Will we ever see a Italian driver who is talented enough to win a tittle drive for Ferrari?

Question

any Italian youngster out there in the lower formulas that look to be champion caliber drivers?would that not be a nice thing to see happen?espicially for Italians?

Answer 1

I don't know why people expect Italy to produce talented drivers. 83 Italians have qualified for a GP (12 of those only once), only 15 of them ever won a race (9 of those only once), and only two of them ever became world champion (the last time being 55 years ago...)! Riccardo Patrese is the second most successful Italian driver of all time...that tells you everything you need to know about them. Alboreto, with a stronger personality, could have been champion in 1985 but as was so often the case in the past Ferrari lost the plot in mid-season and he was unable to carry the team on his own. You then have to go back to Lorenzo Bandini to find the last Italian who was potential champion material.

The next Italian who is likely to get a chance is Luca Filippi http://www.lucafilippi.com/ Last November he tested for Honda and was only just off Button's pace.

Answer 2

There ARE Italian drivers talented enough to cut it at the top.

They are very talented and very much involved in motor sport, the heart of karting beats in Italy and most successful kart drivers on an International level are Italians.

When they leave karting they try to succeed in cars, run out of money shortly and return to karting more often than not.

Their greatest set back has always been luck of sponsorship.

I'm not claiming Italy produces the best drivers in the world day in day out, it's just that I'm sure there have been and will be Italian drivers that can get the job done but they just don't have the money required.

As for Italian drivers of the recent past, Alex Zanardi was one of the best even though he did nothing in F1, he was the greatest of racers and if the circumstances had been right he would have got the job done.

He's also a perfect example of what I was talking about earlier.

He was visibly quicker than anyone else whatever he drove but always had to fight to get a drive in the minor formulas trying to reach the top.

He didn't have the money, happily he was so good that he couldn't be ignored but he had to fight hard for everything he earned.

Answer 3

I know, crazy it hasn't happend. Michele Alberto was 2nd in 1985 drivers championship for Ferrari, 20pts behind Prost.

I always felt Jarno Trulli, back in his prime would of been an oasis of calm for Ferrari and could of given it a shot.

Dunno about any yongsters at the moment.

Answer 4

I expect that one day it will happen. (As to when, I don't know)There aren't any right now but some youngsters are coming up from other series. The Italians would love having an Italian in an Italian car.

Answer 5

i can answer very well to your question. i'm italian and i think that it isn't necessary that an italian driver drives for Ferrari. in F1, in fact, there are only two italian drivers and they're fisichella and trulli. they're both quite good drivers but they aren't the best. so in ferrari at the moment there are Massa and Raikkonen, who are, i think, the best...

Answer 6

I'm sure Italians are looking forward to that becoming a reality. I mean, Ferrari is an Italian team and of course winning is always sweet but it'd be greater if it was a fellow Italian who won it. We'd have to keep an eye out for someone Italian who has what it takes to steer Ferrari to victory.