Antonio Giovinazzi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Antonio Giovinazzi
Giovinazzi at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans
Born	Antonio Maria Giovinazzi (1993-12-14) 14 December 1993 (age 31) Martina Franca, Taranto, Italy
FIA World Endurance Championship career
Debut season	2016
Current team	Ferrari AF Corse
Racing licence	FIA Platinum
Car no.	51
Former teams	ESM
Starts	17
Championships	0
Wins	1
Podiums	4
Poles	1
Fastest laps	0
Best finish	4th in 2023 (HY)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Italian
Active years	2017, 2019–2021
Teams	Sauber, Alfa Romeo
Car number	99
Entries	62 (62 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	21
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	2017 Australian Grand Prix
Last entry	2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	2018, 2023–2024
Teams	AF Corse, Ferrari
Best finish	1st (2023)
Class wins	1 (2023)
Previous series
2022 2016 2015–2016 2015 2013–2015 2013 2012 2012	Formula E GP2 Series ALMS DTM FIA F3 European British F3 Formula Pilota China Formula Abarth
Championship titles
2015 2012	Masters of F3 Formula Pilota China

Antonio Maria Giovinazzi (born December 14, 1993) is an Italian racing driver. He races for Ferrari in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Antonio also competed in Formula One from 2017 to 2021.

In endurance racing, Antonio achieved a big win. He won the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 2023 with Ferrari. Antonio was born in Martina Franca, Taranto, Italy. He started kart racing when he was just six years old. He won many national and international titles in karting.

Antonio moved up to junior racing series in 2012. He won his first championship in Formula Pilota China that same year. After that, he was runner-up in the 2013 British Formula 3 International Series. He then raced in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. In 2015, he finished second and won the Masters of Formula 3.

Antonio also tried sportscar racing. He raced in some events of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters and the Asian Le Mans Series. In 2016, he joined the GP2 Series. He finished second in his first season with Prema.

Antonio became a reserve driver for Sauber, Ferrari, and Haas in 2017. He made his Formula One debut for Sauber at the 2017 Australian Grand Prix. He filled in for an injured driver, Pascal Wehrlein. After another year as a reserve driver, Antonio became a full-time driver for Sauber (which became Alfa Romeo) in 2019.

He scored his first F1 points at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix. His best finish was fifth place in Brazil. Antonio stayed with Alfa Romeo for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He scored more points in races like Monaco and Saudi Arabia. After 2021, he left Alfa Romeo but continued as a reserve driver for Ferrari.

In 2021, Antonio moved to Formula E, an electric racing series. He raced for Dragon but didn't score any points. In 2023, Antonio joined the Ferrari 499P Hypercar project. This was a new car for the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship. He won the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans with his teammates James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi.

Antonio's Early Life

Antonio Maria Giovinazzi was born on December 14, 1993, in Martina Franca, Taranto, Italy.

Antonio's Junior Racing Career

Starting in Karting

Antonio Giovinazzi began racing karts in 2000. By 2006, he was a champion in the Italian National Trophy 60cc. He also won the Euro Trophy 60 championships. In 2010 and 2011, he won the WSK Master Series in the KF2 class.

Racing in Formula Pilota China

In 2012, Antonio started his single-seater career in Formula Pilota China. He won the championship in his first year, taking six wins. He also raced in the last round of the 2012 Formula Abarth season. He won two races there as a guest driver.

Moving to Formula Three

Antonio raced in the 2013 British Formula Three Championship in 2013. He won two races and finished second in the championship. He also took part in the 2013 Masters of Formula 3 race, finishing 10th.

Giovinazzi at the Hockenheimring in 2014.

In 2013, Antonio also started in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. He scored his first points at Brands Hatch. His best finish was 6th at Hockenheim. He ended the season in 15th place.

Giovinazzi racing in 2014.

Antonio continued in the championship in 2014 with Carlin. He got his first Formula 3 podium, finishing 2nd at Hockenheim. He then won his first race at the Red Bull Ring. He won another race at the Nürburgring. He finished 6th in the championship with two wins and seven podiums.

In 2015, Antonio kept racing in the championship. He was a strong contender for the title. He ended up as the championship runner-up. He had six wins and twenty podium finishes. He also won the 2015 Masters of Formula 3 race.

After his European Formula 3 season, Antonio raced in the 2015 Macau Grand Prix. He started 4th but had a crash in the qualifying race. He still managed to finish 4th in the main race.

Racing in GP2 Series

Giovinazzi driving at Silverstone during the 2016 GP2 Season.

Antonio joined the GP2 Series in 2016 with Prema Powerteam. He had a tough start but then won both races in Baku. This was a big achievement, as he was the first driver to win both races in a weekend since 2012.

He took pole position at Spa and won the Sprint Race there. At Monza, he won the Feature Race even after starting from the back. Antonio took the lead in the championship at Sepang. However, his teammate Pierre Gasly won the final race. Gasly won the championship by 8 points, and Antonio finished second.

If Antonio had won, he would have been the first rookie champion since 2009. He would also have been the last GP2 champion, as the series changed to FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2017.

Antonio's Formula One Career

On September 5, 2016, Antonio started working on the simulator for Ferrari. In December, he was confirmed as Ferrari's third driver.

Starting as a Reserve Driver (2017–2018)

Giovinazzi testing for Sauber in 2017.

Antonio took part in pre-season testing for the 2017 season with Sauber. He made his F1 debut at the 2017 Australian Grand Prix. He replaced Pascal Wehrlein, who was injured. Antonio finished 12th in his first race. He was the first Italian driver to start an F1 race since 2011. He also raced in the 2017 Chinese Grand Prix, but crashed in qualifying and the race.

Giovinazzi testing for Haas in 2017.

Antonio also took part in seven practice sessions for the Haas F1 Team in 2017. He remained a reserve and test driver for Sauber and Ferrari in 2018. He participated in six practice sessions for Sauber that year.

Racing for Alfa Romeo (2019–2021)

2019 Season

Giovinazzi testing the Alfa Romeo C38 in 2019.

Antonio raced for Alfa Romeo in 2019. His teammate was Kimi Räikkönen. He didn't score points in the first eight races. Then, he scored his first F1 point at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix, finishing 10th. This was the first point for an Italian driver in F1 since 2010.

Giovinazzi at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix.

He had a mechanical problem in the 2019 British Grand Prix and retired. He also crashed on the last lap of the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix. This crash made Alfa Romeo think about his future. At this point, Antonio had only one point, while Kimi had 31.

The second half of the season was better for Antonio. He scored points at his home race, the 2019 Italian Grand Prix. At the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix, he led the race for four laps. This was his first time leading an F1 Grand Prix. He finished 10th, scoring points again. At the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix, he had his best finish, coming in fifth place. Antonio ended the season in 17th place with 14 points.

2020 Season

Giovinazzi during pre-season testing in 2020.

Antonio and Kimi Räikkönen stayed with Alfa Romeo for the 2020 season. Antonio scored points in the first race in Austria, finishing ninth. In the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix, he crashed and a wheel from his car hit George Russell's car, causing both to retire.

He was also in a big accident at the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix. He scored points again at the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix and the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. At the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, he reached the third qualifying session (Q3) for the first time since 2019. He had to retire from that race due to gearbox problems.

Antonio finished 17th in the drivers' championship with four points. He had the same points as Kimi, but Kimi was ahead because he had more ninth-place finishes. Antonio outqualified Kimi in nine of the 17 races.

2021 Season

Giovinazzi at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix.

Antonio and Kimi Räikkönen were still with Alfa Romeo for the 2021 season. Antonio qualified 10th for the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. He finished the race in 10th place, scoring Alfa Romeo's first point of the season. He then finished eleventh in Azerbaijan.

Antonio left Alfa Romeo at the end of the 2021 season. He became a reserve driver for Ferrari, sharing duties with Mick Schumacher. He also acted as a reserve driver for Ferrari's customer teams, Alfa Romeo and Haas.

Test Driver Roles (2022–Present)

In September 2022, Antonio tested the Ferrari SF21 car. This was to prepare for free practice sessions. Antonio was a test driver for Haas in 2022. He took part in practice sessions at the Italian and United States Grands Prix. In the US, he crashed early and couldn't continue. He apologized to his team for the mistake. He also tested for Alpine at the Hungaroring.

Antonio kept his reserve driver role with Ferrari for 2023. This was alongside his main racing in the World Endurance Championship.

Antonio's Sportscar Racing Career

Le Mans Series

In 2016, Antonio raced in the 2015–16 Asian Le Mans Series in the LMP2 class. He won both races he entered. He then raced in the Silverstone round of the 2016 European Le Mans Series, finishing 5th.

FIA World Endurance Championship

Racing for ESM (2016)

In the FIA World Endurance Championship, Antonio raced in two rounds in 2016. He finished 4th in the LMP2 class at the 2016 6 Hours of Fuji. He then finished 2nd at the 2016 6 Hours of Shanghai.

Racing for AF Corse (2018)

He took part in the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He drove a Ferrari 488 GTE for the AF Corse Ferrari team. He finished 5th in the LMGTE PRO category and 20th overall.

Racing for Ferrari (2023–Present)

2023 Season

The #51 Ferrari 499P driven by Antonio Giovinazzi and his teammates.

On January 10, 2023, it was announced that Antonio would drive the #51 Ferrari 499P Hypercar. He joined the Ferrari AF Corse team for the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship. His teammates were James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi.

Antonio's first win as a factory Ferrari driver came at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. This was a very important win for Ferrari. It was 50 years after their last top-class entry in 1973.

2024 Season

Antonio kept his seat for the 2024 season. He raced in the same #51 car with the same teammates.

Other Racing Antonio Has Done

Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM)

Antonio impressed Audi Sport Team Phoenix during a DTM test in 2015. He was called to replace a suspended driver for a race in Moscow. He finished 19th and 21st in those races.

Formula E

Giovinazzi at the 2022 Mexico City ePrix.

After leaving Formula One in 2021, Antonio joined Dragon Penske Autosport for the 2021–22 Formula E World Championship. He had to miss the final race due to a thumb injury. Antonio finished 23rd in the championship and didn't score any points. He was the only full-time driver that season not to score points. Antonio left the team after that season.

Racing Career Summary

^† As Giovinazzi was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.

Images for kids

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  Giovinazzi testing for Sauber in 2017 at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

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  Giovinazzi testing for Haas during the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix.

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  Giovinazzi testing the Alfa Romeo Racing C38 at Barcelona in 2019

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  Giovinazzi at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix.

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  Giovinazzi in 2020, during pre-season testing

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  Giovinazzi at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix

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  1. 51 Ferrari 499P from Scuderia Ferrari driven by Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado, and Alessandro Pier Guidi
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  Giovinazzi at the 2022 Mexico City ePrix, his third Formula E appearance.

See Also

In Spanish: Antonio Giovinazzi para niños