Fabrizio Giovanardi

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Fabrizio Giovanardi
Image:FabrizioGiovanardi.jpg
2007 BTCC driver
Nationality Flag of Italy
Nickname Paulistic
Car # 11
Team VX Racing
Car Vauxhall Vectra
Championships 0
Wins 2
Podium finishes 7
Poles 0
Fastest laps 0
Debut season 2006
Best championship result 5th (2006)
2006 position 5th (163 points)
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Fabrizio Giovanardi (born December 14, 1966) is a racecar driver. He was born in Sassuolo near Modena in Italy.

Fabrizio began his career karting before switching to Italian Formula 3. In season 1989 he switched to Formula 3000 to compete with First Racing and won the race in Vallelunga.

A move to touring cars brought more luck, as he claimed the 1992 Italian championship. He then went on to claim numerous wins in European Touring Car Series including the 1997 Spanish Super Touring Championship. He also took the Italian championship in 1998 and 1999, before moving to the relaunched European Touring Car Championship.

In 2000, 2001 and 2002 he was European Touring Car Champion, driving for Alfa Romeo. He switched to a BMW for 2003, but struggled with the rear-wheel-drive car, and returned to Alfa for 2004.

Giovanardi finished third in the 2005 World Touring Car Championship, behind Andy Priaulx and Dirk Müller.

In 2006 he switched to the British Touring Car Championship, driving a Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch for VX Racing. He came close to a first win at Snetterton before a controversial final-corner collision with Colin Turkington. His first win (and Vauxhall's 100th in the BTCC) came at Knockhill. Fittingly, he was congratulated on live TV by John Cleland, the man who took Vauxhall's first win.

He then went on to take his 2nd win in the series at Brands Hatch, and a strong second half of the season took him to 5th overall, passing James Thompson at the final meeting of the season.

On Wednesday 15th November 2006, Vauxhall confirmed they have retained Giovanardi for the 2007 BTCC season. Giovanardi will again team up with Tom Chilton.

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Preceded by
Roberto Ravaglia (1988)
European Touring Car Championship champion
2002
Succeeded by
Gabriele Tarquini
In other languages