Fabrizio Giovanardi

Fabrizio "Piedone" Giovanardi (born 14 December 1966 in Sassuolo) is an Italian racing driver. During his career he has won ten touring car titles, including European and British crowns making him the most successful touring car driver worldwide. He has spent the majority of his career racing for Alfa Romeo and Vauxhall.

Career Formula Three After winning both the Italian and World Formula C karting titles for 125cc karts in 1986, Giovanardi stepped up to the Italian Formula Three Championship in 1987, driving a Reynard 873 powered by Alfa Romeo for PreMa Racing, where he scored a podium en route to thirteenth position in the championship. He stayed in the series in 1988, where he secured two wins at Vallelunga and Enna-Pergusa and finished third overall in the championship, a point behind runner-up Mauro Martini and two points behind season champion Emanuele Naspetti. He returned to the series in 1990, competing in a single round.

Formula 3000 In 1989, Giovanardi switched to International Formula 3000 to compete with First Racing and won the race at Vallelunga. Those were his only points however, as he ended up tenth in the final championship standings; failing to qualify for races at Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Le Mans. He continued in the series in 1990 with First Racing, and again ended up tenth in the championship with a best result of second place at Pau. 1991 was his final season, and finished in a three-way tie for eleventh place.

Super Touring Cars Giovanardi dabbled into the Superturismo in the 1991 season, competing in a Peugeot 405. He took five Class S2 victories which set him up for a full campaign in the 1992 season. In his first full season, he was champion in the S2 class taking eight race wins and being crowned champion, his first touring car title. He moved into the main class of the championship with Peugeot in 1993, finishing in the top three overall twice (second in 1993 and third in 1994), and winning five races before moving to Nordauto Engineering Alfa Romeo in 1995. In his début season with Alfa, Giovanardi again finished in third place, beating his team-mate Antonio Tamburini in a tie. He also contested one round of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft at the Norisring, driving an Alfa Romeo 155 for the factory Alfa Corse team.

In 1996 he continued to race in Superturismo and he also participated to some rounds of CET always with Nordauto Engineering. He finished fifth in Italy, and one place lower in Spain, taking five wins over the two series. In 1997 he continued in both championship Superturismo and CET driving for the last time Alfa Romeo 155 Ts. He won all four races of CET before that serie was cancelled due to lack of cars and he finished second in Superturismo with five victories behind Naspetti. He got the better of Naspetti in 1998, dominating the Italian championship in the new Alfa Romeo 156 with nine victories and eighteen podium on twenty races. Giovanardi and team-mate Nicola Larini made a guest appearance in the STW at the Norisring, where they both finished outside the top ten placings in both races.

He became again Italian champion in 1999, again beating his BMW rival Naspetti in a thrilling last race in Vallelunga; Giovanardi's advantage at the end of the season was only fourteen points after ten rounds. Giovanardi and Larini made a return to the STW at the series' Italian round at Misano, and the Alfa drivers finished 1–2 in the sprint race before both retired in the feature race. The Superturismo was promoted to become the Euro STC in 2000, and again Giovanardi won the title with Nordauto. Consistency was the key to become again champion in the new European Championship Euro STC in 2001, winning just three races and ten podium.

Giovanardi also got his first Formula One test as a test driver for Ferrari on 1 February 2001, replacing the injured Luca Badoer, who crashed heavily several weeks before. He was the official test driver of the team until September of that year, when Badoer healed and returned to his testing duties.

European/World Touring Car Championship Giovanardi (#6) and Giuseppe Cirò collide during the first race at Oschersleben in 2005. In 2002, the European Touring Car Championship returned as a complete entity using the Super 2000 regulations. The regulation change did not hinder Giovanardi as he won a touring car title for the fifth successive season, again at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo. However, he switched to a Ravaglia Motorsport-run BMW for the 2003 season, but struggled with the rear-wheel-drive car taking only three podiums en route to ninth in the championship. Unsurprisingly, Giovanardi returned to the wheel of an Alfa in 2004 as part of a four-car team by Autodelta, the new name for Nordauto. Giovanardi took a single victory at Valencia as he finished sixth in the championship, finishing behind team-mate Gabriele Tarquini, the first such occasion of Giovanardi being beaten by a team-mate. Giovanardi competing in the 2006 World Touring Car Championship. With the European series becoming the World Touring Car Championship in 2005 – the first such championship season since 1987 – Giovanardi was part of the Alfa factory outfit, alongside Tarquini, James Thompson and Augusto Farfus, with André Couto joining the quartet at his home round in Macau. Giovanardi took a season-high four victories, as he finished as the highest-placed Alfa Romeo driver in the championship, finishing behind the BMWs of champion Andy Priaulx and Dirk Müller. His final appearance in the series to date came in 2006, when he replaced Pierre-Yves Corthals in Curitiba, Brazil and joined Corthals in Macau for JAS Motorsport; taking a best result of fourth in the opening Macau race.

In 2011, Giovanardi won the European Touring Car Cup at the Salzburgring in Austria. He clinched Hartmann Racing's third consecutive European Touring Car Cup, in a Honda Accord.

British Touring Car Championship

VX Racing/Triple Eight (2006–2010) Giovanardi driving the VX Racing-run Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch during the Oulton Park round in 2006. He is followed closely by Colin Turkington. With Alfa Romeo pulling out of the WTCC, Giovanardi began searching for a replacement drive for the 2006 season. In late 2005 Giovanardi tested a Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch for the Triple Eight BTCC team at Pembrey in Wales. The team duly signed him, and Tom Chilton up to drive for the team in 2006. Gavin Smith would later join the team, making it a three-car Vauxhall effort.

It was a testing year for the team and Giovanardi, as he came close to a first win at Donington Park before a final-corner collision with West Surrey Racing's Colin Turkington. Giovanardi led into the chicane before an outbraking move by Turkington put him alongside at the apex. Both cut the chicane after the collision, and Turkington got to the line first, taking his second win of the season. Ultimately, his first win – and Vauxhall's 100th in the British Touring Car Championship – came at Knockhill. Fittingly, he was congratulated on live TV by John Cleland, the man who took Vauxhall's first win. He then secured a second win in the series at Brands Hatch; finishing his first BTCC campaign in fifth position, passing James Thompson by a single point at the final meeting of the season at Silverstone. Giovanardi and Chilton both remained with the team into the 2007 season, driving the team's new Vauxhall Vectra in the championship.

Giovanardi driving the VX Racing-run Vauxhall Vectra during the Snetterton round of the 2007 BTCC season. The Vectra seemed to suit the driving style of Giovanardi better than his young team-mate, with Giovanardi taking ten wins to Chilton's tally of none. Indeed, Giovanardi was involved in a season-long championship battle with SEAT Sport's Jason Plato, with Plato leading 265-256 into the final round, having not finished outside the top eight positions in the first 27 rounds of the championship. In the first two races at Thruxton, Giovanardi led Plato home and thus Plato held a one-point lead going into the final race. With the top seven places reversed on the grid, Plato started sixth and Giovanardi seventh; but it was the Italian who made the quicker progress through the pack, and with his second place compared to Plato's fourth, Giovanardi claimed his first BTCC title by three points.

Giovanardi driving for VX Racing at the Oulton Park round of the 2008 BTCC season. In 2008, Chilton left for Team Dynamics, and thus Giovanardi was joined by new team-mates Matt Neal (joining from Dynamics) and Tom Onslow-Cole (joining from West Surrey Racing) in a three-car team. Giovanardi was the driver to beat, and sealed the title convincingly at Brands Hatch, with two races to spare; clinching the title with a non-scoring fourteenth position, due to the result of rival Plato (fifth), he could no longer be caught in the title race. Until the first race at Brands, Giovanardi had been on a run of 39 consecutive points finishes which had begun at round 19 of the 2007 season, at Snetterton in late July. He failed to score a top ten finish in the entire round, after failing to start in the second race and finishing eleventh in the final race. His only point came from the fastest lap of the final race. Plato finished third in the championship, as Mat Jackson overhauled his points tally after a good final weekend of the season.

Giovanardi competing in the fourth event of the 2009 BTCC season at Oulton Park. Giovanardi and Neal were joined at VX Racing by Andrew Jordan for the 2009 season, which would be the final season of manufacturer effort by Vauxhall. Vauxhall cited the economic downturn as the main reason for pulling out at the end of the season. Giovanardi was once again in the running for the title, alongside Turkington and Plato. Indeed, Giovanardi trailed Turkington by thirteen points heading to the final round of the season, held on the Grand Prix circuit at Brands Hatch. By the final race of the afternoon, a three-way title battle was still the situation, as Turkington had 262 points, Giovanardi 258 and Plato 254 – having won the first two races – with a maximum of seventeen points available. A titanic battle for the lead ensued and was not settled until the final lap of the race. Plato won the race becoming the only second driver to win all three races at a BTCC meeting, with Turkington finishing second to win his first title. Giovanardi finished in fourth position, and thus finished third in the championship standings.

Giovanardi struggled to find a top-line drive for the 2010 season, but returned to the BTCC at the 2010 season-opening round at Thruxton. He drove the #888 Vauxhall Vectra for Triple Eight, partnering 2009 Clio Cup UK champion Phil Glew, who made his BTCC début at the meeting. He won the first two races of the season before taking a fifth-place finish in race three to secure a seven-point lead from Jason Plato in the championship. The team had hoped to run Giovanardi for the remainder of the season, but he was replaced by James Nash ahead of the second round at Rockingham due to sponsor Uniq pulling out.

Instead, Giovanardi found a temporary home in the Italian-based Superstars Series, driving N.Technology's brand new Porsche Panamera S, and won a race on the car's début at Mugello. Giovanardi claimed three wins in succession at Paul Ricard and Vallelunga enabling him to finish sixth in the series' Italian championship, while he lies fifth in the international points, with one round left.

Giovanardi driving the Airwaves Racing Ford Focus ST at Brands Hatch during the 2014 British Touring Car Championship season. Airwaves Racing (2014) In February 2014, Giovanardi was confirmed as Airwaves Racing's first driver for the 2014 British Touring Car Championship season in a Ford Focus ST Mk.III. Giovanardi struggled to find the sweet spot in the new NGTC machinery and finished 13th overall with a solitary podium at Thruxton.

V8 Supercars Giovanardi drove with Marc Hynes in the two main endurance races of the 2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series, the L&H 500 at Phillip Island and the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama. The two drivers were recruited by Triple Eight Race Engineering to pilot the #88 car while regular drivers Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes teamed up in Lowndes' usual #888 car. At Phillip Island, Giovanardi and Hynes finished 17th, a lap down on winners Garth Tander and Mark Skaife and at Bathurst, the pair finished 15th – two laps down on team-mates (and race winners) Lowndes and Whincup. In 2010, Giovanardi drove for Britek Motorsport in the Armor All Gold Coast 600, sharing the team's Holden Commodore with Karl Reindler. In 2011, it was announced that Giovanardi would, once again, be driving for Britek Motorsport in the Armor All Gold Coast 600 with Karl Reindler.

Italian Touring Car Championship 2017 (Racing Return).

Giovanardi returned to Touring Car Racing for the first time in three years for a guest appearance in the Italian Touring Car Championship round at Vallelunga. He qualified sixth but after a poor start dropped back to tenth. Despite not racing in almost three years, Giovanardi fought his way back up to fourth in the race.

World Touring Car Cup (WTCR)

Giovanardi was confirmed as returning to regular touring car racing in 2018 at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo Giulietta in the FIA World Touring Car Cup.

Racing record

Career summary Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/laps Podiums Points Position 1987 Italian Formula 3 Championship Prema Racing 11 0 0 0 1 6 13th 1988 Italian Formula 3 Championship Prema Racing 12 2 1 3 7 46 3rd FIA European Formula 3 Cup 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 6th Macau Grand Prix 1 0 0 0 0 N/A NC 1989 International Formula 3000 First Racing 6 1 0 0 1 9 10th IMSA GT Championship - GTP De Blasi Racing 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC Renault 21 Turbo European Cup ? 0 ? 0 0 2 22nd 1990 International Formula 3000 First Racing 11 0 0 0 1 10 10th Italian Formula 3 Championship 1 0 0 ? 0 0 NC 1991 International Formula 3000 Forti Corse 8 0 0 0 0 6 11th Italian Superturismo Championship - S2 ? 5 ? ? ? ? 4th 1992 Italian Superturismo Championship - S2 Peugeot Italia 20 11 ? ? 14 260.75 1st 1993 Italian Superturismo Championship Peugeot Italia 20 5 ? ? ? 226 2nd 1994 Italian Superturismo Championship Peugeot Italia 20 0 0 1 7 156 3rd 1995 Italian Superturismo Championship Nordauto Engineering 20 1 0 2 7 156 3rd Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft Alfa Corse 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC 1996 Italian Superturismo Championship Nordauto Engineering 20 2 1 4 7 175 5thCampeonato de España de Turismos 10 3 3 1 6 122 6th 1997 Italian Superturismo Championship Alfa Romeo Nordauto 19 5 5 6 11 229 2nd Campeonato de España de Turismos 4 3 2 3 4 75 1st 1998 Italian Superturismo Championship Nordauto 20 9 7 6 18 471 1st Super Tourenwagen Cup Alfa Corse 2 0 0 0 0 28 25th 1999 Italian Superturismo Championship Nordauto 19 7 2 6 13 401 1st Super Tourenwagen Cup Alfa Corse 2 1 1 1 1 30 25th 2000 European Super Touring Cup Alfa Romeo Team Nordauto 20 5 ? 2 12 256 1st 2001 European Super Touring Championship Alfa Romeo Team Nordauto 20 3 2 2 13 620 1st 24 Hours of Sicily 1 0 0 0 1 N/A 2nd 2002 European Touring Car Championship GTA Racing Team Nordauto 20 9 6 7 12 122 1st 2003 European Touring Car Championship BMW Team Italy-Spain 20 0 0 0 3 43 9th 2004 European Touring Car Championship AutoDelta Squadra Corse 18 1 1 2 5 63 5th 2005 World Touring Car Championship Alfa Romeo Racing Team 19 4 2 4 8 81 3rd 2006 British Touring Car Championship VX Racing 30 2 0 0 7 163 5th World Touring Car Championship JAS Motorsport 3 0 0 0 0 8 20th TC 2000 Championship Honda Petrobras Podium 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC 2007 British Touring Car Championship VX Racing 30 10 1 3 17 300 1st 2008 British Touring Car Championship VX Racing 29 5 0 9 15 262 1st V8 Supercar Championship Series Triple Eight Race Engineering 3 0 0 0 0 222 45th 2009 British Touring Car Championship VX Racing 30 5 1 5 15 266 3rd 2010 British Touring Car Championship Uniq Racing with 888 3 2 0 0 2 38 14th Italian Superstars Championship N.Technology 6 4 3 3 5 100 6th International Superstars Series 77 5th V8 Supercar Championship Series Britek Motorsport 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC 2011 European Touring Car Cup Hartmann Honda Racing 2 1 1 0 2 21 1st Italian GT Championship - GT Cup AB Motorsport 2 1 0 0 1 19 23rd V8 Supercar Championship Series Britek Motorsport 2 0 0 0 0 39 82nd Scandinavian Touring Car Championship Hartmann Racing210012916th 24 Hours of Nürburgring - E1-XP2 Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus 1 0 0 0 1 N/A 2nd 2012 24 Hours of Nürburgring - E1-XP Global Partner Enterprise SA11??1N/A1st 2013 International Superstars Series Petri Corse 8 0 0 0 0 33 12th 2014 British Touring Car Championship Airwaves Racing 30 0 0 0 1 138 13th 2017 TCR Italy Touring Car Championship BF Motorsport 2 0 0 0 0 11 20th 2018 World Touring Car Cup Team Mulsanne 23 0 0 0 0 19 24th TCR Europe Touring Car Series 2 0 0 0 0 10 22nd

Complete International Formula 3000 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pts 1995 Alfa Corse 2 Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti HOC1 HOC2 AVU1 AVU2 NOR1 NOR2 DIE1 DIE2 NÜR1 NÜR2 ALE1 ALE2 HOC1 HOC2 NC 0

Complete Campeonato de España de Turismos (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Italian Superturismo Championship results

Complete European Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) † — Did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

Complete World Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 DC Points 2005 Squadra Corse Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo 156 ITA1 ITA2 FRA1 FRA2 GBR1 GBR2 SMR1 SMR2 MEX1 MEX2 BEL1 BEL2 GER126† GER2 TUR1 TUR2 ESP1 ESP2 MAC1 MAC2 3rd 81 2006 JAS Motorsport Honda Accord Euro R ITA1 ITA2 FRA1 FRA2 GBR1 GBR2 GER1 GER2 BRA1 BRA2 MEX1 MEX2 CZE1 CZE2 TUR1 TUR2 ESP1 ESP2 MAC1 MAC2 20th 8 † — Did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

Complete British Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position - 1 point awarded just in first race) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap - 1 point awarded all races) ( signifies that driver lead race for at least one lap - 1 point awarded all races)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Pos Pts 2006 VX Racing Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 MON1 MON2 MON3 OUL1 OUL2 OUL3 THR1 THR2 THR3 CRO1 CRO2 CRO3 DON1 DON2 DON3 SNE1 SNE2 SNE3 KNO1 KNO2 KNO3 BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 SIL1 SIL2 SIL3 5th 163 2007 VX Racing Vauxhall Vectra BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 ROC1 ROC2 ROC3 THR1 THR2 THR3 CRO1 CRO2 CRO3 OUL1 OUL2 OUL3 DON1 DON2 DON3 SNE1 SNE2 SNE3 BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 KNO1 KNO2 KNO3 THR1 THR2 THR3 1st 300 2008 VX Racing Vauxhall Vectra BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 ROC1 ROC2 ROC3 DON1 DON2 DON3 THR1 THR210* THR3 CRO1 CRO2 CRO3 SNE1 SNE2 SNE3 OUL1 OUL2 OUL3 KNO1 KNO2 KNO3 SIL1 SIL2 SIL3 BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 1st 262 2009 VX Racing Vauxhall Vectra BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 THR1 THR2 THR3 DON1 DON2 DON3 OUL1 OUL2 OUL3 CRO1 CRO2 CRO3 SNE1 SNE2 SNE3 KNO1 KNO2 KNO3 SIL1 SIL2 SIL3 ROC1 ROC2 ROC3 BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 3rd 266 2010 Uniq Racing with Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra THR1 THR2 THR3 ROC1 ROC2 ROC3 BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 OUL1 OUL2 OUL3 CRO1 CRO2 CRO3 SNE1 SNE2 SNE3 SIL1 SIL2 SIL3 KNO1 KNO2 KNO3 DON1 DON2 DON3 BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 14th 38 2014 Airwaves Racing Ford Focus ST Mk.III BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 DON1 DON2 DON3 THR1 THR2 THR3 OUL1 OUL2 OUL3 CRO1 CRO2 CRO3 SNE1 SNE2 SNE3 KNO1 KNO2 KNO3 ROC1 ROC2 ROC3 SIL1 SIL2 SIL3 BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 13th 138 Season still in progress.

Complete V8 Supercar Championship results Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Final pos Points 2008 Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon BF ADE ECK HAM PTH SAN HDV QLD WIN PHI Q PHI R BAT SUR BHR SYM OPK 45th 222 2010 Britek Motorsport Holden Commodore VE YMC R1 YMC R2 BHR R3 BHR R4 ADE R5 ADE R6 HAM R7 HAM R8 QLD R9 QLD R10 WIN R11 WIN R12 HDV R13 HDV R14 TOW R15 TOW R16 PHI R17 BAT R18 SUR R19 SUR R20 SYM R21 SYM R22 SAN R23 SAN R24 SYD R25 SYD R26 NC 0 + 2011 Britek Motorsport Holden Commodore VE YMC R1 YMC R2 ADE R3 ADE R4 HAM R5 HAM R6 PER R7 PER R8 PER R9 WIN R10 WIN R11 HDV R12 HDV R13 TOW R14 TOW R15 QLD R16 QLD R17 QLD R18 PHI R19 BAT R20 SUR R21 SUR R22 SYM R23 SYM R24 SAN R25 SAN R26 SYD R27 SYD R28 82nd 39 + Not Eligible for points

Bathurst 1000 results Year Team Car Co-driver Position Laps 2008 Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Falcon BF Marc Hynes 15th 159

Complete International Superstars Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 DC Points 2010 N. Technology Porsche Panamera S MNZ1 MNZ2 IMO1 IMO2 ALG1 ALG2 HOC1 HOC2 CPR1 CPR2 VAL1 VAL2 KYA1 KYA2 5th 77 2013 Petri Corse Porsche Panamera S MNZ1 MNZ2 BRN1 BRN2 SVK1 SVK2 ZOL1 ZOL2 ALG1 ALG2 DON1 DON2 IMO1 IMO2 VAL1 VAL2 12th 33

Complete World Touring Car Cup results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 DC Points 2018 Team Mulsanne Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR MAR1 MAR2 MAR3 HUN1 HUN2 HUN3 GER1 GER2 GER3 NED1 NED2 NED3 POR1 POR2 POR3 SVK1 SVK2 SVK3 CHN1 CHN2 CHN3 WUH1 WUH2 WUH3 JPN1 JPN2 JPN3 MAC1 MAC2 MAC3 24th 19 † Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

Complete TCR Europe Touring Car Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 DC Points 2018 Team Mulsanne Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR LEC1 LEC2 ZAN1 ZAN2 SPA1 SPA2 HUN1 HUN2 ASS1 ASS2 MNZ1 MNZ2 CAT1 CAT2 22nd 10

Personal life Giovanardi is married to Patrizia and has one son, Luca. Away from racing he works for his father's business and has a passion for house renovation and flying light aircraft.