Triumph in the World Endurance Championship
Italian motorsport enthusiasts still hold in their hearts and minds the images of this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, won by Ferrari after a 50-year absence from the premier category of the WEC (World Endurance Championship) and with a crew composed of two-thirds Italian drivers: Antonio Giovinazzi and Alessandro Pier Guidi. It was an extraordinary result that pairs with the pole position achieved by the other Maranello’s 499P, driven by Antonio Fuoco, who unfortunately encountered some difficulties during the race.
However, the world’s most famous endurance race, Le Mans, has once again certified the excellence of the Italian driver school, if there was still any doubt.
Crisis in Formula 1
In what is still unanimously considered the premier category of motorsport, Formula 1, Italian drivers continue to struggle. The last pole position and podium were achieved 14 years ago in 2009 by Giancarlo Fisichella and Jarno Trulli, respectively. To find the last victory, one must go even further back to the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix, won by Giancarlo Fisichella himself. The last Italian to race in Formula 1 was Antonio Giovinazzi, who, however, was unable to fully showcase his talent during the 2019-2021 period, as he did immediately in endurance races.
Giancarlo Fisichella’s analysis
In an interview on the official F1 podcast, Beyond The Grid, Giancarlo Fisichella expressed his point of view on the subject, pointing out the well-known problems related to sponsorships and also responding to an interesting question about a sort of indirect responsibility of Scuderia Ferrari for this particular lack of Italians in the sport.
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“The Ferrari ‘problem’
“There are only 20 seats; it’s not easy,” explained Giancarlo Fisichella. “You need to have good sponsors and a good team. Now, with the Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes academies, it’s a bit efasier. If you’re a strong driver, you can receive support from the team, but it’s still not simple. The last Italian driver was Antonio Giovinazzi, but he stayed on the grid for only a few seasons. Does Ferrari monopolize too much attention, which is ‘taken away’ from the drivers? It could be. Ferrari is extremely more important in Italy compared to a driver: it’s the maximum,” concluded the 50-year-old Italian professional racing driver.
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