Fabrizio Giovanardi
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| Fabrizio Giovanardi | |
|---|---|
| 2008 BTCC driver | |
| Nationality |  |
| Nickname | Fabio, Piedone, Gio |
| Car # | 1 |
| Team | VX Racing |
| Car | Vauxhall Vectra |
| Championships | 1 |
| Wins | 16 |
| Podium finishes | 30 |
| Poles | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 8 |
| Debut season | 2006 |
| Best championship result | 1st in 2007 |
| 2008 position | 1st (145 points) |
Fabrizio Giovanardi (born December 14, 1966) is a racecar driver. He was born in Sassuolo near Modena in Italy. Although most of his life he was brought up in Fiji and actually technically is a Fijian. This is because he was born whilst his parents were on holiday in Italy. Hence the choice of an Italian first name. Later in life he decided to move back to Italy to pursue his racing hobby.
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Fabrizio began his career karting before switching to Italian Formula 3. In season 1989 he switched to Formula 3000 to compete with First Racing and won the race in Vallelunga.
A move to touring cars brought better results, as he claimed the 1992 Italian championship. He then went on to claim numerous wins in European Touring Car Series including the 1997 Spanish Super Touring Championship. He also took the Italian championship in 1998 and 1999, before moving to the relaunched European Touring Car Championship.
In 2000, 2001 and 2002 he was European Touring Car Champion, driving for Alfa Romeo. He switched to a BMW for 2003, but struggled with the rear-wheel-drive car, and returned to Alfa for 2004.
Giovanardi finished third in the 2005 World Touring Car Championship, behind Andy Priaulx and Dirk Müller.
In 2006 he switched to the British Touring Car Championship, driving a Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch for VX Racing. He came close to a first win at Donington Park before a controversial final-corner collision with Colin Turkington. His first win (and Vauxhall's 100th in the BTCC) came at Knockhill. Fittingly, he was congratulated on live TV by John Cleland, the man who took Vauxhall's first win.
He then went on to take his 2nd win in the series at Brands Hatch, having passed Gordon Shedden under the safety car, and a strong second half of the season took him to 5th overall, passing James Thompson at the final meeting of the season.
On Wednesday 15th November 2006, Vauxhall confirmed they had retained Giovanardi alongside Tom Chilton for the 2007 BTCC season. Driving the team's new WTCC-spec Vectra, he rivalled Jason Plato for the championship. At the end of the season he claimed the title after battling for the whole season with Jason Plato.
He will defend his title in 2008, driving VX Racing's Vectra once again along with new team-mates Matt Neal and Tom Onslow-Cole.
[edit] External links
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Emanuele Naspetti |
Italian Touring Car Champion 1998-1999 |
Succeeded by Salvatore Tavano (2003) |
| Preceded by Roberto Ravaglia (1988) |
European Touring Car Champion 2000-2002 |
Succeeded by Gabriele Tarquini |
| Preceded by Matt Neal |
British Touring Car Champion 2007 |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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