The famous Italian engine builder Giovanni Corona died on Sunday 11th February 2024 at the age of 77. A native of Pavia, Italy, this great enthusiast of two-stroke engine technology left his mark on the world of karting, being responsible for the Vortex brand’s many successes in competition. A much-appreciated figure in the industry, his natural reticence has kept him from wider recognition. He always followed the same line of conduct, which was to believe above all in his ideas and to pursue his ambitions with tenacity. His passion for engineering has never waned, and his character was both wholehearted and open-minded. He is a great man of karting who has just passed away.
Trained in the 70s on motocross engines, Giovanni Corona first made a name for the Vortex brand in the early 90s as a tuner of kart racing engines, such as the famous Rotax 100cc engines that successfully powered Jarno Trulli’s Tony Kart chassis. In 1994, Giovanni Corona joined forces with Roberto Robazzi to set up the Vortex factory, which homologated its first products in 1995. Success was immediate, with a 3rd place in the World Championship and the world title won the following year by Johnny Mislijevic. Vortex went on to become a benchmark brand, producing top-quality, high-performance products in all categories, and racking up victories all over the world. After the launch of the OK generation, in 2018 Giovanni Corona decided to take a break from the intense activity that had occupied him until then, to enjoy life more calmly.
The CIK-FIA pays tribute to this formidable technician and sends its condolences to his family and friends.
Photo: Giovanni Corona on the 1998 FMK-FIA World Karting Championship podium in Ugento (ITA), when his Vortex engines won both Formula Super A (with Davide Fore) and Formula A (with Ruben Carrapatoso) titles.
Info FIA Karting / Photo © Vincent Caro