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Antônio Pizzonia

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Antônio Pizzonia
Superleague Formula
Nationality Template:Country flagicon Brazilian
Years active 2008
Team(s) Corinthians
Starts 10
Wins 0
Poles 0
Wins 0
Fastest laps 1
Best finish 9th in 2008
Championship titles
Awards
'
Formula One World Championship Career
Active years 20032005
Team(s) Jaguar, Williams
Grands Prix 20
Championships 0
Wins 0
Podium finishes    0
Career Points 8
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
First Grand Prix 2003 Australian Grand Prix
First win
Last win
Last Grand Prix 2005 Chinese Grand Prix

Antônio Reginaldo Pizzonia Júnior (born September 11, 1980 in Manaus) is a Brazilian racing driver who has raced in Formula One and the Champ Car World Series.

He is nicknamed "Jungle Boy", a reference to his native Amazonas. He is currently a resident of Manaus, a city in the northern part of Brazil and capital of Amazonas State.

Racing career

Pre-Formula One

From 1991 to 1996 he competed in various karting series. In 1997 he moved to Britain and competed in Formula Vauxhall Junior; Pizzonia placed second, and won the Winter Festival. In 1998, in addition to taking the Championship in F-Vauxhall Junior, he won the Formula Renault Winter Festival. His 1999 season was even more successful, winning the British F-Renault series and finishing second in its European counterpart. In 2000, Pizzonia took 5 wins on his way to winning the British Formula Three Championship.

For 2001, Pizzonia switched to the Formula 3000 series, winning one race and finishing sixth in the championship.

Formula One

In 2002, Pizzonia was hired as test driver for Williams, but also continued in F3000, placing 8th. After impressive testing performances, he was signed by the Jaguar team to partner Mark Webber for 2003. However, following a string of poor results, he was dropped midway through the season and replaced by Minardi's Justin Wilson.

Whilst driving for Jaguar F1 he was driving Steve Sutcliffe, a journalist for Autocar magazine, around the Jerez racing circuit in a Jaguar S-Type R when he lost control into the first corner, rolling the car and hitting the tyre barrier. Apparently he accidentally braked at the braking point he had been using in his F1 car and just went off. The video is readily available on Youtube.

In 2004 he returned to Williams as test driver. Before the German Grand Prix, it was announced that Pizzonia would take over from Marc Gené, who had been filling in for the injured Ralf Schumacher. At the German Grand Prix, he finished 7th to take his first 2 career points; he repeated the feat at the Hungarian Grand Prix. In Belgium, he briefly led an F1 race for the first time, but failed to finish the race due to mechanical problems. He claimed a further 2 points in Italy (during which he achieved the fastest ever recorded top speed in a F1 race, 369.9 km/h), but with the announcement of Ralf Schumacher's return for the Chinese Grand Prix, Pizzonia's racing was over for the year.

Prior to the 2005 season, Pizzonia was in a virtual shoot-out with German Nick Heidfeld for the second race seat at Williams alongside Webber. Despite Pizzonia's experience with the team and financial support from Petrobras, Heidfeld was given the seat.

Pizzonia was still employed at Williams as a test driver, and when Heidfeld complained of headaches after being concussed in a crash during the Friday Practice Session at Monza, Pizzonia gained the chance to race. Having not entered an F1 race since the 2004 Italian Grand Prix, the Brazilian qualified 16th, coming through the field to emulate his 2004 race result — picking up 7th place and 2 points. He then raced in the Belgian Grand Prix. where he incurred a fine for taking out 2nd placed Juan Pablo Montoya just a few laps from the end. Pizzonia also took the drive in the Brazilian Grand Prix, but his race was over before the first corner after taking out his own teammate Mark Webber resulting from a collision with David Coulthard.

Despite some speculation that GP2 champion Nico Rosberg would be given an opportunity in the last two races of the season, Pizzonia completed the season for Williams. He retired from the Japanese Grand Prix early after spinning off, and retired from (but was classified as a finisher in) the Chinese Grand Prix after a puncture. Having been replaced by Nico Rosberg for 2006, Pizzonia's Formula One career was over.

Post-Formula One

In 2006, he drove for Paul Gentilozzi's Rocketsports team in the Champ Car World Series' Long Beach Grand Prix and returned to the team towards the end of the season for races where Tõnis Kasemets did not have sponsorship to race.

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Racing record

Complete International Formula 3000 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 DC Points
2001 Petrobras Junior Team INT
9
IMO
4
CAT
6
A1R
4
MON
Ret
NUR
6
MAG
10
SIL
3
HOC
1
HUN
Ret
SPA
8
MNZ
Ret
6th 22
2002 Petrobras Junior Team INT
4
IMO
4
CAT
10
A1R
7
MON
4
NUR
3
SIL
5
MAG
4
HOC
Ret
HUN
Ret
SPA
Ret
MNZ
DSQ
8th 18

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 WDC Points
2003 Jaguar Racing F1 Team Jaguar R4 Cosworth V10 AUS
Ret
MAL
Ret
BRA
Ret
SMR
14
ESP
Ret
AUT
9
MON
Ret
CAN
10
EUR
10
FRA
10
GBR
Ret
GER
HUN
ITA
USA
JPN
21st 0
2004 BMW WilliamsF1 Team Williams FW26 BMW P84 3.0 V10 AUS
MAL
BHR
SMR
ESP
MON
EUR
CAN
USA
FRA
GBR
GER
7
HUN
7
BEL
Ret
ITA
7
CHN
JPN
BRA
15th 6
2005 BMW WilliamsF1 Team Williams FW27 BMW P84/5 3.0 V10 AUS
MAL
BHR
SMR
ESP
MON
EUR
CAN
USA
FRA
GBR
GER
HUN
TUR
ITA
7
BEL
15
BRA
Ret
JPN
Ret
CHN
13
22nd 2

American Open Wheel Racing

Complete Champ Car results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest race lap)

Yr Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Rank Points
2006 Rocketsports LBH
10
HOU
DNP
MTY
DNP
MIL
DNP
POR
DNP
CLE
DNP
TOR
DNP
EDM
DNP
SJO
DNP
DEN
DNP
MTL
13
ROA
DNP
SRF
10
MXC
12
18th 43

IndyCar

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Rank Points
2008 Rocketsports HMS
DNP
STP
DNP
MOT1
DNP
LBH1
16
KAN
DNP
IND
DNP
MIL
DNP
TXS
DNP
IOW
DNP
RIR
DNP
WGL
DNP
NSH
DNP
MDO
DNP
EDM
DNP
KTY
DNP
SNM
DNP
DET
DNP
CHI
DNP
SRF
SRF2
- 0

¹ Run on the same day
² Non-points race

Complete GP2 Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 DC Points
2007 FMS International BHR
FEA

16
BHR
SPR

Ret
ESP
FEA

Ret
ESP
SPR

8
MON
FEA

8
FRA
FEA
FRA
SPR
GBR
FEA
GBR
SPR
EUR
FEA
EUR
SPR
HUN
FEA
HUN
SPR
TUR
FEA
TUR
SPR
ITA
FEA
ITA
SPR
BEL
FEA
BEL
SPR
VAL
FEA
VAL
SPR
27th 1

Superleague Formula

2008-2009

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Operator 1 2 3 4 5 6 Position Points
2008 SC Corinthians EuroInternational DON NÜR ZOL EST VAL JER 9th 264
7 10 10 18 4 4 6 16 12 2
2009 Alan Docking Racing MAG ZOL DON EST MOZ JAR 8th 264
4 9 17 12 3 8 3 5 10 9 14 18

2009 Super Final Results

  • Super Final results in 2009 did not count for points towards the main championship.
Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6
2009 SC Corinthians
Alan Docking Racing
MAG
3
ZOL
N/A
DON
4
EST
5
MOZ
N/A
JAR
DNQ

Brazilian competitions

Stock Car Brasil

Year # Team Car T 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rank Pts.
2008 70 K-Med Racing Peugeot 307 G SAO
15
BSB
Ret
CTB
DSQ
SCZ
Ret
CGD
14
SAO
24
RIO
16
LON
Ret
CTB
DNP¹
BSB
18
TAR
DNP
SAO
11
31st 8
2009 1 Amir Nasr Racing Peugeot 307 G SAO
3
CTB
4
BSB
Ret
SCZ
4
SAO
9
SAL
20
RIO
DNP
CGD
DNP
CTB
DNP
BSB
DNP
TAR
DNP
SAO
DNP
16th 51
2010 1 Hot Car Competições Chevrolet Astra G SAO
16
CTB
28
VEL
NL
RIO
RBP
SAL
SAO
CGD
LON
SCS
BSB
CTB
28th* 0*

* Season still in progress

See also

Template:Superleague Formula Sport Club Corinthians Paulista Template:British F3 champions Template:Autosport National Driver of the Year

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Preceded by:
Laurent Aïello
Autosport
National Racing Driver of the Year

2000
Succeeded by:
Takuma Sato
Preceded by:
Aluizio Coelho
British Formula Renault
UK series champion

1999
Succeeded by:
Kimi Räikkönen
Preceded by:
Marc Hynes
British Formula Three
Champion

2000
Succeeded by:
Takuma Sato