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Matteo Scala is a Italian former race driver for Maverick Track Performance. He started his GPGSL career in Season 3 as a test driver for Phoenix Racing. Formerly the team owner for ScalaGP.

He was formerly known as Paolo Tafuro

Season 3[]

Tafuro made his debut in Season 3 during Hockenheim GP's Free Practice, as #2 tester for Phoenix Racing. He keeps testing for the rest of the season. His first season was quite good, with a 2nd place at his second session, at Indianapolis and other points in different places.

Season 4[]

In Season 4 he makes his racing debut as #2 race driver for Phoenix Racing. He made an indifferent start, as he failed to gain points because of some unlucky events. His season finished strongly with some good points finishes and a 4th place at Sepang Circuit as top result. He was going to race in Season 5, but decided to take over Devil Fox Racing's team slot to bring his own team in the series, disallowing him from racing.

Season 5[]

Season 5 started well for Tafuro, as he seemed to be able to score many points in first FPs, but then he lost ground on the top 12. MPR announced to have signed him as #2 test driver in Season 6, leaving his own team.

Season 6[]

Season 6 didn't start really well for the Italian, but come the final standings he is 7th. He managed to take his first win in a session since his S3 debut, by getting the best time at Laguna Seca in the FP.

Season 7[]

After the S6 end, he announced that he will use his real name, Matteo Scala, instead of Paolo Tafuro. This was thought to be because Mafia agents discovered he was holding out on protection payments. Despite a good performance in S6, MPR preferred to focus on a possible race driver for the future instead of having another teamboss. After many weeks of searching, he will make a comeback to his own team (which changed name to ScalaGP), causing an undesirable situation as the team had to re-announce the lineup twice. The season ended up with ScalaGP dead last in the WCC. Some races before Scala announced the team's retirement while no informations were given about his plans. Later Ricardo Van Smirren (yeh,that idiot) announced him as Scuderia Minardi's new test driver.

Season 8[]

Scala started the season as 2nd Test Driver in Scuderia Minardi. Despite a not convincing pre-season race. He obtained the pole at Melbourne's feature race, putting himself on top of the time sheets for the 2nd time in his career. On Sunday he won the race, reaching his first win in GPGSL and obtaining the 1st place in the TDC. The good results showed by the Italian and the lack of activity by Ben Johnson caused a swap of seats in the team, causing Scala's comeback among the race drivers for the first time after S4. At his debut race, at Sepang, he reached the 7th place. Just one week later he got an amazing win in the Canadian Grand Prix after starting from the pole position. He got the fastest lap too. As the season progresses he obtains a 2nd place and other three top 10 placement. At Monaco he qualifies in 2nd place but retires during the race after a crash. The following weekend, at Magny Cours, the Italian driver scores his second hat trick (pole position, fastest lap and win). Together with Chris Warrington's most places gained point this was Minardi's best S8 weekend so far. The last two races don't bring other notable results to the Italian racer while the team manages to reach the 3rd place in WCC, remarking Minardi's return to the top places. Something that was quite unexpected at the start of the season. 

Season 9[]

Rumors say that he will retire to focus on his recently discovered alcohol addiction. Other rumors say that he's actually working in a task force to eliminate Silvio "Berlusca" Berlusconi. Other rumors say that, after high school's final exams, he will simply disappear from existence.

Other news say that he might keep on driving till he wins 9 WDCs.

No announcement was made about his intentions. Yet he's going to be seen as VSM #1 racer in S9.

Surprisingly he obtains the pole at the first GP of the new season but in the race he finished 2nd after an early battle with Joseph Gilson and John Maverick. At Kyalami Scala obtained the pole at his last try and dominated the race till last laps when Moinet and Jalving managed to pass him. At Montréal he wins his first race in this season after starting 2nd and being overtaken by Maverick. At this point of the season the Italian driver has obtained points in just 3 races on 6 but he never ended below 3rd. At Road America Scala qualifies in 8th place but after a good start his car lacks the speed and the Italian goes home with a 12th place. 

Season 10[]

Following the retirement of Van Smirren Motorsports the Italian driver was left without a competitive race seat for S10. Thus MPR found his agreement for testing duties for S10.

Team Ownership[]

He owned a team called ScalaGP, which made its debut in GPGSL in Season 5. This was the product of a buyout of Devil Fox Racing.

Curiosities[]

  • Despite the surname showed above, the Italian driver has nothing to do with Mussolini.
  • As well he isn't involved in "Cosa Nostra", "Ndrangheta", "Camorra", "Sacra Corona Unita" or other Italian mafias.

Racing record[]

Complete Grandprixgames Super League results[]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap; underlined races indicate most places gained)

Season Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 WDC Points
3 Phoenix Racing AUS GER
TD
USA
TD
CAN
TD
EUR
TD
SAM
TD
NED
TD
BEL
TD
MAL
TD
ENG
TD
HUN
TD
ITA
TD
JPN
TD
SMR
TD
BRA
TD
MON
TD
GBR
TD
4 Phoenix Racing AUS
15
ITA
15
BEL
15
JPN
19
EUR
13
MON
22
PAC
6
RSA
21
HUN
17
GER
7
BRA
19
UAE
16
MAL
4
USA
10
CAN
10
NED
12
GBR
20
18th 29
5 Tafuro GP AUS
4
FRA
3
JPN
5
BEL
18
ESP
21
BRA
Ret
GER
14
NED
11
EUR
16
ITA
5
CAN
17
UAE
14
PAC
15
USA
14
MON
17
TUR
22
GBR
11
14th 39
6 Martini Paddock Racing AUS
13
ITA
21
CAN
11
HUN
18
USA
1
NED
15
SMR
10
GER
8
JPN
3
SAM
5
ATL
3
AUT
2
MON
8
FRA
7
BEL
22
BRA
3
GBR
5
7th 94
7 ScalaGP AUS
19
GCO
14
JPN
9
CAN
13
USA
8
FRA
13
NED
4
BEL
20
SUI
17
ITA
15
SMR
22
BRA
21
OCE
18
AUT
21
HUN
21
GER
18
GBR
22
19th 18
8 Scuderia Minardi AUS
1
SOA
13
SIN
15
27th 48
MAL
7
JPN
14
CAN
1
SAM
10
BRA
2
BEL
13
GER
5
AUT
10
SMR
14
ITA
12
MON
Ret
FRA
1
LUX
11
GBR
10
9th 216
9 Van Smirren Motorsports AUS
2
JPN
Ret
MAL
13
RSA
3
ESP
16
CAN
1
USA
12
BRA
6
BEL
11
EUR
17
NED
Ret
ITA
Ret
AUT
9
CZE
7
GER
12
FRA
13
GBR
12
9th 62
10 Martini Paddock Racing AUS
6
PAC
9
MAL
12
JPN
3
UAE
13
ITA
4
AUT
12
EUR
9
CAN
8
USA
18
BRA
10
RSA
21
OCE
13
GER
4
BEL
12
NED
3
GBR
6
FLE
18
8th 71
11 Maverick Track Performance AUS
3
MAL
4
JPN
15
ITA
Ret
ESP
13
RSA
6
BRA
7
USA
Ret
CAN
22
GER
20
AUT
11
BEL
11
GBR
11
NED
14
13th 41
12 Maverick Track Performance AUS
1
JPN
11
USA
12
CAN
3
SAM
15
BRA
4
RSA
13
AUT
14
GER
Ret
BEL
6
TUR
19
ITA
Ret
GBR
21
NED
4
13th 57
13 Maverick Track Performance AUS
12
MAL
5
ITA
5
BEL
3
AUT
3
CAN
8
USA
13
BRA
Ret
NED
7
AZE
5
GER
9
EUR
13
POR
1
GBR
15
4th 76
14 Maverick Track Performance AUS
16
JPN
13
MAL
12
PAC
21
ITA
Ret
NED
2
UAE
2
RSA
1
BRA
2
CAN
19
USA
21
GER
10
BEL
19
GBR
6
9th 63
15 Maverick Track Performance AUS
Ret
JPN
17
RSA
3
AUT
11
EUR
20
POR
10
BRA
15
CAN
20
TUR
Ret
NED
16
GER
5
BEL
15
ITA
1
GBR
10
11th 43
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