- Rimac Automobili
Rimac Trailblazers Series Spotlights Croatian Tennis Champion Donna Vekić
Rimac Automobili presents the latest chapter in its Trailblazers video series, featuring Croatian tennis champion Donna Vekić whose 22-year journey to the pinnacle of women's tennis mirrors Rimac's own path from garage startup to hypercar innovator.
Donna Vekić, an Olympic silver medalist, shares parallels with Rimac's journey; one which had a number of early setbacks as Mate tried to grow the business from his garage into the multi-billon-dollar company it is today. "I've been playing tennis for 22 years now and there's been a lot of ups and downs throughout my career," she reflects. "But what keeps me going is I have a goal, I have a vision, a dream."
This philosophy directly parallels Rimac's approach to developing the Nevera, which began as a dream for Mate, before becoming reality after years of development, eventually setting 23 performance records in a single day, as well as a number of all-electric track records. It is the most successful all-electric hypercar in the world, complete with a number of major global awards to its name.
Central to both the success of both pursuits is what Vekić – a Rimac brand ambassador - describes as being "relentless" – a state of mind essential for victory. "Relentless, for me, is when I reach that mindset during the match and being in the zone when I know I'm winning that match," she explains. Relentless is also the ‘R’ in the Nevera R, the latest, even more focused evolution of the Nevera that built upon a formula that was already without competition.
"I know I'm at the top of the women's game but there's always room for improvement and that's what keeps me going," she states. "Me as a person, as an athlete and Rimac as a brand, we share the same values," Vekić notes.
Both embody the Croatian underdog spirit – stories of resilience and grit that have transformed a nation known for its stunning Adriatic coastline into an unexpected powerhouse of athletic champions and hypercar innovation. From Nikola Tesla's pioneering spirit to today's global achievements in sports and technology, Croatia continues to defy expectations on the world stage.
The Rimac Trailblazers series continues to feature individuals who demonstrate that excellence is not an accident but the result of vision, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible.
About Rimac Automobili
Rimac Automobili is one part of the world’s ultimate hypercar company, Bugatti Rimac. With Rimac Group as its majority shareholder, Bugatti Rimac brings together Rimac’s distinctive agility, technical expertise and relentless innovation in the EV sphere, with Bugatti’s 115-year heritage of design and engineering some of the world’s most iconic hypercars. Founded in 2009 by Mate Rimac, the Rimac Automobili brand created the world’s first all-electric hypercar, the Concept_One, in 2011. Fast forward to 2021, Rimac unveiled its next-generation all-electric hypercar – the Nevera, which has since set over 27 world performance records. Bugatti Rimac's global headquarters is at the Rimac Group’s current base on the outskirts of Zagreb, the new >€200M, 100.000m2 Rimac Campus, also serving as the home of Rimac Technology.
