We decided to get to know Formula 1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi a bit better, so we organised a ZOOM interview and shot a few rapid-fire questions at him. Enjoy!
Click here to subscribe to our print edition!
Antonio, you’ve raced on two Italian tracks in Formula 1. Sadly, you had an accident on one of them this year, but still, which track do you prefer – Monza or Mugello?
It’s a good question. Mugello in terms of the track itself, because it’s really nice to be driving here, especially in qualifying – there are many high-speed corners and a lot of downforces. Monza wins the competition of atmosphere for sure, the vibe there is simply fantastic, especially for me and for the fans. Unfortunately, this year they were not there…
What would you choose: the return of old-school legendary tracks or more new circuits?
Old-school tracks, definitely. It’s a whole different world, and I love it.
The most memorable race vs the worst one.
In terms of most memorable race, I will say the 2019 Grand Prix in Monza, because I came from a tough race weekend and I was in front of my family, my friends, and the Tifosi, so it was a truly special weekend – we did great as a team. Hmm, the worst one? Perhaps Spa of last year, and this most recent one.
Experience can help you more than being young and fresh, I believe.
Do you prefer an interesting and unpredictable race without scoring points, or a calm one without overtaking, but getting points?
I’d personally always choose scoring points because I don’t really care if the race is chaotic or not – I love racing as it is that given day.
Would you ever like to know the result of an upcoming race before it starts, or would you leave everything as it is?
Um, no, I think I would always like to leave it as it is and find out about the results at the end.
A race with fans or without them?
I prefer a race with fans, absolutely.
You’ve obviously received gifts from fans. Could you tell us about the most pleasant and also the strangest gift?
This is a very interesting question! Of course, when you are in Japan, it’s always so special. You can receive or you can find something magnificent as well as really strange, for example, some typical Japanese things similar to sushi with my race number and some unique chocolates that I have never seen anywhere else in the world. So it’s always unpredictable!
In your opinion, is it easier to perform in Formula 1 when you are young and fresh, or when you are older yet with more experience?
Hmm… That’s tough to answer. It’s also difficult to say for me personally, because I just tested the young option, and I can’t yet tell whether it’s better or not. I know that experience is very important, because you can have many scenarios and something can always happen, and you can react faster. So experience can help you more than being young and fresh, I believe.
To have an older teammate or one that’s the same age as you?
[Laughs] It’s not easy to have an older teammate, especially one like Kimi, because you know he’s still really fast, he is still really motivated, and, as I said to you before, he has still a lot of experience. For him, it’s much easier to react in strange and unpredictable scenarios. But I like to have him as a teammate because being ahead of him is good for my reputation and my career.Do you prefer being friends with other drivers or being rivals?
On the track, I think you don’t have any friends, but perhaps you can have some when the Grand Prix finishes. It’s always a rivalry when you’re racing, though.
Related Articles