Nationality: Italian
Born: 1973
Races: 71
Debut: Australia 1996
Teams: Minardi (‘96), Jordan (‘97),
Benetton (’98-)
Current Team: Benetton |
Giancarlo first became a champion in 1994 when he won the Italian F3 championship. In 1995 he moved to Super Touring, driving for the Alfa Romeo team in the 1995 and 1996 International Touring Car Championship seasons. In 1996 he also made his Formula One debut in a lowly Minardi.
For the 1997 F1 season, Giancarlo moved to the Jordan team alongside Ralf Schumacher. He would have finished second in only his third Grand Prix for the team, only he was punted out at Argentina by Ralf.
He kept up his form that season, going on to lead the German Grand Prix, only losing out because of a puncture which damaged a radiator, forcing him to retire. His best result came in a typically wet Belgian Grand Prix where, with quick thinking by the team, he changed to intermediates halfway through the race and went on to finish second.
For 1998 he moved to Benetton, even though he wanted to stay at Jordan. Still, he achieved his only pole position with the fastest time at the damp A-1 Ring. He stayed with Benetton for 1999 which was a dissapointing season with an uncompetitive car.
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