Vitantonio "Tonio" Liuzzi (born 6 August 1980) is an Italian professional racing driver who formerly raced in
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship ...
for the
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwide, inc ...
,
Toro Rosso,
Force India and
HRT teams.
Karting
Born in
Locorotondo,
BA, Apulia, Liuzzi, like many auto racing drivers, began his career in
kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a road racing variant of motorsport with open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on ...
(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
The Karting World Championship is a kart racing competition organised by the CIK- FIA. It is held annually since 1964, and is karting's flagship event. The FIA (International Automobile Federation) created the CIK (International Karting Commis ...
in 2001. He beat Formula One
champion
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, ...
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher (; ; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver who competed in Formula One for Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari, and Mercedes. Schumacher has a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Lewis ...
at Kerpen, Schumacher's 'home' track.
Formula Renault, F3 and F3000
Liuzzi then moved to
cars
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
, finishing second in the 2001
German Formula Renault
The Formula Renault Northern European Cup (formerly Formula Renault 2.0 NEC) was a Formula Renault, Formula Renault 2.0 championship originally held in Northern Europe (Germany, Netherlands and Belgium), but has expanded over the years to the whol ...
Championship. Racing in the German
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3, abbreviated as F3, is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One dr ...
Championship, however, he scored only ninth place. That same year he did win the
Imola International F3 race and had test drives for the
Coloni Formula 3000
Formula 3000 (F3000) was a type of open wheel, single seater formula racing, occupying the tier immediately below Formula One and above Formula Three. It was so named because the cars were powered by 3.0 L engines.
Formula 3000 championship ...
team and
Williams, the Formula One constructor. 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.
Formula One (2005–2012)
Winter 2004 Formula One speculation
Liuzzi's performance in Formula 3000 led to speculation that
Ferrari might employ him, 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
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy.
Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ...
supplier. He did have a test drive with Sauber in September 2004, but shortly before he tested they announced they had signed former World Champion
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve ( born 9 April 1971) is a Canadian professional racing driver and amateur musician who won the 1997 Formula One World Championship with Williams. In addition to Formula One (F1) he has competed in various o ...
to a two-year contract. In November 2004 Liuzzi was given a test drive by
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwide, inc ...
, who hired him for 2005 in January.
Red Bull (2005)
Initially it seemed that he might be given the seat along with
David Coulthard
David Marshall Coulthard (; born 27 March 1971) is a British former racing driver from Scotland, later turned presenter, commentator and journalist. Nicknamed 'DC', he competed in 15 seasons of Formula One between and , taking 13 Grand Prix vi ...
, but Red Bull chose
Christian Klien, 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 Klien would be able to race. Liuzzi would replace Klien for the
San Marino
San Marino (, ), officially the Republic of San Marino ( it, Repubblica di San Marino; ), also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino ( it, Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino, links=no), is the fifth-smallest country in the world an ...
,
Spanish and
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign
''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word ...
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 (2006–2007)
Following
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwide, inc ...
's purchase of the
Minardi
Minardi was an Italian automobile racing team and constructor founded in Faenza in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. It competed in the Formula One World Championship from 1985 until 2005 with little success, nevertheless acquiring a loyal followin ...
team – thereafter renamed
Scuderia Toro Rosso
Scuderia Toro Rosso (; literal translation of "Red Bull Racing Team"), commonly known as Toro Rosso or by its abbreviation STR, was an Italian Formula One racing team. It was one of two Formula One teams owned by Austrian beverage company Red ...
, Italian for Team Red Bull – Liuzzi was rewarded with a full-season seat in the "B-team". At the
2006 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
Nico Erik Rosberg (born 27 June 1985) is a German-Finnish former professional racing driver. He competed in Formula One from 2006 to 2016, winning the World Drivers' Championship in with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. The only child of Fin ...
. However, that was the only point the team would score in .
Liuzzi was confirmed with the team for the season at the launch of the
STR2 on 13 February 2007. Unfortunately, during the first half of his season his races were plagued by mistakes similar to his former teammate's. He seemed likely to score his first points of the season at
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
, 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
Sebastian Vettel (; born 3 July 1987) is a German racing driver who competed in Formula One from 2007 to 2022 for BMW Sauber, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. Vettel is one of the most successful drivers in Formula One histor ...
and Champcar series champion
Sébastien Bourdais
Sébastien Olivier Bourdais (born 28 February 1979) is a French professional racing driver. He is one of the most successful drivers in the history of American open-wheel car racing, having won 37 races. He won four successive championships un ...
. His teammate
Scott Speed
Scott Andrew Speed (born January 24, 1983) is an American race car driver who has competed in numerous disciplines, including open-wheel, stock car, and rallycross racing.
In , Speed became the first American driver to race in Formula One sin ...
claimed Red Bull wanted to replace both himself and Liuzzi. Once Bourdais' contract for 2008 was announced, Liuzzi's performances improved. After being denied a world championship point in
Japan by a post-race time penalty, he drove what many consider the best race of his Formula One 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
Jenson Alexander Lyons Button (born 19 January 1980) is a British racing driver. He won the 2009 Formula One World Championship when he drove for the Brawn GP team. After his F1 career, he became champion of the 2018 season of the Super ...
's
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
, and held off a late charge from Heidfeld to finish 6th and collect three points.
Force India (2008–2010)
On 10 August 2007 Toro Rosso confirmed that Sébastien Bourdais would drive for them in 2008, leaving Liuzzi without a seat. Liuzzi's manager, former
Lotus
Lotus may refer to:
Plants
*Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly:
** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae
**Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...
boss Peter Collins, confirmed that Liuzzi wished to continue his involvement in F1. He had been linked to a test drive role with
Williams, but it eventually went to
Nico Hülkenberg. He then secured the role of test driver for the
Force India F1
Force India Formula One Team Limited, commonly known as Force India and later Sahara Force India, was a Formula One racing team and constructor based in Silverstone, United Kingdom, with an Indian licence. The team was formed in October 20 ...
team on 10 January 2008. Liuzzi stated he hoped to move up to a race seat in as he is contracted until , but the contracts of his teammates
Adrian Sutil and
Giancarlo Fisichella
Giancarlo Fisichella (; born 14 January 1973), also known as Fisico, Giano or Fisi, is an Italian professional racing driver, also captain of the official ''Nazionale Piloti'' association football team (composed of the racing drivers). He has ...
would not expire until the end of .
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
Felipe Massa (, born 25 April 1981) is a Brazilian racing driver. He competed in 15 seasons of Formula One between 2002 and 2017, where he scored 11 Grand Prix victories, 41 podiums and finished as championship runner-up in 2008 by one poi ...
. 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 27 November 2009
Force India announced that it kept
Adrian Sutil and Liuzzi as drivers for 2010.
Liuzzi achieved his first-points scoring finish since the
2007 Chinese Grand Prix
The 2007 Chinese Grand Prix (officially the 2007 Formula 1 Sinopec Chinese Grand Prix) was the sixteenth race of the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship. It was held on 7 October 2007 at Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China. The rac ...
in the season-opening
2010 Bahrain Grand Prix. He finished ninth in the race, picking up two points due to the introduction of a new points system in Formula One in 2010. At the following round in
Australia, he finished seventh in changeable weather conditions collecting a further six points. In
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign
''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word ...
Liuzzi finished ninth, scoring another two points for Force India. At the , Liuzzi qualified in a career-best sixth, which improved to fifth after
Mark Webber's gearbox change. In the race, Liuzzi finished ninth after tangling with
Felipe Massa
Felipe Massa (, born 25 April 1981) is a Brazilian racing driver. He competed in 15 seasons of Formula One between 2002 and 2017, where he scored 11 Grand Prix victories, 41 podiums and finished as championship runner-up in 2008 by one poi ...
at the first corner. He scored another point at
Spa-Francorchamps, after
Jaime Alguersuari was penalised post-race for gaining an advantage from cutting the Bus Stop chicane in the closing laps. He matched his career best finish of sixth at the , and eventually finished 15th in the championship with 21 points, a career best.
Although he had a valid contract with
Force India for , Liuzzi was replaced by
Paul di Resta.
HRT (2011–2012)
Liuzzi was considered as a possible replacement for
Robert Kubica
Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing and rally driver. He was the first and, , the only Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. Between 2006 and 2009 he drove for the BMW Sauber F1 team, promoted from test d ...
at
Lotus Renault GP for the 2011 season, after Kubica sustained life-threatening injuries in a rally crash in Italy on 8 February. However, despite rumours suggesting that Kubica wanted Liuzzi to be his replacement, the team opted to employ
Nick Heidfeld to fill the role instead.
Subsequently, Liuzzi was announced that he would be testing for
Hispania Racing at
Circuit de Catalunya
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya () is a motorsport race track in Montmeló, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is seen as an all-rounder circuit. The track has stands ...
, as the Spanish team evaluated him for their second race seat alongside
Narain Karthikeyan. Liuzzi was confirmed in this role on 9 March 2011. He did not qualify for the and retired in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
after the team withdrew him for safety reasons. He recorded his first finishes with the team with a pair of 22nd-place finishes in
China and
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
but retired in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
with a gearbox issue. He took a 16th-place finish in
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign
''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word ...
, and a 13th place in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
, Hispania's best finish to date. After a 23rd-place finish at
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
and an 18th at the , he failed to finish in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
with electrical problems. Liuzzi finished as the final classified finisher in
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...
(20th), and
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
(19th), before a first-lap retirement in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
after contact with
Heikki Kovalainen
Heikki Johannes Kovalainen (; born 19 October 1981) is a Finnish racing driver competing in the Japan Rally Championship for Rally Team AICELLO. He raced in Formula One between 2007 and 2013 for the Renault, McLaren, Team Lotus, Caterham and ...
. As a result of the contact, Liuzzi slid across the grass and directly into
Vitaly Petrov and
Nico Rosberg
Nico Erik Rosberg (born 27 June 1985) is a German-Finnish former professional racing driver. He competed in Formula One from 2006 to 2016, winning the World Drivers' Championship in with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. The only child of Fin ...
. He finished as the final classified finisher in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
(20th),
Japan (23rd) and
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republi ...
(21st).
For the , he was replaced by
Narain Karthikeyan, who took a race seat in front of his home fans alongside
Daniel Ricciardo. Liuzzi returned to his race seat in
Abu Dhabi however, and again finished as the final classified finisher, in twentieth place. In the final race at
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, he qualified 21st ahead of his teammate Ricciardo and both of the
Virgin
Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
cars and was running ahead of Ricciardo in the race when he was forced to retire from the race due to an alternator failure on lap 61.
Liuzzi stated in January 2012 that, while he had a contract to continue with the team in , his position within the team was uncertain. In February 2012 it was announced that
Narain Karthikeyan had been handed the final race seat; leaving Liuzzi without a drive.
Superstars Series (2012–2013)
Without a drive in Formula One, Liuzzi looked for other racing options. He eventually joined the
International Superstars Series for the
2012 season, driving for CAAL Racing in a
Mercedes C63 AMG. He took his first podium finish at the first race during the first round in Monza, and he took his first win of the season during the second race of that round.
Super GT and Super Formula (2014)
In 2014, Liuzzi moved to Japan and competed in
Super GT
Super GT (stylized as SUPER GT) is a sports car racing, grand touring car racing series that began in 1993. Launched as the , generally referred to as either the JGTC or the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, the series was renamed to Super ...
(GT500 class) and
Super Formula. In his
first season of Super GT, he drove for the
Autobacs Racing Team Aguri (ARTA) team along with
Kosuke Matsuura.
Racing record
Career summary
As Liuzzi was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
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'' indicate fastest lap)
Driver did not finish the Grand Prix, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.
Complete A1 Grand Prix results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete Speedcar Series results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete V8 Supercar results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
+ Not Eligible for points
Complete International Superstars Series results
(
key) (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)
Complete Super GT results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete Super Formula results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete Formula E results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Personal
In addition to his native Italian, Liuzzi speaks English and French. He was previously known for his piercings in his left upper ear, left eyebrow and left lower ear. He is married to Francesca Caldarelli which made Liuzzi a brother-in-law of
Andrea Caldarelli.
In 2013, Liuzzi and
Johnny Herbert mentored 6 contestants in a primetime
ITV4
ITV4 is a British free-to-air television channel which was launched on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV network. The channel has a line-up that consists of sports, cult classi ...
reality series, with the aim of taking players of the ''
Gran Turismo'' videogames to the
Dubai 24 Hour race as real drivers. Other countries in Europe had heats mentored by
Sébastien Buemi
Sébastien Olivier Buemi (born 31 October 1988) is a Swiss professional racing driver, who competes in the FIA Formula E Championship for Envision Racing. He competed for Scuderia Toro Rosso in Formula One from 2009 to 2011. After leaving Formul ...
.
Notes
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liuzzi, Vitantonio
1980 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Pescara
Italian racing drivers
Italian Formula One drivers
International Formula 3000 Champions
International Formula 3000 drivers
A1 Team Italy drivers
German Formula Three Championship drivers
German Formula Renault 2.0 drivers
Formula Renault Eurocup drivers
Speedcar Series drivers
Karting World Championship drivers
Supercars Championship drivers
Red Bull Formula One drivers
Toro Rosso Formula One drivers
Force India Formula One drivers
HRT Formula One drivers
Superstars Series drivers
FIA World Endurance Championship drivers
Super GT drivers
Super Formula drivers
Formula E drivers
Stock Car Brasil drivers
International GT Open drivers
Arden International drivers
French Formula Three Championship drivers
Italian Formula Three Championship drivers
A1 Grand Prix drivers
Asian Le Mans Series drivers
Opel Team BSR drivers
Kolles Racing drivers
RC Motorsport drivers
RSM Marko drivers
Team Aguri drivers
Super Nova Racing drivers