Cars 2 characters: Francesco Bernoulli & The Topolinos

The rollout of new Cars 2 characters continues with the very Italian Uncle Topolino; his wife, Mama Topolino; and race car Francesco Bernoulli. These character stills and histories are up on Disney's recently updated Cars 2 site.

Francesco Bernoulli grew up in the shadow of the famous Monza race course in Italy where he and his friends would sneak onto the track and race the famous Pista di Alta Velocita bank turn. He was an instant winner on the amateur circuit and soon became an international Formula Racer champion.

The ladies love Francesco’s open wheels, the youngsters look up to his winning spirit and fellow racers envy his speed. But Francesco’s biggest fan is Francesco himself, as evidenced by his racing number. as the most famous race car in Europe, #1 Francesco is a favorite to win the World Grand Prix, which also makes him Lightning McQueen’s chief rival.

In the small village of Santa Ruotina, near Porto Corsa, Luigi’s favorite uncle, Uncle Topolino, resides with his beloved wife, Mama Topolino. Uncle Topolino is the owner of the village’s tire shop, where he taught Luigi and Guido everything they know, though Uncle Topolino is full of sage advice about more than just tires.

To all who know her, Luigi’s aunt, Mama Topolino, is a masterful cook with the best fuel in the village of Santa Ruotina, near Porto Corsa, Italy. Though she has a loving, but fiery relationship with her husband, Uncle Topolino, she shows her love and generosity for both family and friends by feeding everyone her renowned delizioso fuel.

This is isn't in the official description but the last name Topolino is both a tribute to the Fiat 500 "Topolino" and a bit of a Disney in-joke: Topolino ("little mouse") is Mickey's name in Italian.