Vitantonio Liuzzi Joins A1 Team Italy

A1 Team Italy has pulled off a coup by signing one of Italy’s most talented drivers, Vitantonio Liuzzi, to represent his country in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport. Liuzzi has been successful in all categories he has contested up to Formula 1, and his first race with A1 Team Italy will be the Vodafone A1GP Algarve, Portugal event over the Easter weekend.

Liuzzi was at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia at the weekend as reserve driver for the Force India Formula 1 team, but flew back to Europe on Saturday night and his first A1GP experience is driving the series’ simulator in Modena today and tomorrow. Then he will get behind the wheel of the A1GP Powered by Ferrari car for the first time in the practice session that starts at 14.00 hours on Friday, 10 April at the Aut¢dromo Internacional do Algarve.

For Liuzzi the opportunity to get to race again is appealing: “I’m really looking forward to trying the A1GP car and to get back to racing, which is the thing I like to do most. I am pleased that Vijay Mallya and Force India agreed to release me for these races so I can feel the adrenalin of a race atmosphere again." It is planned that Liuzzi will also drive for the team at A1GP Brands Hatch, Great Britain, but the team is hopeful these will not be the only races he will contest with them.

“This is amazing news for the series. Obviously his reputation goes before him and I am delighted that a driver of this caliber is happy to sit in an A1GP car for the pride of his nation," said A1GP CEO, Pete da Silva.

Liuzzi began karting at the age of ten and became Karting World Champion in 2001, when he also made the move to single-seaters and was instantly successful, taking second in the German Formula Renault championship. This brought him a Formula 1 test drives and a move to the FIA Formula 3000 International Championship, where he was the top rookie in 2003 and he then took the 2004 championship with nine poles and seven wins from ten races. He has driven in Formula 1 for both the Red Bull and Scuderia Toro Rosso teams, scoring points in all of his three Formula 1 seasons.