Marco Mapelli

{{Short description|Italian racing driver}}

{{Infobox racing driver

| name = Marco Mapelli

| image = Marco blancpain 2016.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Blancpain Endurance Series 2016

| nationality = {{flagicon|ITA}} Italian

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1987|8|01}}

| birth_place = Seregno, Italy

| racing licence = 12px FIA Silver {{small|(until 2016)}}
12px FIA Gold {{small|(2017–2021)}}
12px FIA Platinum {{small|(2022–)}}{{cite web|url=https://www.dailysportscar.com/2021/11/10/fia-publish-provisional-2021-driver-rankings-2.html|title=Updated 2022 Provisional FIA Driver Rankings Published|website=Dailysportscar|last=Goodwin|first=Graham|date=10 November 2021|access-date=21 February 2025}}

| current series = GT World Challenge

| first year = 2010

| current team = Lamborghini Squadra Corse

| car number = 63

| former teams =

| starts =

| wins =

| poles =

| fastest laps = Lamborghini Aventador SVJ: 6:44.97 Nürburgring Lap Record (2018)

| best finish =

| year = 2018

| prev series = Italian GT Championship
Italian GT Championship
International GTOpen
Porsche Carrera Cup Italia
Italian GT Champion
Italian Ferrari Challenge
Italian Ferrari Challenge
Australian Formula 3 Championship
Italian Formula Renault 2000 Championship

| prev series years = 2013–14
2013–14
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006

| titles =

| title years =

| awards =

| award years =

}}

Marco Mapelli (born 1 August 1987 in Seregno, Italy) is an Italian racing driver. He is part of the Lamborghini factory stable, with whom he has won the overall 2019 Blancpain GT Series title.{{Cite web |title=Orange1 FFF Lamborghini Squad Take World Challenge Europe Title |url=https://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/09/08/orange1-fff-lamborghini-squad-take-world-challenge-europe-title.html |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=www.dailysportscar.com|date=8 September 2019 }}{{Cite web |last=Kilshaw |first=Jake |date=2019-09-29 |title=Caldarelli, Mapelli Take Triple Crown With Barcelona Win – Sportscar365 |url=https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-europe/caldarelli-mapelli-take-triple-crown-with-barcelona-win/ |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=sportscar365.com |language=en-US}}

After spending numerous years in Italian and Australian lower formulae, Mapelli made a gradual switch to the GT racing scene at the end of the 2000s, eventually taking part in and winning the Italian GT Sprint Championship's GTC class in 2010. Following a runner-up finish in the 2011 Porsche Carrera Cup Italia, the Italian made a permanent move towards GT3 competition, spending two seasons in the International GT Open and four years in Italian GT, where he finished second in the standing on two occasions.

In 2017, Mapelli was added to the Lamborghini works driver lineup.{{Cite web |last=Dagys |first=John |date=2017-03-13 |title=Caldarelli, Mapelli, Engelhart Added to Lamborghini Factory Driver Lineup – Sportscar365 |url=https://sportscar365.com/other-series/caldarelli-mapelli-engelhart-added-to-lamborghini-factory-driver-lineup/ |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=sportscar365.com |language=en-US}} Two irregular seasons followed, with the highlight being a race win in the ADAC GT Masters and multiple podiums in the 2018 Blancpain GT Series Asia, before Mapelli joined FFF Racing Team for the 2019 season.{{cite news |date=8 March 2019 |title=FFF Racing reveals full three-car line-up for 2019 Blancpain GT Series assault |url=https://www.blancpain-gt-series.com/news/1502/fff-racing-reveals-full-three-car-line-up-for-2019-blancpain-gt-series-assault |access-date=8 March 2019 |website=blancpain-gt-series.com |publisher=SRO Motorsports Group}} He and teammate Andrea Caldarelli experienced a successful campaign, winning both the GT World Challenge Europe and Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup titles to be crowned Blancpain GT Series champions.{{Cite web |last=Kilshaw |first=Jake |date=2019-09-08 |title=Caldarelli, Mapelli Win Title as AKKA ASP Sweeps Weekend – Sportscar365 |url=https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-europe/akka-asp-sweeps-weekend-as-caldarelli-mapelli-win-title/ |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=sportscar365.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Bosch |first=Miguel |date=2019-10-03 |title=Marco Mapelli: "My brain thought 'try it' and I tried; I was lucky to do it" |url=https://www.gt-report.com/2019/10/03/marco-mapelli-my-brain-thought-try-it-and-i-tried-i-was-lucky-to-do-it/ |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=GT REPORT |language=en-US}}

Since 2020, Mapelli has continued driving for Lamborghini-fielding teams in GT3 series, winning races in the GTWC Endurance Cup, ADAC GT Masters, and Asian Le Mans Series.