Before the last training session at the 2017 Australian Grand Prix, Sauber driver Pascal Wehrlein had to cancel the rest of the weekend due to a lack of fitness. Antonio Giovinazzi was drafted as his successor and a new Formula 1 career was forged.
It was a ride that was well deserved for many people at the time. Giovinazzi had just had an impressive rookie season in GP2 (now Formula 2), in which he lost in a title fight against Prema team-mate Pierre Gasly.
Both he and the now consistently formidable AlphaTauri man were snubbed for full-time F1 seats in 2017, but it was Giovinazzi who got the opportunity first (Gasly’s services were hired later in the year to end the season with Toro Rosso). In his first race, with little preparation, Giovinazzi stayed out of trouble and drove mature in a Sauber car that was respectfully lacking in pace. Ultimately, it was a sign of the future as his dream promotion in 2017, although spent at the bottom of the field, reflected the kind of career he would have if he finally secured a full-time ride.
The Italian literally fell back on the ground in China two weeks later when he hit the wall in both qualifying and the race. As Wehrlein was declared fit for the next lap in China, Giovinazzi’s last memory of F1 racing was a painful one for some time.
After almost two years on the sidelines, Giovinazzi was welcomed back to the team, which now operated under the name Alfa Romeo. He had the 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen as a society, a useful yardstick to measure himself against when trying to shape his own success.
It was also a pleasant move for Formula 1. While Italy was wrapped in motorsport glory, the country was without F1 drivers for nearly a decade. Supported by Ferrari, there was hope that one day Giovinazzi would become the next jumping horse superstar – a successful Italian driver at Ferrari in F1 making his own headlines.
But it shouldn’t be. Giovinazzi has spent most of his Alfa Romeo career asserting himself in the back of the field, with the team finishing eighth overall in 2019 and 2020. It’s currently on track to finish in ninth place in 2021, just ahead of the non-progressive Haas team.
It seems unfortunate that Giovinazzi arrived in F1 at the same time as many formidable youngsters like Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Lando Norris took the next step. At 27 years old, Giovinazzi is old news and not an attractive option compared to the highlighted “stars of tomorrow”.
True, the Italian never had the car in F1 to show its potential, and so far the peak of his junior career has been when he competed for championships against some current great motorsport players. His F1 dream has never been properly formalized as there is certainly a limit to what you can enjoy as you battle for positions outside the top ten.
Giovinazzi has chosen his next career option and has switched to the all-electric Formula E series. The American squad that drives for Dragon / Penske Autosport finished the last four seasons penultimate in the overall standings, so the question needs to be asked: What does Giovinazzi get from this move?
Just sitting in a racing seat has its advantages compared to spending time outside watching, but it seems the Italian will simply switch from an F1 drive to a similar position in FE. Crucially, though, Giovinazzi seeks to keep his connections with Ferrari, which could see him take on a role in his hypercar division in 2023.
Giovianzzi stated last week that the World Endurance Championship is “a championship I want to be a part of”. Given the predicted future that sports car racing’s premier league has, this is no surprise – and it’s certainly a more attractive option than a backmarker role in FE.
However, it seems that the F1 days are now behind Giovinazzi. Once celebrated as the driver of the future, his brief career in the sport was insignificant and almost hidden. While his future may be more successful, F1 won’t hold much memory for him. It’s a shining example of how quickly a driver’s career can change and how desolate a dream move to F1 can be.
This opinion article originally appeared in issue 444 of our weekly digital motorsport magazine Motorsport Monday. Completely free to read and without registration, Motorsport Monday is published every Monday morning and is jam-packed with motorsport content. Check out the latest issue here.
