Morbidelli, Gianni
Name: Morbidelli, Gianni
Date of birth: January 13th, 1968
Place of birth: Pesaro, Italy
Minardi link: Gianni took part in 33 GP with the Minardi team from 1990 to 1992. He scored no points for them.
Original article: Simon Vigar
Date of birth: January 13th, 1968
Place of birth: Pesaro, Italy
Minardi link: Gianni took part in 33 GP with the Minardi team from 1990 to 1992. He scored no points for them.
Original article: Simon Vigar
Many of Minardi's young, Italian drivers have hoped the team would be a stepping stone to a Ferrari race seat. Luca Badoer came tantalisingly close in 1999 when Michael Schumacher broke a leg at Silverstone but, ironically, Ferrari preferred Mika Salo to official test driver Badoer. However, for Gianni Morbidelli, the Maranello wish came true.
After karts he made it into Formula Three in 1987 but developed an unhealthy relationship with the armco. He finally won the Italian title in 1989 and it led to a test deal with Ferrari. Gianni's Grand Prix debut wasn't for the Prancing Horse though, nor with Minardi, but the now defunct Scuderia Italia Dallara. In 1990 he stood-in for Emanuele Pirro in Brazil and then concentrated on his F3000 campaign, winning one race. He was back in Formula One before season's end, replacing Paolo Barilla at Minardi for the final two GPs.
Gianni stayed at Faenza for its "Ferrari year" in 1991. The M191 had a Ferrari V12 which powered Minardi to its best championship finish of seventh. All the points were scored by Pierluigi Martini but Gianni had impressed Maranello sufficiently. He was chosen to replace the sacked Alain Prost in monsoon-drenched Adelaide where he won a half-point for sixth in a shortened race. "Super sub" Roberto Moreno had taken Gianni's Minardi seat in this farcical GP which saw Martini become one of the many drivers to aquaplane into retirement. Unfortunately, during Minardi's "Ferrari year" Maranello took with one hand what it gave with the other. Minardi's lucrative Pioneer sponsorship was lured away by Ferrari, meaning that 1992 was our "Lamborghini year" and one to forget. Gianni was no doubt demotivated and certainly out of sponsorship. His Minardi career was pointless (in the literal sense) and he was dropped.
Touring Cars in his homeland beckoned before a good return to Grand Prix racing with Footwork Arrows in 1994. He was dropped midway through '95 for financial reasons but returned for he last three races and came home third in Adelaide, the high-water mark of his career. Gianni tested for Jordan in '96 and replaced Nicola Larini at Sauber in '97 but then broke his arm. It spelt the end of an unfulfilled GP career. He continues to race Touring Cars and competed for BMW in the FIA 2002 European Championship against old rival Nicola Larini.
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