The Rapid Rise of Swiss Talent Siro Zambra: “He Didn’t Think A Sim Racer Could Pull This Off”

Breaking into motorsport requires talent but far too often, money matters even more. It forces young drivers to find unconventional paths toward their dream. For 19‑year‑old Siro Zambra from Zurich, sim racing became that path: the most accessible way to prove himself without a million‑euro budget. Competing at a high level, he is doing everything he can to turn virtual success into real‑world racing.

From a Budget Sim Rig to His First Formula BMW Drive

Siro’s journey began in 2020.

“My first sim setup was a Logitech with the wheel clamped to my desk,” he tells GT REPORT. With that budget setup, he started playing the Formula 1 game. “On the F1 game you had the time‑trial leaderboards. When I climbed into the top 20 or top 30 on Xbox at Imola, that’s when I realized I had to continue.”

What started as a hobby quickly turned into something more. In 2022, he joined Racing Unleashed in Zurich. “Those are Formula One simulators. They have lounges in Zurich, Munich and Madrid. I competed there for prize money and with that money I funded my whole simulator here.”

He earned his first prize money with a P8 at Mugello and later became Racing Unleashed Challenger Champion, winning around $5,000. “Now I have triple screens,” he says proudly.

His next breakthrough came in Lucerne, Switzerland. “They were doing a time‑trial competition on Assetto Corsa. I went there twice and won it. After that they paid for the Formula BMW drive.” At just 17, he drove a real race car for the first time.

iRacing Pace That Launched Him Onto the Racing Prodigy Stage

With real‑world experience under his belt, Siro continued to push in sim racing. “At the end of 2022, start of 2023, I started doing iRacing. Once I touched iRacing, I never went back to Formula One.”

His pace carried over into Racing Prodigy, a platform that selects sim racers through online competitions and trains them to become real‑world drivers. Aiming to remove financial barriers from motorsport.

“I participated in one of their competitions. About 5,000 people took part. I got into the top 20 and knew the winner would get a Prodigy Pass.”

A Prodigy Pass grants an all‑expenses‑paid trip to Prodigy Week in Atlanta, U.S, where drivers undergo fitness testing, mediatraining and on‑track sessions in real race cars. Afterward, they enter the Prodigy Draft, where selected drivers receive paid contracts to race in the P3 Championship. Its a five‑event Radical SR1 series across major U.S.-circuits.

Qualifying wasn’t easy. “I wanted to win the race, but I crashed with another driver.”

He didn’t give up. “I sent in the second‑chance video. One minute, recorded on my simulator. Then I got the mail that I was in the top 10 and needed to attend the livestream. I was like, OK, that’s crazy.”

His speed caught the attention of former IndyCar and Formula 1 driver Max Papis who is an official Racing Prodigy judge and talent evaluator. “I didn’t believe what was happening. Then they chose me. Max Papis chose me!”

Prodigy Week & Racing Unleashed Success

With the Prodigy Pass secured, Siro traveled to the U.S.

“I was 17 when I first went there. It was a three‑day trial with fitness tests, reaction tests, media coaching, rental karting and then the race car.”

He drove the Radical SR1 and impressed again. Meanwhile, he continued competing in Racing Unleashed in Zurich. Despite missing two races, he finished fourth overall in 2023, was named Rookie of the Year and won again prize money.

Representing Williams in His Debut Radical SR1 Season

After Prodigy Week, the best drivers entered the Prodigy Draft.

“For the draft, I was in London,” Siro says. He was selected to race in the P3 Championship, eight rounds across four events in Radical SR1s, representing Williams.

His debut came in 2024 at NOLA Motorsports Park.

“I remember going out in the Radical for the first time with the Williams livery. On the formation lap I thought: what the hell am I doing here?”

The championship visited NOLA, Sebring, Homestead‑Miami and Atlanta Motorsports Park. After Prodigy 3, teams had to reduce their rosters for the upcoming P2 Championship. Siro was one of the drivers who didn’t advance.

“There were so many people with years of racing experience. I improved a lot, but it wasn’t enough to get promoted.”

Still, he remains determined. “I still have a shot at driving in Prodigy 3 again.”

His sim racing success also opened another door: Williams Esports.

“I contacted the teammanager and asked what I needed to do. They evaluated me, and that’s how I got into Williams SimRacing on the iRacing side.”

A Leap From Virtual Racing to a Mercedes‑AMG GT3 Test Day

Siro invests his prize money won for sim racing not only in sim racing itsef but also in real‑world experience. “I started karting last year. I fund it with my prize money.” But karting remains expensive. “It’s hard to fight for the front when you don’t have the same material.”

Then came a surprise opportunity.

“A friend called me, GT3 driver Jean‑Luc D’Auria. He asked if I wanted to do a GT3 test day because someone had cancelled. I had to take the chance. I went to Portimão.”

He remembers the nerves. “I knew I couldn’t crash the car. If I crash, I’m in big trouble because I don’t have money.”

Once in the Mercedes‑AMG GT3, he built up confidence. “The first ten laps I was cautious. In the second and third session I started pushing. At the end of the day I was one second off my coach, who is a GT3 driver. The teammanager was impressed, he didn’t think a sim racer could pull this off.”