F1 and Endurance, a chat with Giancarlo Fisichella

Giancarlo, being in Ferrari means to be part of a family. What does it mean for you to belong to the Ferrari family?

It is a dream that has become true since I was a child. This is a dream that all drivers racing around the world have. This is especially for an Italian driver like me. I am very happy that I could pursuit thisdream. I remember it was the happiest day of my life; I am so proud to be part of this team which is actually a family. Several years have passed now since I became a Ferrari driver and I hope to be part of it for a long time.

The Endurance Championship has become very fascinating not only for the general audience, how would you explain this crescent interest?

This interest is related to the appeal of motorsport as a whole. These races are wonderful; there are different cars which include the prototypes and the GT ones. We race with a GT car, the 458 GT Italia, and such competitions are really followed, like the 24 hours of Daytona, just to make an example. The championship is managed by FIA that is already responsible for F1. That shows how important this championship is.

From F1 to the WEC. In 2014 you won the 24 hours of Le Mans with your teammates Gianmaria Bruni and Tony Vilander. You and Gimmi have a common denominator which is Giancarlo Minardi, a great talent scouter in the F1 history.

Yes, with Gianmaria Bruni and Tony Vilander we won also the 2012 edition. Talking about Minardi he has been extremely important for me as well as for many other drivers lke Nannini, Martini, Marc Webber, Fernando Alonso, Jarno Trulli and many others. I always thank him. Giancarlo was extremely importat for me, as he gave me the chance to start my career in F1, therefore I always remember him almost like a dad.

6th March 2005, first and second place on grid at the start with two Italians. What is your memory of that day?

It was an historical first row together with Jarno Trulli. It is a wonderful memory because that weekend was simply fantastic. I remember perfectly that day, firstly because I displayed a wonderful pole position. I had been competitive the whole week end and I ended up winning the race. This is an “en plein” that I will never forget.

Part of the exclusive interview of Perform Group