The last Italian drivers at the wheel of an F1 car, were Trulli and Liuzzi in the distant 2011.
Ben 8 years of absence, an eternity but the 2019 will finally see the return of an Italian driver, the Pugliese Antonio Giovinazzi who will race for the Sauber - Alfa Romeo.
The Pugliese last year had already raced for the Swiss team, disputing two grand prizes, in Australia and China, as a substitute for Pascal Wehrlein.
Now he becomes an official driver and in 2019 he will be assisting Kimi Raikkonen, now a former Ferrari driver who had already announced a few weeks ago at Sauber.
After 8 years, finally, an Italian full-time F1 driver. The Italian presence in the team is therefore reinforced as Alfa Romeo, since this year, after an absence of over 30 years, has returned to the great world of racing by motorizing the Swiss team.
This happy epilogue sees the hand of Ferrari, who after having secured the flagship of his Academy, the French Leclerc, a few weeks announced as a new Ferrari driver for next year, has decided to put a good word for Antonio Giovinazzi, he too was an old pupil of the late Sergio Marchionne. Ferrari has had Giovinazzi both to its own simulator, and as the third driver in the tests
The 24 year old Giovinazzi boasts in his career an Italian and a European trophy in karts and the 2nd place in the 2016 GP2 championship, behind only Gasly.
The Pugliese has shown great joy, not only for the landing as an official pilot, but also the honor of leading a piece of Italian motoring history. Alfa Romeo and Giovinazzi will dye the next F1 season with a tricolor. It will be a great opportunity to learn, also because his partner Kimi Raikkonen, has experience to sell and his prestigious engagement shows that the team has ambitious plans for the future.
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