Piergiuseppe Perazzini

Piergiuseppe Perazzini (born 25 January 1956) is an Italian surgeon and racing driver who last competed in the GT3 class of the Le Mans Cup for AF Corse. A long-serving gentleman driver, he was successful for Ferrari at LMGTE Am level in WEC and ELMS, and is a six-time winner of the 6 Hours of Vallelunga, a record he shares with Marco Cioci.

Personal life Alongside his racing career, Perazzini works as a surgeon and is the president of Clinica San Francesco in Verona, which was founded by his parents in 1956.

Career Perazzini made his car racing debut in 1997, racing in the Misano 12 Hours for Megadrive. Six years later, Perazzini made his full-time debut in cars, as he joined Racing Box to compete in the Italian GT Championship aboard a Chrysler Viper GTS-R. After securing wins at Misano and Pergusa, Perazzini won both races at Magione and secured his first Italian GT title with a sixth win of the season at Vallelunga. During 2003, Perazzini also made a one-off appearance in the GT class of the FIA GT Championship for Megadrive at Monza.

Remaining with Megadrive for 2004, Perazzini began the season by taking wins at Imola, Monza and Magione, before ending the season with a win at Vallelunga five rounds later to clinch his second consecutive Italian GT title. Continuing with Megadrive as they switched to a Maserati MC12 for 2005, Perazzini scored five wins and four other podiums en route to a third-place points finish. During 2005, Perazzini also finished third in the Mil Milhas Brasileiras for Racing Box. Another season in Italian GT with Racing Box then ensued, in which he scored a lone win at Monza en route to a ninth-place points finish. During 2006, Perazzini also raced with the same team for most of the International GT Open season, as well as the 6 Hours of Vallelunga, which he won alongside Pedro Lamy and Marco Cioci.

In 2007, Perazzini moved to the Le Mans Series as Racing Box campaigned a Saleen S7-R in the GT1 class, scoring a lone podium at Valencia to end the year seventh in points. Perazzini then returned to the Italian GT Championship for 2008, beginning a prolific Ferrari career with three podiums as he ended the season 10th in points, before capping off the year with his second win at the 6 Hours of Vallelunga, this time for Advanced Engineering. The following year, Perazzini continued with Megadrive for a dual program in both International GT Open and Italian GT, in which he found more success in the latter as he secured runner-up honors in GT2 with five wins to his name.

Joining AF Corse for 2010, Perazzini raced a Ferrari F430 GTC in the GT2 class of the Italian GT Championship, in which he scored an outright win at Mugello and a class win at Magione to secure a fifth-place points finish. During 2010, Perazzini also competed in the LMP2 class of the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Racing Box. Remaining with AF Corse for 2011, Perazzini finished runner-up in the LMGTE Am standings of the Le Mans Series with a best result of second. During 2011, Perazzini also raced with them at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as the 6 Hours of Vallelunga, which he won as he secured the Endurance Champions Cup title.

Perazzini during the early hours of the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, before he collided with Anthony Davidson's Toyota.

The following year, Perazzini won the inaugural Gulf 12 Hours, before finishing runner-up in the LMGTE Am standings of the European Le Mans Series with the new Ferrari 458 Italia GT2. During the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, Perazzini suffered a spectacular crash as he tagged the rear of the No. 8 Toyota of Anthony Davidson at Mulsanne corner, sending Davidson airborne and into the barrier at high speed. Davidson fractured his T11 and T12 vertebrae. Perazzini was unhurt, and returned two months later to take his first FIA World Endurance Championship win at the 6 Hours of Silverstone. In 2013, Perazzini remained with AF Corse for another season in the LMGTE class of the European Le Mans Series, in which he scored a pair of podiums to end the year fourth in points. During 2013, Perazzini also finished second in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and scored his third 6 Hours of Vallelunga win towards the end of the year.

Perazzini returned to Le Mans in 2013 with AF Corse and Ferrari, clinching a podium in LMGTE Am.

Continuing with AF Corse for another ELMS season in 2014, Perazzini finished sixth in the LMGTE standings with a best result of second at Estoril, before ending the year with a win at the 6 Hours of Vallelunga and a class podium at the Gulf 12 Hours. During 2014, Perazzini also raced in select rounds of the United SportsCar Championship for Spirit of Race in GTD. After a season in the Blancpain Endurance Series and an appearance at the 2015 12 Hours of Sebring, Perazzini returned to the European Le Mans Series for the following year, scoring a best result of second at the Red Bull Ring en route to an eighth-place points finish in GTE. During 2016, Perazzini also raced a Ferrari 488 for AF Corse in a one-off appearance in International GT Open, as well as competing for AT Racing at the 24 Hours of Spa.

In 2017, Perazzini remained with AF Corse as he returned to International GT Open, in which he scored a lone Pro-Am win at Spa and three other podiums to end the year runner-up in points. At the end of the year, Perazzini won the 6 Hours of Vallelunga for the same team, driving a Ligier JS P3. After starting 2018 in the 24H Proto Series for Spirit of Race, Perazzini returned to AF Corse for the rest of the year to race in the GT3 class of the Le Mans Cup, in which he scored a lone win at Road to Le Mans to end the season fourth in points. Towards the end of 2018, Perazzini represented Italy in the only edition of the FIA GT Nations Cup alongside Matteo Cressoni.

Racing record Racing career summary

Complete FIA GT Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete European Le Mans Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 2010 Racing Box Luca Pirri Marco Cioci Lola B08/80 LMP2 57 DNF DNF 2011 AF Corse Marco Cioci Seán Paul Breslin Ferrari F430 GTE LMGTE Am 188 DNF DNF 2012 AF Corse Niki Cadei Matt Griffin Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 LMGTE Am 70 DNF DNF 2013 AF Corse Darryl O'Young Lorenzo Casè Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 LMGTE Am 305 26th 2nd

Complete GT World Challenge results GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rank Points 2014 Spirit of Race GTD Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 Ferrari 4.5 L V8 DAY SEB LAG DET WGL MOS IMS ELK VIR COA PET 60th 32 2015 AF Corse GTD Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 Ferrari 4.5 L V8 DAY SEB LAG DET WGL LIM ELK VIR COA PET 62nd 1

Complete Le Mans Cup results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Class Chassis 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rank Points 2018 AF Corse GT3 Ferrari 488 GT3 LEC MNZ LMS1 LMS2 RBR SPA ALG 4th 78