Vitantonio "Tonio" Liuzzi (born 6 August 19811) is an Italian race driver who currently drives for the Force India Formula One team.2 He lives in Pescara, Italy.
Karting
Born in Locorotondo, BA, Apulia, Liuzzi, like many auto racing drivers, began his career in kart racing (at age 9). He won the 1993 Italian Karting Championship, and in 1995 took second in the Karting World Championship and placed fifth in the European Championship. He won the Karting World Championship in 2001. He beat Formula One champion Michael Schumacher at Kerpen, Schumacher's 'home' track.3
Formula Renault, F3 and F3000
Liuzzi then moved to cars, finishing second in the 2001 German Formula Renault Championship. Racing in the German Formula Three Championship, however, he scored only ninth place. That same year he did win the San Marino International F3 race and had test drives for the Coloni Formula 3000 team and Williams, the Formula One constructor.4 Red Bull hired Liuzzi for the 2003 F3000 season, in which he finished fourth. He moved to the Arden team for the following F3000 season, where he won seven of the ten races, securing the title with one race left.5
Formula One (2005 - present)
Winter 2004 Formula One speculation
Liuzzi's performance in Formula 3000 led to speculation that Ferrari might employ him,6 either as a test driver at their Formula One team, or at Sauber, the Formula One team that Ferrari had a close association with as its longtime engine supplier. He did have a test drive with Sauber in September 2004,7 but shortly before he tested they announced they had signed former world champion Jacques Villeneuve to a two-year contract.8 In November 2004 Liuzzi was given a test drive by Red Bull, who hired him for 2005 in January.9
Red Bull Racing
Initially it seemed that he might be given the seat along with David Coulthard, but Red Bull chose Christian Klien,10 leaving Liuzzi as the test driver. Despite good performances by Klien in the first three races, Red Bull abided by an agreement they made before the season that both he and Liuzzi would be able to race. Liuzzi would replace Klien for the San Marino, Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix. Liuzzi scored his maiden point on his debut after both BAR drivers were disqualified at San Marino. Following the Spanish Grand Prix and Monaco, he was given one more race at the European Grand Prix, before his seat was returned to Klien for the Canadian Grand Prix.
Toro Rosso
Following Red Bull's purchase of the Minardi team (renamed Scuderia Toro Rosso: Team Red Bull in Italian), Liuzzi was rewarded with a full-season seat in the "B-team".11 At the United States Grand Prix, he scored the team's first point, with an eighth place finish after a race-long battle with Coulthard and Nico Rosberg. However, that was the only point the team would score in 2006.
Liuzzi was confirmed with the team for the 2007 season at the launch of the STR2 on 13 February 2007.12 Unfortunately, during the first half of his season his races were plagued by mistakes similar to his former team mate's. He seemed likely to score his first points of the season at Canada, but instead he crashed into the infamous "Wall of Champions" at the exit of the final chicane. He also faced constant speculation over keeping his seat, as the team openly courted both Sebastian Vettel and Champcar series champion Sebastian Bourdais. His team mate Scott Speed claimed Red Bull wanted to replace both himself and Liuzzi.13Once Bourdais' contract for 2008 was announced, Liuzzi's performances improved. After being denied a world championship point in Japan by to a post-race time penalty, he drove what many consider the best race of his Formula 1 career in China. Narrowly missing out on Q3 by qualifying 11th, he gained three places at the start, then overtook Mark Webber of the 'works' Red Bull team, as well as the BMW of Nick Heidfeld. Throughout the race he kept pace with 5th-placed Jenson Button's Honda, and held off a late charge from Heidfeld to finish 6th and collect three points.citation needed
Force India (2009 - Present)
On 10 August 2007 Toro Rosso confirmed that SĂ©bastien Bourdais would drive for them in 2008, leaving Liuzzi without a seat.14 Liuzzi's manager, former Lotus boss Peter Collins, confirmed that Liuzzi wished to continue his involvement in F1.15 He had been linked to a test drive role with Williams, but it eventually went to Nico HĂĽlkenberg.16 He then secured the role of test driver for the Force India F1 team on 10 January 2008.17 Liuzzi stated he hoped to move up to a race seat in 2010 as he is contracted until 2011, but the contracts of his teammates Adrian Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella would not expire until the end of 2009.18
On 3 September 2009, Force India released Fisichella so he could replace Luca Badoer at Ferrari, who had filled in for two races for injured driver Felipe Massa. On 7 September 2009, Force India announced that Liuzzi would drive for them in the remaining five races of the 2009 Formula One season. He made his race debut for Force India at the 2009 Italian Grand Prix and qualified an impressive seventh, given the fact he started the race with a heavier fuel load than his younger teammate Sutil. He was running solidly in the points, before retiring after 22 laps with a transmission problem.
On 27th November 2009 Force India announced that it kept Adrian Sutil and Liuzzi as drivers for 2010.
Racing record
Career summary
Complete International Formula 3000 results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Formula One results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicates fastest lap)
Personal
In addition to his native Italian, Liuzzi speaks English and French. He is also known for his piercings: presently three, in his left upper ear, left eyebrow and left lower ear.
References
- ^ Liuzzi's year of birth is a matter of dispute. Some sources such as the FORIX Formula 1 database and www.formula1news.it [1] nominate it as 1980, whereas other sources such as Liuzzi's official website [2] and www.f1db.com [3] identify it as 1981.
- ^ Force India Confirm Liuzzi Planet-F1.com 7 September 2009
- ^ Schumi returns to kart roots. BBC News, 28 October 2001
- ^ Italians get Williams chance". BBC News, 6 November 2002
- ^ Liuzzi claims F3000 title". BBC News, 28 August 2004
- ^ Ferrari 'seek Liuzzi deal'". BBC News, 28 July 2004
- ^ Liuzzi given Sauber chance. BBC News, 2 September 2004
- ^ http://xserve2.com/ns/ns13501.html - GrandPrix.com. "Sauber announces Villeneuve deal" 15 September 2004.
- ^ Red Bull take on Liuzzi and Klien. BBC News, 5 January 2005
- ^ Red Bull name Klien second driver. BBC News, 13 January 2005
- ^ Toro Rosso confirm Liuzzi and Speed". NewsOnF1, December 6, 2005
- ^ "Toro Rosso confirms Liuzzi but Speed has to wait". grandprix.com. 2007-02-13. http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns18035.html. Retrieved 2007-02-14.
- ^ "Speed says Toro Rosso want rid of him and Liuzzi". uk.reuters.com. 2007-07-23. http://uk.reuters.com/article/motorSportsNews/idUKL2389326620070723. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
- ^ "Bourdais signs for Toro Rosso". BBC Sport. 2007-08-10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6940058.stm. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
- ^ "Liuzzi aiming to stay in F1 in 2008". autosport.com. 2007-08-13. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61508. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
- ^ "So what happens to Tonio Liuzzi?". grandprix.com. 2007-08-14. http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns19522.html. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
- ^ "Mallya confirms Fisichella at Force India". autosport.com. 2007-01-10. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64588. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
- ^ English, Steven; Lostia, Michele (2009-04-22). "Liuzzi eyes race return in 2010". autosport.com. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74694. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
External links
