Giancarlo Fisichella adds his name to S5000 Grand Prix debut

Giancarlo Fisichella has announced his return to Albert Park to take on the opening round of the Australian S5000 Championship at the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix.

Fisichella, the winner of the 2005 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, will compete against former F1 rival Rubens Barrichello and a host of other Australian and international drivers.

The 47 year-old had a 13 year stint in Formula 1, from 1996-2009, making 229 race starts across Minardi, Jordan, Benetton, Sauber, Force India and Ferrari.

‘Fisico’ scored three race wins, including taking the 2005 Australian Grand Prix for Renault. He has 19 podium positions and four pole positions.

The Rome-based driver has spent the majority of his post-F1 career in sports cars, driving Ferraris in international GT racing all around the world, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

This will be his second time appearance at the Grand Prix in a support category. In 2018, he drove a Ferrari 458 GT3 in the opening round of the Australian GT Championship.

“I am very excited about coming back to a city and a street circuit which mean so much to me,” said Fisichella. 

“My Grand Prix win will stay in my heart forever as well as the warmth of the many Australian fans who come every year to Melbourne for a great motor sport spectacle.

“It is also a full comeback to an open wheeler for me, after ten solid years of GT racing and for this I can’t wait until I am going to be behind the wheel of an S5000.”

“We are excited to welcome Giancarlo back to Australia and this is another great coup for the S5000 class at the Australian Grand Prix,” said Matt Braid, CEO of the Australian Racing Group.

“Giancarlo is loved by all Formula 1 fans for not only his success on the track, but his passion for the sport. While he might have stopped racing Formula 1, he is still very active, and we feel that he is going to adapt very quickly to the S5000s.

“It will be great to rekindle an an old F1 rivalry too, seeing Giancarlo and Rubens Barrichello back at a Formula 1 event, in single seater race cars. It is everything that public want to see and we are pleased to bring this to the Melbourne fans.”