Spotted in the World Touring Car Championship paddock at the weekend was former double British Touring Car Champion and WTCC race winner Fabrizio Giovanardi.
The touring car star, who last raced in the championship in 2006, admitted that he has no serious plans at the moment apart from planning to compete once again in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, as he did in 2011.
“My plan is to race at the Nürburgring 24 hours as we did last year with the P 4/5, but that my main problem is that will expire on the 20th May because after the 24 hours the car will not race anymore,” said Giovanardi to Touring-Cars.Net. “So it is why I am trying to look around in touring cars because I heard something about new cars coming – Honda obviously and maybe SEAT are coming again as a manufacturer, you never know.”
The P4/5 Competizione that Giovanardi refers to is a one-off creation by wealthy businessman Jim Glickenhaus. Based on a Ferrari F430, the car was driven last year by Giovanardi, Mika Salo, Nicola Larini and Luca Cappellari.
However the WTCC and touring cars is where Giovanardi feels that he belongs. “My plan is to try to be involved again in this program,” he said, referring to the WTCC. “Because if you look at the top of the grid this is always the same guys – and Gabriele is five years older than me!”
Last year Giovanardi competed in two races in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship for Hartmann Racing and immediately showed his talent – taking victory in only his second ever race in the series. However the Italian is not expecting to return to the northern European series any time soon.
“I don’t think there will be space for me in that championship if Hartmann doesn’t come again. I had a chat with him and he is going to find some sponsorship to maybe do some races in Scandinavia or the possibility for WTCC.”