Sasha Martinengo

Radio Personality, Formula One Expert & HOT 102.7FM Host every Saturday from 6am to 9am

If life had a rev counter, Sasha Martinengo’s would’ve been bouncing in the red from day one.

Born and raised in Joburg with a healthy dose of Italian flair, Sasha didn’t just grow up around motorsport—he inhaled it. While other kids were collecting stickers, he was memorising lap times and dreaming in Formula One. School happened (shoutout Hyde Park High), and there was a brief flirtation with marketing studies… but let’s be honest, spreadsheets never stood a chance against a microphone and a roaring engine.

By 1994, Sasha found his true home—radio. Graveyard shift, 1–4am. The hours were brutal, the audience half-asleep, but Sasha? Wide awake and already sounding like he owned the place. What followed was a steady climb from late-night loner to prime-time powerhouse. Charisma, consistency, and a knack for making listeners feel like old friends turned him into a household name.

And then came the numbers. Over 5,000 shows. Let that sink in. That’s not just experience—that’s endurance, obsession, and a whole lot of coffee. Along the way, he picked up serious bragging rights too, including a SAMA and a “Radio Personality of the Year” title. Casual.

But radio was never just about the music. Sasha brought sport, storytelling, and just enough mischief to keep things interesting. He didn’t follow trends—he helped shape them, becoming one of the voices that defined modern South African radio.

And then there’s the other side of Sasha… the one that smells faintly of burning rubber.

Enter “F1 Sasha.” The nickname stuck for a reason. His love for Formula One turned into something much bigger—he became the go-to voice for motorsport in the country. He didn’t just talk about racing; he lived it, breathed it, and somehow got the biggest names in the sport onto his show. Legends, icons, pit-lane royalty—you name it, Sasha chatted to them.

Oh, and when he’s not behind the mic or talking horsepower? You’ll probably find him on a padel court, still competing, still moving, still very much in the game.

Because that’s the thing about Sasha Martinengo—whether it’s radio, racing, or rallying a padel comeback, he doesn’t do half-speed.

Never has. Never will.