Vitantonio Liuzzi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vitantonio Liuzzi
Liuzzi at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix
Born	(1980-08-06) 6 August 1980 (age 45) Locorotondo, Bari, Italy
Spouse(s)	Francesca Caldarelli ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	1
Relatives	Andrea Caldarelli (brother-in-law)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Italian
Active years	2005–2007, 2009–2011
Teams	Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Force India, HRT
Entries	81 (80 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	26
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	2005 San Marino Grand Prix
Last entry	2011 Brazilian Grand Prix
Previous series
2017 2015 2015 2012–2013, 2015 2014 2014 2012–2013 2009 2008–2009 2003–2004 2002 2002	International GT Open Formula E GT Asia Series FIA WEC Super Formula Super GT Superstars Series A1 Grand Prix Speedcar Series International F3000 German F3 German Formula Renault
Championship titles
2004	International F3000

Vitantonio "Tonio" Liuzzi (born August 6, 1980) is a former racing driver from Italy. He competed in Formula One, which is the highest class of international racing, from 2005 to 2011.

Tonio grew up in Bari, Italy. He started racing karts when he was just nine years old. He was very good at karting, even winning the Karting World Championship in 2001. After karting, he moved on to bigger racing cars called "formula cars." He won his first major title in 2004 in the International F3000 Championship. In Formula One, he raced for teams like Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Force India, and HRT. He earned 26 championship points during his six seasons in Formula One.

Early Racing Days

Karting Success

Like many race car drivers, Vitantonio Liuzzi started his career in kart racing at age nine. He quickly showed his talent. In 1993, he won the Italian Karting Championship. Two years later, in 1995, he finished second in the Karting World Championship. His biggest karting win came in 2001 when he became the Karting World Champion. He even beat famous Formula One champion Michael Schumacher on Schumacher's home track in Kerpen!

Moving to Formula Cars

After his karting success, Liuzzi moved up to racing cars. In 2001, he finished second in the German Formula Renault Championship. The next year, in 2002, he joined the Red Bull Junior Team and raced in the German Formula Three Championship. He also got to test drive for a Formula One team called Williams.

In 2003, Red Bull hired Liuzzi for the F3000 season, where he finished fourth. The next year, in 2004, he joined the Arden team for the F3000 season. He was amazing, winning seven out of ten races and securing the championship title with a race to spare!

Formula One Career (2005–2011)

Liuzzi driving for the Red Bull Junior Team in Hungary, 2003.

Liuzzi's great performance in F3000 made people wonder if he would join Ferrari in Formula One. Instead, he joined Red Bull in January 2005.

Racing for Red Bull (2005)

At first, Liuzzi was a test driver for Red Bull. But the team had an agreement that he would get to race in some events. He replaced Christian Klien for three races: the San Marino, Spanish, and Monaco Grands Prix. In his very first race in San Marino, he scored his first point! This was a great start to his Formula One career. After a few more races, his seat was given back to Klien.

Joining Toro Rosso (2006–2007)

Liuzzi driving for Toro Rosso at the 2006 United States Grand Prix.

Red Bull bought the Minardi team and renamed it Scuderia Toro Rosso (which means "Team Red Bull" in Italian). Liuzzi was given a full-time racing spot with this new team. In 2006, he scored Toro Rosso's first-ever point at the United States Grand Prix by finishing eighth. This was the only point the team earned that year.

In 2007, Liuzzi continued with Toro Rosso. He faced some challenges and had a few crashes. There were also rumors that other drivers might take his place. However, his performance improved later in the season. In the 2007 Chinese Grand Prix, he drove one of his best races. He finished sixth, earning three points for his team.

Time with Force India (2008–2010)

Liuzzi driving for Force India at the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix.

In 2008, Liuzzi became a test driver for the Force India F1 team. He hoped to get a full-time racing spot again. His chance came on September 3, 2009, when another driver left the team. Force India announced that Liuzzi would race in the last five races of the 2009 season. He had a strong start at the Italian Grand Prix, qualifying seventh, but had to stop early due to a problem with his car.

For the 2010 season, Force India kept Liuzzi as one of their main drivers. He started scoring points again, finishing ninth in Bahrain and seventh in Australia. He continued to earn points in Monaco and Canada. At the 2010 Korean Grand Prix, he matched his best-ever finish in Formula One by coming in sixth place. He ended the 2010 season with 21 points, which was his best year in Formula One.

Racing for HRT (2011)

Liuzzi driving for Hispania at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Even though he had a contract with Force India for 2011, Liuzzi was replaced by another driver. He then joined Hispania Racing (HRT) for the 2011 season. This team was new and faced many challenges.

In Australia, he didn't qualify for the race. In Malaysia, he had to retire early for safety reasons. He managed to finish some races, like in China and Turkey, but often had mechanical problems. His best finish with HRT was 13th place in Canada, which was the team's best result at that time. He continued to race for HRT throughout 2011, but the team struggled to compete with others. For one race in India, he was replaced by a local driver, but he returned for the final two races of the season.

In 2012, Liuzzi had a contract with HRT, but his spot was uncertain. Another driver was chosen, leaving Liuzzi without a Formula One seat.

Life After Formula One

Superstars Series (2012–2013)

After leaving Formula One, Liuzzi looked for other racing opportunities. He joined the International Superstars Series in 2012, driving a Mercedes C63 AMG. He quickly found success, getting on the podium (finishing in the top three) in his first race and winning the second race of that event. He continued to perform well in 2013, winning three races and finishing third in the championship.

Racing in Japan (2014)

In 2014, Liuzzi moved to Japan, and competed in both top series of the country. He drove the Honda NSX Concept-GT in Super GT and the Dallara SF14 in Super Formula.

In 2014, Liuzzi moved to Japan to race in two top series: Super GT (GT500 class) and Super Formula. He drove a Honda NSX-GT in Super GT and a Dallara SF14 in Super Formula, showing his versatility in different types of racing cars.

Other Racing Adventures

Liuzzi also competed in other racing series, including Formula E (electric car racing) in 2014-2016, the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and the International GT Open in 2017. He continued to enjoy racing in various categories around the world.

Personal Life

Vitantonio Liuzzi speaks Italian, English, and French. He is married to Francesca Caldarelli, and they have one child. His brother-in-law is also a racing driver, Andrea Caldarelli.

In 2013, Liuzzi helped mentor six people in a TV show. The goal was to train players of the Gran Turismo video game to become real race car drivers and compete in the Dubai 24 Hour race.

Career Summary

Vitantonio Liuzzi had a long and varied career in motorsports. Here's a quick look at his main achievements:

^† As Liuzzi was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.

See also

In Spanish: Vitantonio Liuzzi para niños