Antonio Giovinazzi has been participating in the FIA World Endurance Championship since the 2023 season with car number 51, shared with Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado, which won the Centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans and obtained a third place at Spa-Francorchamps.
The sporting adventure of the 29-year-old driver “has been characterized by a long path not without obstacles, which began as a child when I dreamed of racing for Ferrari one day, but the passion for racing and the results achieved have repaid me for every effort”.
Born in 1993 in Martina Franca, in Puglia, Giovinazzi got on a go-kart for the first time when he was only two and a half years old. Not on the track, but in the backyard.
Antonio Giovinazzi, Ferrari AF Corse
Photo by: Ferrari
“My father remembers that as soon as they started the engine I ran away in fear – says the official Ferrari driver – Then the passion was born lightning fast. I started riding in front of my house, and spending every Sunday on the track to train, until when I turned seven I was able to start competing at a competitive level”.
The first win? It was staged in Capurso, not far from Bari.
“It was the fourth race of the championship. Previously I had been a bit unlucky both in managing the starting stages and due to inexperience. When I passed under the checkered flag first I felt something unique. For two or three nights I slept hugging the trophy in bed”.
In the words of Antonio Giovinazzi two nouns recur: family and fans. Two poles of a universe in which the professional driver finds the inexhaustible sources of passion, even in times of difficulty.
“The person who most believed in my potential was my father, who always put my commitments before his work”.
“Once, when I was a kid, we traveled from Bari to Parma, over 1,600 kilometers round trip, to test a new track. Resources weren’t unlimited, so we loaded the go-kart into the car and I I sat down on the seat of the kart. Looking back on it, I understand how many sacrifices my family has made”.
#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi
Photo by: Luca Barsali
Sport and epic intertwine in the daily deeds of a driver capable of approaching a speed of 350 km/h on the track without ever losing touch with reality.
“The fans? They are fundamental. Without their presence, without the support, appreciation and respect they grant us, we would not be who we are. For this reason, when I finish a race with a positive result, after the family, my first thought is directed to them”.
The images kept in the Giovinazzi family archive tell of a child who loved to wear red.
“In all the photos from when I was a child, I’m wearing a jersey with the Prancing Horse. My idol? It was Michael Schumacher. Watching his races on TV, I dreamed of one day becoming a Formula 1 driver and racing for Ferrari”.
#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi
Photo by: Nikolaz Godet
Two wishes turned into reality in a career that saw Giovinazzi sign his first professional racing contract in 2017.
“In that moment, my dream came true. I was sitting at a desk with a blank sheet in front of it, surmounted by a Prancing Horse: that situation seemed unreal to me, I could hardly believe it. For me, all the more reason for being an Italian driver, it is a pride to represent Ferrari”.
In the mind of a professional driver, thoughts, images and emotions mix rapidly, especially in certain moments with a high adrenaline rate. “When I’m on the starting grid I feel immersed in a dimension of its own. In fact, I don’t have very vivid memories of the exact moment I lower my visor”.
Among the images destined to remain indelible are those related to the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2023.
“I hadn’t been on the podium for seven years: when James Calado crossed the finish line it was as if I were inside the cockpit with him. I achieved a goal that I had been pursuing for a long time and for this I thank my teammates”.
#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi
Photo by: Luca Barsali
With six FIA WEC races between prototypes and GTs under his belt, two podiums and a victory – all in 2023 – which made history at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Giovinazzi looks to the future by focusing his attention on LMH which brought back the Maranello in the top endurance class.
“Three adjectives to describe the 499P? Beautiful, because the design is wonderful; aggressive, due to the stylistic lines that characterize it; fast, as he has already demonstrated this season – explains the Italian rider, who thus describes the world of endurance – Long races where the key to success is perseverance: you can have a problem half an hour before the start, but this doesn’t compromise your chances of winning. For this you must never give up, an aspect that I really like”.
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