Game Changers

Aldric Bourgier, Chief Innovation and Development Officer at Babolat and Ranieri Niccoli, Lamborghini’s Chief Manufacturing Officer, debate the shared synergies in creating padel rackets and Lamborghini super sports car.

Innovation, lightweight technologies, creating positive environments that bring people together in both manufacture and ownership: while French Padel racket manufacturer Babolat and Italy’s super sports car marque Lamborghini may not immediately appear natural stable-mates, the two companies are each at the top of their game, sharing many commonalities that have led to a partnership. In this episode of “Beyond: a Lamborghini podcast”, Babolat’s Aldric Bourgier joins Lamborghini’s Ranieri Niccoli to celebrate their manufacturing union and their passion for transcending the ordinary.

“Game changers” continues the philosophy of exploring challenge, innovation, and going beyond limits, through Lamborghini people meeting inspirational individuals from outside the automotive environment. Bourgier and Niccoli, together with presenters Giulia Salvi and Tim Bravo, explore the two companies’ trend-setting status today, just as they were at their inception: Babolat in 1875, inventing the first tennis strings and Lamborghini over 60 years ago, inspiring the world with ground-breaking super sports cars such as the Miura and Countach.

“Personally, I love padel racket,” says Niccoli. “I started to play, and it’s an easy sport to pick up initially, and then you realise how strategic it can be. It’s fast, interesting to play and watch, it’s a convivial sport, drawing people together in their passion.” Bourgier agrees. “Much like the world of Lamborghini,” he laughs! “More than that, our two brands share the same spirit, pushing boundaries around innovation, manufacturing and performance.”

It’s this shared emotion that has brought the two businesses together to collaborate on producing a 50-piece limited edition padel racket within Lamborghini. “We have 150 years of know-how in racquet sports overall, and we are committed to padel for more than 20 years already” says Bourgier, “but we are always keen to collaborate with experts in their field. And Lamborghini is a connoisseur of carbon composite technologies as well as leather and paint. We can produce something very special, very unique.”

“When I was playing Padel, I realised the synergies between Lamborghini and Babolat,” says Niccoli. “We have this specific expertise, and Lamborghini was interested in pushing its automotive production into a new sphere. So we talked and realised we share not only a technological but also a corporate philosophy in our family approach. We both put people first in our companies, recognising exceptional skills and craftmanship. Our clients are driven, serious about the best. We’re both passionate about sharing our respective expertise and pushing ourselves to deliver on this new challenge.”

The two agree that the speed in which the world is developing and innovating is ‘super exciting’, including in the field of sustainability that is a corporate pillar for both companies, encompassing new manufacturing techniques and materials but ensuring this philosophy is authentic and can be delivered throughout the supply chain. “Greenwashing doesn’t achieve anything and will always backfire,” says Niccoli.

It’s the future, that will see Lamborghini producing the limited edition Babolat BL001 padel racket with further collaborations in the pipeline, that inspire both. “My best memories are of launching prototypes and seeing that our ideas, developed by our teams, deliver something new, fresh, high performing, that is validated by padel players around the world,” confirms Bourgier.

Niccoli agrees: “The birth of a new car, a new technology, is momentous. To take these technologies and transfer it to a very exclusive, super-interesting padel racket product will be an exciting moment in time, for both our organisations and,” laughs Niccoli, “all ‘super sports’ enthusiasts.”

Hosted by Lamborghini Director of Communications Tim Bravo and lifestyle and music broadcaster Giulia Salvi, Beyond: A Lamborghini Podcast is available to listen to on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, to watch on YouTube for a fully immersive experience, and via the special podcast hub on Lamborghini.com/podcast. A new episode will drop each month.