He carries the load of half of Italy

Italy is Autoland. Italy racing in the country. The formula 1 without Ferrari? Unimaginable. Without Monza, this place of pilgrimage for thousands of Tifosi? Not. The Premier class without an Italian driver? Well: The. Had to go in the last few years, somehow.

Vitantonio Liuzzi and Jarno Trulli were the Last that wore the green-white-red flag in the wide world of automotive sports. That was in 2011. Since? The tide is low. Not a big talent, that would be one, no hope. Because you were always, the Italian formula 1 driver, you should have silent aspirations. Rarely succeeded. Two world Champions the country, with Giuseppe Farina and Alberto Ascari. The a won the Premiere in 1950, the other in 1952 and 1953. The wars. 66 years since then, pulled over the boots in the South of Europe, ensured that the drivers like Michele Alboreto, Riccardo Patrese, Giancarlo Fisichella or Trulli for light eyes – but otherwise it was pitch-black.

Red-and-White, the color is wrong

a young man in the Motorhome of formula 1 Teams, large sitting, slender, with long black hair up on the back of the neck, and dark, alert eyes. His narrow shoulders don't look as you would the load of a half a Nation to bear. But you have to. He is now the man of desires: Antonio Giovinazzi, 25, Martina Franca, Puglia, in the heel of the boot.

The colors are correct. He wears a red-and-white hat, the Italian flag is stitched on the side, his jacket is red-and-white. The horse Ferraris are not emblazoned. It is: Alfa Romeo. After all, Italian, and tradition, this label is loaded. And it still has to air up. Giovinazzi says: "This is the end of my dream, it is the beginning." Is he at Ferrari, where he hinsehnte, since he was a child.

swing It at him, the memories of the great times – like so many Italians. 2001 was the first season to the he remember, says Giovinazzi. Seven years old he was. "There was a pilot who dominated everything. Of course, Michael Schumacher was my Hero."

"Kiimi is a good teacher and a good reference."Antonio Giovinazzi

in 2007 there was the so far last driver's title for Ferrari. At The Wheel: Kimi Raikkonen. "He was my Idol," says Giovinazzi. He is now his team-mate at Alfa Romeo, this is actually the Sauber Team from Hinwil. "Great" is the Giovinazzi, who takes the name of his Sidekick is already working hard at his speech.

"Kiimi," as he calls him, has it done to the young southerner. Where he can, he looks at things from the 39-year-old Finns. "He is a good teacher and a good reference," says Giovinazzi. He needs, it will be his first season in formula 1.

two years Ago, he has breathed the fumes of the great world of Motorsport, as he rose at the Start in Australia and in China for the injured Pascal Wehrlein to the Sauber Cockpit. Rank 12 there was at the start, a failure in the second race.

"was A dream come true"

Unexpectedly, and unprepared, he had stepped in. Wehrlein had only decided on Saturday morning to the waiver, Giovinazzi remained only the third free practice session before Qualifying to learn the track. "Now I'm much more relaxed and well-prepared. I'm sure the better drivers than back then," says the 25-Year-old. Although he rode since then, no other races in the formula 3, in formula 2, nowhere.

The Famiglia had caused the end of 2016, the Famiglia Ferrari. Giovinazzi had lost in the formula 2 the fight for the title against the current Red Bull driver Pierre Gasly scarce. Ferrari brought him in as a third pilot. "Was a dream come true," he says.

Valuable dry exercises

Giovinazzi tested in simulators, was present at meetings with Raikkonen and Vettel, "I have learned a lot, those were two precious years," he says. So, the Italians gave him the seat at the Swiss team, as they had done in the last year, with Charles Leclerc. The sovereign of Monaco proved to be such, that he was replaced by Raikkonen. A similar scenario is also likely to weave Giovinazzi.

An Italian Pilot in a Ferrari, that's it. The last home regular driver of the team 27 years ago. Ivan Capelli is the man who went for a season alongside Jean Alesi was called. The Hunger in the home country is correspondingly large. Also the pressure? Giovinazzi look to the side, thinks for a moment, he says: "The Italians want to see a country man in the car. Now: I'm not the Only one, so I have to do a good Job, and the Italians proud." He wants to do this season with Alfa Romeo.

It is a big step on his way, began as a three year old, than him, the father gave a go-Kart. "Go-karting meant for me at that time, the world." With the son, the Passion of the whole family grew up. His father, in the logistics industry, his mother and his younger sister had to bring some of the victims.

Fast-Food giant as a sponsor

you also luck is needed. Soon people recognized his Talent, and promoted, and the immense expenditure contributed around him. When he was twelve and his career threatened failure of the Financial, enabled him to a team owner on the rise in the big Kart series.

Later, Ricardo Gelael, owner of an Indonesian helped Fast-Food Empire. His son Sean is also a racing driver. "At the end of 2011, he came up to me, he wanted a kind of coach or training partner for his son," says Giovinazzi. "I said, and was taken in the family like a second son." At all stages it was worn by the wealthy Gelaels financially. By the end of 2016 Ferrari knocked.

On Sunday, Antonio Giovinazzi denies in Melbourne in his first race as a regular driver of the formula 1. It is not the end, it will be the beginning of a dream.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 14.03.2019, at 22:55