Giovinazzi: “With Ferrari, I have fulfilled my dream”

Antonio Giovinazzi has competed in over 250 races in a career spanning many categories, from single-seaters to production-based GTs to the Prancing Horse Hypercar, the Ferrari 499P. In the 2023 season, he joined the FIA World Endurance Championship in the number 51 car shared with Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado, which won the Centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans and finished third at Spa-Francorchamps.

The 29-year-old driver’s sporting adventure “has been a long journey not without obstacles, which began as a child when I dreamed of one day competing for Ferrari, but my passion for racing and the results achieved have repaid all my efforts,” he explains.

First steps. Born in 1993 in Martina Franca, Puglia, Giovinazzi first climbed into a go-kart when he was just two and a half years old, not on the track, but in his backyard. “My father remembers that as soon as the engine started up, I ran away in fear,” the Ferrari official driver recalls. “Then my passion was ignited. I started driving outside our house and spent every Sunday at the track training until I could start racing competitively when I turned seven.”

His first victory? In Capurso, near Bari. “It was race four of the championship,” explains the 499P number 51 driver. “Previously, I had been a little unlucky both in managing the start and due to inexperience. It was a special feeling when I was first under the chequered flag. I slept hugging the trophy in bed for two or three nights.”

People. Two nouns recur when Antonio Giovinazzi talks: family and fans. Two poles in a universe where the pro driver finds endless sources of inspiration, even in difficult periods. “My father was the person who most believed in my potential, and he always put my commitments before his own work,” he says.

“Once, when I was a kid, we travelled from Bari to Parma, a round trip of over 1,600 kilometres, to try a new track. We didn’t have unlimited resources, so we loaded the go-kart into the car, and I ‘sat’ in the kart seat. Looking back, I realise how many sacrifices my family made.”

Sport and heroic events intertwine in the daily exploits of a driver who can approach 350 km/h on the track while always keeping his feet on the ground. “The fans? They are key. Without their presence, support, appreciation and respect, we wouldn’t be who we are. That’s why, after my family, my first thought goes to them when a race ends with a positive result.”

Memories. Photos in the Giovinazzi family archive show a child who loved wearing red. “In all the pictures of me as a child, I wore a shirt with the Prancing Horse on it,” he recalls. “My idol? Michael Schumacher. Watching his races on TV, I dreamed of becoming a Formula 1 driver and racing for Ferrari one day.”

These two dreams have materialised in a career that saw Giovinazzi sign his first contract as a professional driver in 2017. “That’s when I fulfilled my dream. I was at my desk with a blank sheet in front of me, with a Prancing Horse on top. The situation seemed unreal. I could hardly believe it. For me, even more so because being an Italian driver, I am proud to represent Ferrari.”

Moments. Thoughts, images and emotions quickly mix in the mind of a professional driver, especially in certain high-adrenalin situations. “I feel immersed in my world when I am on the grid. In fact, I have no clear memories of the precise moment when I put the visor down,” says Giovinazzi.

Some unforgettable images include those from the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2023. “It had been seven years since I had climbed the podium. When James (Calado, ed.) crossed the finish line, it was as if I was in the cockpit with him. I achieved a goal I had been pursuing for a long time, and I thank my teammates for that.”

Hypercar. With six FIA WEC races in prototypes and GT cars to his name, two podiums and a victory – all in 2023 – that went down in history at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Giovinazzi looks to the future focussing his attention on the LMH with which the Maranello manufacturer has returned to the top endurance class.

“Three adjectives to describe the 499P? Beautiful, because the design is stunning; aggressive, because of its styling lines; fast, as it has already proved this season,” explains the Italian driver, who describes the endurance world: “Long races where perseverance is the key to success. You can hit a problem half an hour before the start, but without it compromising your chances of victory. That’s why you must never give up, an aspect I like very much.”