Falling In and Out of Formula One

I was born in Italy into a family that was involved in motor racing—both my father and my uncle were racecar drivers. I believe from the time of my birth, in 1964, to my early teens was one of the best eras of motor sport. From my experience, we had the most beautiful racing cars and greatest drivers in the history of the sport. I liked, very much, Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart. My family was racing in the hillclimb events, which at the time were the most famous types of racing, not just in Italy but also in Europe. They were very popular, a lot more than now. It was quite strange for me to grow up in an Italian family where my father was a big fan of the Porsche racing cars. He raced a lot with a 911, and before that, the Carrera 906, which I think is one of the most beautiful racing cars. If I get the opportunity, when I’m racing at circuits, I look to see if any are racing at the same meeting. That car has really left a big impression on me and is fixed deep in my mind.

I am going to tell you something that, in my experience, you may find hard to believe. If you go to the motor races in Italy and ask the people in the paddock, only 10% are fans of Ferraris. I am racing a Ferrari now, and that is good for me. Looking at Formula One, you can see that not many Italian drivers get the chance to drive for Ferrari, which I think may have a lot to do with it. Thinking about them now; in recent years I can name only two. Michele Alboreto, who had some good results but was unable to go for the championship, and Ivan Capelli, who was discarded by Ferrari after just one season. Ivan was one of the most talented drivers of the time.