Racing Physique Academy: the first scientific protocol for athletic preparation in motorsport

On Thursday, December 11, at the Albert School in Milan, at Via Tortona 56, Stefano Ledda presented the Racing Physique Academy, a project that unites paddock and scientific laboratory.

The event featured Luca Correale, Researcher and Head of the Human Locomotion Lab and the Master’s in Individualized Athlete Management in motorsport at the University of Pavia, Stefano Sammarco, CEO of NLS (Never Lag Skills) and Alessandro Castelli, People & Organizational Development Advisor and Founder of AHL (Activation Human Lab).

RPA is a high-level training hub for drivers, the result of Stefano Ledda’s decade-long experience in preparing international-level drivers, designed to support the performance and safety of those who drive on track or road and developed in collaboration with the Human Locomotion Lab (LOCOLAB) of the University of Pavia.

Collaborations to address various aspects of an athlete’s life

The project boasts collaborations with Never Lag Skills and Activation Human Lab in addition to the University of Pavia.

NLS is a consulting and management company specialized in supporting sports businesses and professionals. They accompany them in managing relationships with sponsors, in legal aspects and in personal growth planning.

“Our role is to accompany drivers throughout their entire journey, ensuring they are protected and supported at every stage of their career. The support is not only technical-athletic, but managerial at 360 degrees“, explained Stefano Sammarco, CEO of NLS.

Activation Human Lab is an integrated method of consulting, coaching and organizational development designed to transform the “corporate jungle” into fertile ground for human and professional growth.

The collaboration with AHL, the first of its kind in Italy, was born to bring sport and business into dialogue by reinterpreting models used in the racing world in an organizational key. The goal is to offer companies a new model of comprehensive organizational well-being, inspired by sport but designed for the real life of organizations, not for extreme performance.

Performance acquires a modern and integrated vision, becoming synonymous with balance between energy, focus, recovery, collaboration and team culture, principles that allow athletes to have sustainable performance over time. The method takes concrete form in integrated and personalized pathways that combine coaching, training, wellbeing and leadership development.

“The partnership with RPA represents an innovative vision of corporate well-being”, states Alessandro Castelli, People & Organizational Development Advisor and Founder of Activation Human Lab. “We bring to companies not extreme performance, but the logic that makes it possible: stress management, mental preparation, balance and care of one’s energies. It’s a new generation of corporate wellbeing, where performance and health coexist.”

“Our goal is not to bring companies to the track, but to help them build their own culture of performance and well-being“, Castelli concludes.

“Sport teaches us that every result comes from the balance between preparation, trust and collaboration. And it’s through this mix of elements – sport, coaching, organization and energy care – that we want to accompany companies toward 360-degree organizational well-being.”

The scientific-technological approach that combines research, application and measurement

The protocol includes a series of advanced assessments on the driver’s fitness state carried out on collected data such as oxygen consumption during exercise, basal metabolism, body composition, joint mobility, gait analysis, balance tests and isometric strength tests for lower limbs, upper limbs and neck muscles.

“We have built a protocol that ensures drivers the possibility to grow, train and prepare methodically. A place that unites paddock experience with performance science” explained Ledda, highlighting how RPA is a growth community for athletes and motorsport professionals.

Once test results are obtained, a fully personalized program is developed with intermediate reassessments on multiple aspects: physical training, medical-nutritional support and psychological coaching. A unique approach that integrates multiple competencies in a structured protocol that allows continuous athlete monitoring and training adaptation on scientific bases.

“Our common goal is to apply scientific research not only to improve performance, but to protect drivers’ health and career in the long term“, declared Luca Correale, Head of the Human Locomotion Lab at the University of Pavia.

Open selection: 10 free spots for young motorsport talents

On the occasion of the launch, RPA and NLS announced an extraordinary opportunity for young motorsport talents: from December 11, 2025 to March 1, 2026, 10 emerging drivers will be able to apply for free access to the complete athletic preparation protocol. The recruitment is aimed at young drivers who aspire to become professionals and wish to benefit from a scientific approach to performance, with integrated managerial protection.

To apply for selections, simply access the dedicated section on the Racing Physique Academy website (www.racingphysiqueacademy.it) and fill out the registration form by March 1, 2026.

MiRò in support of the project

A protocol born on the track but speaks to anyone who wants to build sustainable performance: whether an emerging driver or a manager, scientific preparation and the balance between body and mind make the difference.

At MiRò we commit every day to promoting these initiatives for society’s growth through PR and press office activities.