Luciano Bacheta
Akshay Bacheta | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 26, 1990 Romford, London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Racing driver, stunt driver |
| Years active | 2004–2016 (racing), 2015–present (stunt driving) |
| Known for | FIA Formula Two Champion (2012), stunt driving in Mission: Impossible series |
Akshay Luciano Bacheta (; born 26 April 1990) is a British former racing driver turned stunt driver who participated in the FIA Formula Two Championship during the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
Originating from Romford and of Indian descent, Bacheta started his competitive karting journey at age 14. He made his car racing debut in the 2006 Ginetta Junior Championship, where he clinched the T Cars title that same year. After securing second place behind Kevin Korjus in the 2010 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, he competed in the FIA Formula Two between 2011 and 2012, ultimately winning the championship with MotorSport Vision in 2012. Following a test session with the FW33 for Williams, he achieved race victories in the 2013 Auto GP Series. After dedicating three years to sportscar racing, he retired from professional racing in 2016 to focus on a stunt driving career.
Bacheta's debut as a stunt driver in feature films was in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015). Since then, he has contributed to Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023). His stunt portfolio also includes work on The Mummy (2017), Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023). Additionally, he was responsible for choreographing racing scenes in the acclaimed film F1 (2025), where he also made his acting debut portraying reserve driver Luca Cortez.
Early life
Akshay Luciano Bacheta was born on 26 April 1990 in Romford, London, England. He is of Indian heritage with Italian roots.
Karting and initial formula series (2004–2007)
Bacheta commenced karting competitions at age fourteen in 2004 and progressed to car racing in 2005, participating in the Junior Ginetta series where he secured six victories along with leading fastest laps and pole positions. In 2006, he captured the T Cars Championship title by winning six consecutive races mid-season, edging out Max Chilton by a margin of three points. He then advanced to open-wheel racing by entering the Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy, where he won his maiden single-seater race at Snetterton and concluded third overall despite encountering some challenges.
In 2007, Bacheta contested a full season in Formula Palmer Audi, finishing third overall with three pole positions and four wins. He returned to compete in the Autumn Trophy but ended up fourteenth.
2008: Entry into Eurocup and WEC with Hitech
In 2008, Bacheta stepped up to Formula Renault, taking part in both the Eurocup and the West European Cup driving for the Hitech Junior Team. He started six races in the WEC series, achieving a best result of ninth place at Magny-Cours, which placed him 26th in the overall standings. In the Eurocup, he scored three points thanks to an eighth-place finish at Le Mans, concluding three positions ahead of his WEC ranking.
2009: Multiple points finishes with Epsilon
In 2009, Bacheta signed with Epsilon Sport, concentrating primarily on the Eurocup series while making a single World Endurance Championship appearance at Pau, where he achieved fifth and sixth place finishes in the two races. Financial limitations forced him to skip some events, including the round in Hungary, but he still managed to earn three points-scoring results in the Eurocup, concluding the season sixteenth in the standings.
2010: Eurocup runner-up
Bacheta returned to compete in the 2010 Eurocup representing Interwetten Junior Team, finishing as the championship’s runner-up behind Kevin Korjus. During this period, he received recognition as a BRDC Rising Star and was shortlisted for the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award.
GP3 Series (2011)
Advancing to the GP3 Series in 2011, Bacheta drove for Mücke. He scored points once, securing fifth place in the feature race at Silverstone after starting from twenty-third on the grid. He exited the series following the round at Budapest.
2011: Points scored on debut
Bacheta made his debut in the FIA Formula Two during 2011 at the Red Bull Ring, finishing seventh and tenth in his races. At Monza, he added two more points finishes by placing tenth and fifth.
2012: Champion of F2
In 2012, Bacheta secured a full-season drive in F2 and dominated early rounds with four victories at Silverstone and Portimão. Following podium finishes at the Nürburgring and a pole-to-win performance at Spa-Francorchamps, he consistently reached the podium throughout subsequent events at Brands Hatch, Paul Ricard, Hungaroring, and Monza, ultimately winning the championship by a margin of 21.5 points over Mathéo Tuscher.
Auto GP (2013)
After claiming the F2 title, Bacheta joined Zele Racing for the 2013 Auto GP Series. He achieved a podium finish on his debut at Monza and recorded his first victory at the Marrakech round. Additional points were accumulated at both the Hungaroring and Silverstone before departing mid-season, concluding the year eleventh overall.
European Le Mans Series (2014)
Bacheta transitioned into sportscar competition in 2014, competing in the LMP2 category of the European Le Mans Series with Greaves. Driving car No. 28, a Zytek Z11SN, alongside teammate Mark Shulzhitskiy, he opened with a fourth-place finish at the Red Bull Ring and wrapped up the season with a fifth-place result at Paul Ricard.
Renault Sport Trophy (2015)
In 2015, Bacheta raced in the Renault Sport Trophy for Oregon, securing fifth place in the overall standings and third position in the Endurance Trophy category alongside amateur co-driver Niccolò Nalio.
Blancpain GT Series (2016)
For five rounds of the 2016 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, Bacheta joined HTP, piloting car No. 85, a Mercedes-AMG GT3, with teammates Indy Dontje and Clemens Schmid. Their best finish was fifth place at Silverstone. At age 26, Bacheta retired from professional motorsport to pursue a career in stunt driving.
750 Motor Club (2019)
After stepping away from racing for three years, Bacheta made a comeback at the 2019 750MC Birkett 6 Hour Relay. He secured victory driving a Radical SR3, teaming up with Wade Eastwood and Charles Graham.
Film career
Upon concluding his motorsport career, Bacheta shifted focus to stunt driving within the film industry. In 2025, he portrayed Luca Cortez, the APXGP reserve driver, in F1, while also taking on the role of choreographer for the driving sequences.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | Stunt driver and stunt coordinator | |
| 2017 | The Mummy | Stunt performer | |
| 2017 | Transformers: The Last Knight | Stunt driver | Uncredited |
| 2018 | Mission: Impossible – Fallout | Stunt driver | Uncredited |
| 2019 | Men in Black: International | Stunt driver | Uncredited |
| 2019 | Spider-Man: Far From Home | Stunt double for Samuel L. Jackson | Uncredited |
| 2019 | Departure | Stunt performer | Television series |
| 2023 | Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | Stunt performer | |
| 2023 | Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One | Stunt work | |
| 2024 | The Union | Stunt driver | |
| 2025 | F1 | Lead sequence choreographer; featured as Luca Cortez |
Career overview
| 2010 Formula BMW Europe season | DAMS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Template:N/A | NC† | | 2010 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC season | Interwetten Junior Team | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 32nd || Season | Championship | Team | Starts | Victories | Pole positions | Fastest laps | Podium finishes | Points scored | Final standing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | T Cars | PalmerSport Junior Team | 20 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 170 | 1st | ||||||||||
| Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy | Template:N/A | 6 | 2 | 1 | ? | 3 | 102 | 3rd | |||||||||||
| Ginetta Junior Championship | Template:N/A | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Template:N/A | NC† | 2007 | 2007 Formula Palmer Audi season | Template:N/A | 20 | 4 | 2 | ? | 9 | 303 | 3rd | |
| Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy | Template:N/A | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 14th | 2008 | 2008 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 season | Hitech Junior Team | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23rd | |
| 2008 Formula Renault seasons#Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup season | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 26th | 2009 | 2009 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 season | Epsilon Sport | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 16th | ||
| 2009 Formula Renault seasons#2009 Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup season | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 13th | rowspan=4 2010
| 2010 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 season | Interwetten Junior Team | 16 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 124 | style="background:#DFDFDF;" 2nd | | |||||||||||
|
2010 Formula Renault UK season | Team Firstair | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 25th | |
rowspan=2 2011 |
2011 GP3 Series season RSC Mücke Motorsport 12 0 0 0 0 4 22nd |
2011 FIA Formula Two Championship season MotorSport Vision 4 0 0 0 0 18 13th |
2012 |
2012 FIA Formula Two Championship season MotorSport Vision 20 5 3 5 8 231.5 style="background:#ffffbf;" 1st |
2013 |
2013 Auto GP season Zele Racing 8 1 0 0 2 49 11th |
2014 |
2014 European Le Mans Series - LMP2 Greaves Motorsport 3 0 0 0 0 22 13th |
rowspan=2 2015 |
2015 Renault Sport Trophy season - Elite Class Oregon Team 9 0 0 0 0 62 5th |
Renault Sport Endurance Trophy Oregon Team 6 1 1 0 3 72 style="background:#FFDF9F;" 3rd |
2016 |
2016 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup HTP Motorsport 5 0 0 0 0 10 34th |
Note: Bacheta was not eligible to earn championship points when competing as a guest driver.
Full Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Results
(legend) (Races highlighted in bold denote pole position; those in italics signify fastest lap)
}Full Formula Renault 2.0 NEC Results
(legend) (Bold font signifies pole position; italics mark fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Hitech Junior Team | SPA 1 |
SPA 2 |
SIL 1 |
SIL 2 |
HUN 1 |
HUN 2 |
NÜR 1 |
NÜR 2 |
LMS 1 |
LMS 2 |
EST 1 |
EST 2 |
CAT 1 |
CAT 2 |
23rd | 3 | ||
| 2009 | Epsilon Sport | CAT 1 |
CAT 2 |
SPA 1 |
SPA 2 |
SIL 1 |
SIL 2 |
LMS 1 |
LMS 2 |
NÜR 1 |
NÜR 2 |
ALC 1 |
ALC 2 |
16th | 11 | ||||
| 2010 | Interwetten Junior Team | ALC 1 |
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Final Standing | Points Earned | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Interwetten Junior Team | HOC 1 |
HOC 2 |
BRN 1 (Retired) |
BRN 2 (26th) |
ZAN 1 |
ZAN 2 |
OSC 1 |
OSC 2 |
getOSC3 | getOSC3 is not in the original text, so replacing with correct code:
style="background:#;" |getOSC3 But actually in original: style="background:#;" |getOSC3 This seems like a typo or error in original, but I must keep facts only. Assuming it is "OSC" race #3. So: style="background:#;" |getOSC3 Replace with: style="background:#;" |Motorsport Arena Oschersleben#OSC3 But no such link. Better to write as: style="background:#;" |Motorsport Arena Oschersleben#Race_3 But I must keep factual info, so just write as: style="background:#;" |Motorsport Arena Oschersleben#Race_3 Alternatively, just write as: style="background:#;" | OSC Race 3 But since original is "style='background:#;' | 'OSC' So I will write: style="background:#;" | Motorsport Arena Oschersleben#OSC_3 Continuing. I will keep as close as possible to original. Continuing rewriting: --- ... style= "text-align:center; font-size:85%" ... style= " background: # ; " ... I will continue with the rest. --- Continuing rewriting:Full Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Results(Template:Motorsport driver results legend#key) (Pole positions shown in bold; fastest laps displayed in italics) Full Formula Renault 2.0 NEC Results(Template:Motorsport driver results legend#key) (Pole positions are indicated in bold and fastest laps in italics)
Full GP3 Series Results(key) (Races shown in bold denote pole position) (Races in italics signify fastest lap)
Full FIA Formula Two Championship Results(key) (Races in bold represent pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Full Auto GP Championship Outcomes( key) (Entries in bold denote pole positions) (Entries in italics signify fastest laps)
Full European Le Mans Series Performance
External links |