Vitantonio Liuzzi

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Vitantonio Liuzzi

F1 Record
Nationality Italy Italian
Car # 20
Current team Toro Rosso
Team for 2007 —
Grands Prix 19
World Championships 0
Wins 0
Podium finishes 0
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
First Grand Prix 2005 San Marino Grand Prix
Last Grand Prix 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix
2006 Championship position 19th (1 pt)
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Vitantonio Liuzzi (born 6 August 1981 in Locorotondo) is an Italian Formula One driver, who drives for Scuderia Toro Rosso.

Contents

[edit] Karting

Liuzzi was born in Locorotondo, Italy, and like most auto racing drivers, began his career in kart racing in 1991. Highlights of his early career include winning the 1993 Italian Karting Championship, and in 1995, taking second place in the World Karting Championship and fifth place in the European Karting Championship. His karting career culminated in winning the 2001 World Karting Championship, beating Formula One champion Michael Schumacher in one race.

[edit] Formula Renault, Three and 3000

Liuzzi then moved on to cars; he raced in the 2001 German Formula Renault Championship, finishing second. Racing in the German Formula 3 Championship, he managed only ninth place overall. However, in that year he won the San Marino international Formula 3 race and had test drives for the Coloni Formula 3000 team and Williams, the Formula One constructor. Coloni took Liuzzi on board for the 2003 Formula 3000 season in which he finished fourth overall. He moved to the Arden team for the following Formula 3000 season. There, he dominated, winning seven of the ten races, and taking the title with one race left.

[edit] Formula One

Liuzzi driving the Toro Rosso STR01 during the 2006 Canadian Grand Prix.
Enlarge
Liuzzi driving the Toro Rosso STR01 during the 2006 Canadian Grand Prix.

Liuzzi's form in Formula 3000 led to speculation that Ferrari might want to employ him, either as a test driver at their Formula One team, or at Sauber, the Formula One team with whom they are closely associated. Indeed, he had a test drive with Sauber in September, 2004, but ultimately lost out on a race seat to Jacques Villeneuve. In November, 2004 he was given another test drive, this time with Red Bull. This led to him joining Red Bull for 2005. Initially it seemed that he might be given the race seat alongside David Coulthard, but the team favoured Christian Klien, leaving Liuzzi with the position of test driver. Despite Klien's good performances in the first three races of the season, Red Bull abided by an agreement they made with Liuzzi and Klien before the season that they would both have a chance to race. They announced that Liuzzi would replace Klien for the San Marino, Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix. Liuzzi impressed, scoring his maiden point on his debut after both BAR drivers were disqualified from the San Marino race. After the Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix he was given another race at the European Grand Prix, before his seat was handed back to Klien for the Canadian Grand Prix.

Following Red Bull's purchase of the Minardi team (renamed Scuderia Toro Rosso or Team Red Bull in Italian), Liuzzi was rewarded with a race seat in the 'B-team.' At the United States Grand Prix, he scored the team's first, and so far only point, with an eighth place finish after a race-long battle with Coulthard and Nico Rosberg. However, that was the only point he and the team scored in 2006.

[edit] Complete Formula One results

(key)

Yr Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Team WDC Points
2005 Red Bull AUS
TD		 MAL
TD		 BAH
TD		 SAN
8		 SPA
Ret		 MON
Ret		 EUR
9		 CAN
DNP		 USA
DNP		 FRA
TD		 GBR
TD		 GER
TD		 HUN
TD		 TUR
TD		 ITA
TD		 BEL
TD		 BRA
TD		 JAP
TD		 CHN
TD		 Red Bull 24th 1
2006 Toro Rosso BAH
11		 MAL
11		 AUS
Ret		 SAN
14		 EUR
Ret		 SPA
15		 MON
10		 GBR
13		 CAN
13		 USA
8		 FRA
13		 DEU
10		 HUN
Ret		 TUR
Ret		 ITA
14		 CHN
10		 JPN
14		 BRA
16		 Toro Rosso 19th 1


Preceded by
Björn Wirdheim		 International Formula 3000 Champion
2004		 Succeeded by
2005 GP2 champion was Nico Rosberg

[edit] Personal

  • Previously lived in Hemel Hempstead, England where he shared an apartment with Red Bull Racing driver Christian Klien.
  • Liuzzi has three piercings his left upper ear, left eyebrow and left lower ear.
  • His manager is the former Lotus boss Peter Collins.

[edit] References

[edit] External links


Constructors and drivers competing in the 2007 Formula One championship
McLaren Renault Ferrari Honda BMW Toyota
1 Alonso
2 Hamilton		 3 Fisichella
4 Kovalainen		 5 Massa
6 Räikkönen		 7 Button
8 Barrichello		 9 Heidfeld
10 Kubica		 11 Schumacher
12 Trulli
Red Bull Williams Toro Rosso Spyker Super Aguri
14 Coulthard
15 Webber		 16 Rosberg
17 Wurz		 18 Liuzzi
19 Speed		 20 Albers
21 ?		 22 Sato
23 Davidson
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