From March 21 to 23, 2025, a team of 9 Italian students from the undergraduate dual-degree program(ALMATONG) co-organized by Tongji University and the University of Bologna in Italy served as volunteers at the F1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2025 at the Shanghai International Circuit. Together with Chinese volunteers from Tongji and international volunteers from other universities in Shanghai, this largest international volunteer team added a youthful power to this top-level global event.

Tongji Volunteer Team Group Photo

Volunteers from the "Motorsport Kingdom"

Italy is one of the birthplaces of motorsport, boasting a long racing history and profound automotive culture. World-renowned automobile brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, and Alfa Romeo originated there. In addition, many Italian cities lead the automotive industry, gathering numerous top manufacturers and research and development centers. For example, Bologna is a crucial contributor to the industry, with many racing designers and engineers hailing from here; Turin is the hometown of brands like Fiat; Milan is the headquarters of Pirelli, the global tire partner of F1; Modena is renowned as the "World Capital of Sports Cars", with the headquarters of top supercars such as Ferrari and Maserati located there. Therefore, the Italian students from University of Bologna have been influenced by racing culture since childhood and have a great passion for the F1 event. When they learned about the volunteer recruitment for the F1 Grand Prix 2025, they signed up without hesitation and successfully secured this precious volunteer opportunity. To ensure the smooth progress of the volunteer activities, they participated in multiple training sessions in advance, getting familiar with the track environment and the work processes under the guidance of the university and the organizers. They also practiced Chinese diligently during their spare time with a view to contributing to the success of the event.

Tongji Italian Volunteers in Training

Cross-Cultural Communication Promoted by Italian Volunteers

The F1 event brings together teams, drivers, and staff from all over the world; in previous years, foreign audiences accounted for up to 15% of the spectators at the Shanghai circuit. Therefore, language, communication and cultural exchange are of great significance. During the three-day event, the Italian students communicated fluently in English, Italian, and Chinese. "As an international volunteer, I met a lot of lovely people while conducting interviews and surveying foreigners. We exchanged our feelings about living in China, which enabled me to have a deeper understanding of the country." said ANDREA GALLO from the College of Electronic and Information Engineering and the Sino-Italian Campus of Tongji University. Besides providing event services, the volunteers also interacted with racing fans from around the world, sharing their love for this sport. They were delighted to share their understanding of motorsport, the stories of Ferrari, one of the most successful teams in F1 history, and the prospects of the automobile and artificial intelligence industries in China and Italy with fans who were interested in Italian racing culture and the history of F1. It is worth mentioning that Zhou Guanyu, China's first F1 driver, officially became a reserve driver for the Ferrari team in the 2025 season, demonstrating the exchanges and cooperation between China and Italy in the sports field. This hot topic attracted Chinese fans' attention to the Italian racing teams at this event. In the lively atmosphere, the volunteers taught fans how to cheer for the teams in Italian, “Forza Ferrari！”, adding vitality to the event and building a bridge for exchanges between the two countries.

Tongji Italian Volunteers Helping Event Audiences

Chinese and International Volunteers Painting a Bright Future

The success of the event depends on the dedication of the volunteers. These Italian volunteers, with their professional capabilities, excellent communication skills, and love for racing, not only provided crucial support for the smooth running of the event but also contributed to Sino-Italian cultural exchanges. The teacher from Sino Italian Campus of Tongji University who led the team said, "These students are jointly cultivated by Tongji and Italian University. We hope that through this volunteer service, the students can bring the Italian racing spirit to China. At the same time, they can consolidate their professional knowledge in practice, closely cooperate with Chinese students, and learn about China through cross-cultural exchanges." In addition to the Italian volunteer team from Tongji University, international students from almost 10 countries including the US and Greece, who are now studying at New York University Shanghai, Shanghai University of Sport and other universities, also played an important role in tasks such as spectator guidance, ticket services, information inquiries, patrols, and questionnaires for foreign audiences. The person in charge of volunteers from the event organizer JUSS SPORTS said, "These volunteers from different countries and cultural backgrounds are an essential part of the event, demonstrating the power of cross-cultural communication and highlighting the internationalization of the event." They have proven with their actions that motorsport and the spirit of volunteering know no borders. Their stories with China have just begun and they will strive on their future tracks with passion and dreams. It is believed that more and more young people from around the world will join international activities in China and contribute to the cooperation between China and the rest of the world.

Cooperation between Tongji Italian and Chinese Volunteers

Tongji Italian Students in Interview