Gianni Morbidelli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gianni Morbidelli
Morbidelli at the 2014 FIA WTCC Race of Belgium.
Nationality	Italian
Born	(1968-01-13) 13 January 1968 (age 57) Pesaro, Italy
World Touring Car Championship career
Debut season	2006
Current team	ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport
Car no.	10
Former teams	N. Technology
Starts	42
Wins	1
Poles	1
Fastest laps	0
Best finish	9th in 2014
Previous series
2017 2016 2015 2014 2010–2012 2009–2013 2006 2002 2001 2000 1998 1996 1995 1993 1990–1997	TCR TCR TCR WTCC V8 Supercars Superstars Series WTCC ETCC Euro STC Euro STC BTCC Italian Superturismo Italian Superturismo Italian Superturismo Formula One

Gianni Morbidelli (born January 13, 1968) is a famous Italian racing driver. He competed in 70 Formula One races, starting his career in 1990. Gianni achieved one podium finish and earned a total of 8.5 championship points. He last raced in the TCR International Series.

Racing Career

Early Days in Racing

Gianni Morbidelli was born in Pesaro, Italy. His father, Giancarlo Morbidelli, started the Morbidelli motorcycle company. This company had great success in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Gianni began karting in 1980, which is a type of racing with small, open-wheel vehicles.

In 1986, he won the EUR-AM championship. After that, he moved on to Italian Formula Three. He became the Italian Formula 3 and Formula 3 European Cup champion in 1989. He also won two races in Italian Touring Cars that same year.

Gianni then joined the Scuderia Italia Formula One team. He raced in the first two F1 races of 1990 as a stand-in driver. Later, he focused on Formula 3000 racing. He won one race and finished fifth in the 1990 championship. During this time, he also worked as a test driver for Scuderia Ferrari.

Formula One Adventures

Morbidelli driving his Footwork FA15 during the 1994 British Grand Prix.

Gianni returned to F1 at the end of the 1990 season. He raced for Minardi until the end of 1992. He briefly joined Ferrari for the 1991 Australian Grand Prix. There, he earned his first Formula One points, getting half a point for finishing sixth in a race shortened by rain.

He left Minardi in 1993 due to a lack of sponsors. He went back to Italian Touring Cars. Driving an Alfa Romeo 155 for Alfa Corse, he won two races. In 1994, he was hired by Footwork Arrows.

With Footwork Arrows, Gianni scored points in four races over two years. His best result was a third-place finish in the 1995 Australian Grand Prix. This was his only podium finish in Formula One. He became Footwork Arrows' most successful driver, scoring eight points for the team.

In 1995, Gianni also raced in the Italian Superturismo Championship, winning two races. After a year of testing for Jordan in 1996, he got another podium finish. He returned to Formula One in 1997, racing for Sauber as a replacement driver. He did not score any points that year. After an unsuccessful season and two injuries from testing accidents, Gianni decided to retire from Formula One.

Life After Formula One

Morbidelli driving for Volvo in the 1998 British Touring Car Championship.

In 1998, Gianni raced for Volvo in the British Touring Car Championship. He was not as successful as his teammate, Rickard Rydell, who won the title that year. His best race was at Thruxton, where he moved up many places to finish fourth.

After that, Gianni spent several years in different European touring car series. A highlight was in the 2001 European Touring Car Championship. He raced a BMW 320i and finished fifth in the championship. He won the last race of the season at Estoril. In 2004, he raced in the Italian round of the European Touring Car Championship in a SEAT Toledo, but did not score points.

Morbidelli competing in the 2014 World Touring Car Championship.

In 2005, Gianni drove a Lamborghini in some grand tourer races. He returned to touring cars in 2006, joining the World Touring Car Championship with N-Technology. He achieved two second-place finishes in an Alfa Romeo 156.

He moved back to GT racing in 2007, winning two races in the ADAC GT Masters series. Gianni had great success in the Italian Superstars Championship. He won the title three years in a row from 2007, driving both Audi RS4 and BMW M3 cars. He also won another championship title in the short-lived Speedcar Series. He won the 2008–09 championship after a close fight with Johnny Herbert.

Gianni returned to the WTCC in 2014, driving a Chevrolet Cruze for Münnich Motorsport. He also made his debut in the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2015. This was at his home race in Italy, with the same team.

Racing Highlights

Career Summary

^† Not eligible for points.

See also

In Spanish: Gianni Morbidelli para niños