, tennis, and sailing. One of the most prestigious collaborations is with Edoardo Bendinelli, Fernando Alonso's historic physiotherapist, ensuring a direct connection with motorsport's global elite.

A Replicable Model

The method applied with Riccardo represents a protocol that Athletica Cetilar uses for all high-level athletes, adapting it to the specific needs of each sport and individual. The facility offers comprehensive services including:

• Sports medicine with specialized check-ups
• Post-traumatic and orthopedic physiotherapy and rehabilitation
• Athletic preparation for performance enhancement
• Mental training with specialized sports psychologists
• Injury prevention through personalized programs

"We cater to athletes of all types, from professional to amateur athletes, who need athletic preparation, to improve their physical condition, prevent injuries, undergo sports or orthopedic rehabilitation," explains Alessio.

Back on Track: Method Validation

The first round of the 2025 Italian GT Sprint at Vallelunga represented the ultimate test for Athletica Cetilar's work. Riccardo returned to the track months after the accident, securing pole position and finishing on the podium.

"He was probably still at 70% physically," admits Alessio, "but he was ready to return." The result confirms the effectiveness of an approach that prioritizes complete athlete preparation over simple physical repair.

The Driver's Characteristics

Working with Riccardo allowed Athletica Cetilar to identify the qualities that distinguish a potential champion. "From my perspective, his main characteristic is the determination and drive to succeed," observes Alessio. "He's someone who listens, someone who commits. This became even more pronounced after the injury, though he was like this before too."

This ability to listen and commit translates into concrete results: "He needs to work and he likes to work, he likes to commit. This, in my opinion, is his strength that will help him achieve his goals."

A Success Story

Riccardo Ianniello's case represents much more than a simple injury recovery story. It's proof that Italian excellence in sports medicine can compete at the highest global levels, offering innovative protocols that integrate science, technology, and human approach.

For Riccardo, the journey with Athletica Cetilar continues: "We've updated a training and nutrition program that he continues at home," explains Alessio. The goal is clear: maintain and improve physical and mental conditions to face a season that could represent the relaunch of his career.

The Athletica Cetilar method has transformed what could have been the premature end of a promising career into a new chapter of growth and determination. A lesson that goes beyond sports, demonstrating how technical excellence, combined with passion and human expertise, can truly make the difference between success and failure.

---

For more information about Athletica Cetilar and their programs for athletes: www.athleticacetilar.com