Zico converts Felipe Baptista, Stock Car driver, to Flamengo | stock car

Visit Flamengo’s headquarters in Gávea? Done! And meeting Zico, the club’s biggest idol? Mission Accomplished. Some of the dreams that almost every red and black nurse has had since their early years came true for Felipe Baptista, this Thursday. Owner of Crown Racing in Stock Car, he is looking for a new team to support – and the campaign also included a “little push” from Galinho de Quintino.

– I don’t even have words to describe it. It was a shock, I really didn’t know about it. I was very happy to be with him (Zico) here, to have met him. Now it’s time to take some of that talent he has, despite it being another sport, and use it on the track. He is a guy who was not only important for Flamengo, but for the whole of Brazil. It’s very important to know a guy like that, with the relevance he has, he’s a reference for everyone – Baptista said to ge.globo.

Felipe Baptista talks about expectations for the 2024 Stock Car season

Baptista was surprised by Galinho, the greatest idol in the team’s history, when he visited the Flamengo Museum. The driver hugged the former player and, from him, heard the story of the club’s greatest achievements, including the Ramón de Carranza Trophy.

Felipe also gave Zico details of his first experiences with the red and black and invited him to drive in Interlagos, in the Stock Car stage. Finally, he surrendered to the club:

– I’ve always followed Flamengo like this, but to be honest, I’ve never had a favorite team. Now I have the opportunity to learn a little more about the story. I’m getting to know more and I really like the team.

Felipe awaits the return of Stock Car on April 21st at the Autódromo de Interlagos, in São Paulo. In addition to the triumph in Goiânia, he obtained 20th place in the Velocitta sprint race in Mogi Guaçu, in the interior of São Paulo.

The Crown Racing driver occupies sixth place in the drivers’ championship, 32 points behind leader Felipe Massa.

Zico and Baptista also shared another similarity: both had already done a quick ride in Interlagos. In the case of Flamengo’s idol, however, he was not behind the wheel, but was driven by Felipe’s rival, Thiago Camilo, during a stage of the Porsche Cup in 2023.

– Talent in the foot, but you have to have courage. I’ve already been (in a car) with Thiago Camilo. I said: “Thiago, you’re a Flamengo fan, slow down the accelerator!” Because he enters the entire curve, it looks like he’s on the straight. Then I said: “Camilo, you still say you’re a fan of mine, are you trying to scare me?” I passed the heart test – Galinho joked, remembering.

The brief meeting between Zico and Felipe Baptista ended with good luck wishes from the idol to the driver – and the certainty of another game won:

– Enjoy it now! One more for our tribe…

– I’ll tell you that, knowing everything I know about Flamengo, I’m very inclined to go to Flamengo. I didn’t have a team, I always followed football, but I never had one. But now seeing everything, I’m falling on Flamengo’s side. I invited him (Zico, to the Interlagos stage of the Stock Car), let’s see if he can do it; It will be an honor to have him in the pits – replied Felipe, signaling that he is the youngest red-black on the category’s current grid.