Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo, Sochi Autodrom, 2019

Giovinazzi gets second season at Alfa Romeo in 2020

2020 F1 season

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Alfa Romeo has confirmed Antonio Giovinazzi will continue to drive for them in 2020.

Team principal Frederic Vasseur said Giovinazzi “has done really well this year” in his first full season as a Formula 1 driver.

“I am extremely pleased to be able to confirm he will stay with Alfa Romeo Racing for 2020. The way he has integrated into the team and has consistently improved throughout his first full season in the sport are very promising and we cannot wait to unlock his full potential as we continue to work together.

“Antonio has emerged as a very quick driver, even alongside as tough a benchmark as Kimi [Raikkonen], and we expect him to develop even further as his experience grows. His technical feedback, work ethics and positive approach will help us continue to push our team forward, and so will the consistency of an unchanged line-up for next season.”

Giovinazzi, a member of Ferrari’s Driver Academy, joined its engine customer Alfa Romeo at the end of last season when Charles Leclerc was promoted to Ferrari. He has scored four of the team’s 35 points so far this year.

“I am grateful for the incredible level of support I received in my first full season in Formula 1,” he said. “Everyone in the team has stuck by my side since I joined and I am really looking forward to continuing our journey together.

“We learned a lot this year and I am confident we can make a big step forward next season. I won’t be a rookie anymore so there won’t be any excuses for me: I want to be competitive right from the start of the championship and repay the confidence the team has shown in me.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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42 comments on “Giovinazzi gets second season at Alfa Romeo in 2020”

    1. Reserve and Simulator then.

      1. @zomtec He’s already ruled that alternative out.

        1. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
          4th November 2019, 15:28

          Still think if he could get that role at Merc it would be the best move available

    2. + Welp!

      Glad for Gio though.. Good progress in an underperforming team. He needs to show he can ouitdrive the car next year to stay in the sport I think..

      1. Yeah, his quali performances have improved compared to Kimi. Although I think Raikkonen’s declining a lot, esp in quali, and that’ll be one of the worst driver pairings on the grid on current ability.

        1. Honestly the fact that kimi is performing so bad compared to Gio should be sounding alarm bells in vettel fans. That and the fact that Leclerc is beating vettel in his first year at vettels own team

  1. While the championship table doesn’t reflect well on him his improving pace relative to Raikkonen does, so I’m glad he’s got another year.

    It’s a shame for Hulkenberg though

    1. In 18 GP, Kimi finished in front of 15 times. In the last race, Raikkonen finished ahead with more than 30 seconds, Kimi scores as much in the first race as Giovinazzi on the entire season so far. Giovinazzi is fast in qualification but in the race, he is often very far from Kimi. I do not understand that Alfa Romeo keeps it.

    2. Giovanazzi another season at Alfa Romeo, but Alfa Romeo won’t be in F1 for another season (high probability)?!

  2. I’m kinda shocked because he’s been pretty dreadful. I’d have expected him to have been a lot more consistently closer to Raikkonen’s pace than he has been and not take as long as he has to get there given his experience, let alone not make anywhere near the amount of mistakes he has. Perhaps next year will be better for him but this year he’s looked slow, inconsistent and error prone and hasn’t once looked equal or better than Raikkonen, who arguably has his best performing years behind him.

  3. Well, that’s it for Hulk then since he had already ruled Williams out before.

    1. It must be anoying that another of the 6 other drivers in F1 2019 not to have scored a podium gets the seat while he doesn’t. (to think Gasly and Sainz are the other non rookies without a podium to their name).

  4. Jelle van der Meer (@)
    4th November 2019, 15:08

    I am voting for a Baku type absolutely crazy Abu Dahbi race with Hulkenberg getting his first podium in his last 179th race.

    1. I’ll walk barefoot across the world seven times if that happens.

      Please God, make it happen!

    2. Maldonado got a win.
      Hulk never even a podium. Sport can be so cruel.

      1. Islander, the thing is, in the one instance that Maldonado was in a position to win a race, he took that chance and made the most of it. Hulkenberg has had chances at podiums, but he’s never managed to capitalise on them.

        In 2014 in Bahrain, Perez passed and outdrove him to the podium, whilst in 2015 in the Russian GP, whilst Perez again managed to sneak a podium, Hulkenberg managed to get involved in a first corner accident and put himself out of the race on the spot.

        In 2016 at Monaco there was a strategy gamble that didn’t work out, but in Baku he was off the pace on a weekend where Perez was able to match and beat drivers from the top 3 teams that weekend, and again was just plain outdriven. In 2018, in another chaotic race in Baku, where there were chances for a podium, he crashed into the barriers by himself, and in the chaotic conditions of the German GP earlier this year, he initially looked inspired, but then overdid it and crashed out.

        Now, he’s certainly a good driver, but it feels as if, most of the times that a podium finish has been on, it’s usually been because of his performances that he’s failed to get that podium – either by crashing out, or just simply being too slow to capitalise on the chances he had.

        1. I feel like this says a lot more about Perez than Hulkenberg to be honest. Fact of the matter is that in the cars that Hulkenberg has been, getting podiums has been circumstantial, never achieved on true pace. In that regard, someone like Carlos Sainz has never had a podium either in 5 seasons in F1, but quite rightfully, nobody scoffs at him for that reason. The fact of the matter is that getting a podium now with a midfield team is harder than ever.

          1. Actually @mashiat, Sainz is n°5 in the list of drivers with most races without a podium. So if the trend continues he might actually end up with the moniker. Thing is though, i can’t remember a single race where there was a moment when I thought “that’s Sainz day, if he oholds on, it’s for him”

        2. it’s usually been because of his performances

          Spa 2012. Valencia 2012 (overtaken on penultimate lap by both MSC & ROS, he didn’t have KERS, ended 5th). Monaco 2016. Spa 2016. Brazil 2016. Singapore 2017.
          Baku race 2017/18 he’d have got a podium if he hadn’t crashed. 2014 Bahrain wasn’t really a mistake he was just marginally outdriven by Perez on that day, can’t really hold that against someone. Germany this year he probably wouldn’t have got a podium either, given the position he was in there’s no way he’d have gambled for softs like Stroll or Kvyat.
          Brazil 2012, Russia 2015, Baku 2016 probably the races where he was either really slow or made a mistake that cost him a likely podium. So I’m counting 6 times of bad luck, 3 times of his own mistake/negative performance.

          1. *he wouldn’t have got a podium in Baku 2017/18 that’s meant to say.

      2. i don’t think it matters that he never got a podium. he still has had a very good career (much better than Maldonado who still got a podium).

      3. Vettel has 4 championships while Alonso has 2. Yeah this sport sucks sometimes

  5. Sensible decision. Giovinazzi has improved a lot and deserves the seat.

    Can’t wait to see Hulk in Formula E. Think he could be very competitive there.

    1. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
      4th November 2019, 15:31

      Tough to see where he would go. Neel Jani’s seat at Porsche?

    2. The one part I dislike about him, is he seems to be too much of a dudebro to swallow his pride and take a seat there. He’s never really responded with admiration to the whole green thing iirc. I feel like he’d be more likely to get a WEC seat alongside a reserve driver seat at Merc or smth, then push for a return to F1 in 2021. Or Indycar I reckon he’d enjoy.

      1. @fullcoursecaution Jani’s seat could be possible, yeah. Also I have a feeling Ma Qinghua will be replaced mid-season. He really isn’t good enough for FE. And who knows, maybe Massa will retire after this season? I think there could be options for Hulk there.

        @hugh11 That’d be a real shame. WEC is so uninteresting these days. I’d much prefer seeing Hulk in FE/DTM/IndyCar.

      2. Hulk said a couple of times, that he won`t return in 2021. It is a great shame but he really accepted that he will never drive for a top team and is just tired of fighting for 6-10th in the middle pack!

        1. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
          4th November 2019, 17:46

          With all the changes coming to aero and tyres for 2021, I would imagine with his experience he will be sought out by FIA and Pirelli for feedback into the 2021 regs, which in turn makes him a more valuable commodity for hiring for that season.
          If he were to combine that sort of involvement with a Mercedes test and reserve role and a season in DTM as Stijn mentions below, he would be in the hot seat as best driver available should anyone retire or underperform next year.
          I don’t think it’s the last we’ve seen of the Hulk.

    3. Dutch media (however unreliable) said he will announce tomorrow he has a DTM seat next year

      1. I think Nico was very clear on Ziggo no DTM for him.

  6. Any of the drivers currently without a drive for next year would be a step up from Gio.
    But seems it is Ferrari money that is keeping him at Sauber Alfa …..

  7. Good. The championship standings don’t look good for him, but his pace has been quite impressive. Don’t forget he was completely out of competitive motorsport for over a year before the start of this season. He took some time to get going, which was when the car was at it’s most competitive and Kimi had some great results. But since perhaps Austria, Giovinazzi has probably just about had the edge on him. People will say he has been terrible but I don’t think those people have necessarily paid any attention to him bar looking at only the results. Seems like a nice chap too and I hope the Alfa is better next year and he can prove his doubters wrong.

  8. Ambrogio Isgro
    4th November 2019, 18:18

    Well, not worst than Williams, Haas, Racing Point or Toro Rosso. So, apart the top teams, only McLaren and Renault ones are better. For a customer team is OK.

    1. who’s gonna be in the Williams beside Russel?

  9. Is occasionally outqualifying Raikkonen really enough evidence to suggest he deserves another chance in F1? Raikkonen is well known for generally being a poor qualifier, and even Grosjean faired much better than Giovinazzi up against a better version of Raikkonen. Honestly, I just don’t see the point of keeping him. He isn’t, and never will be good enough for Ferrari, so why not get Hulkenberg in and help Alfa Romeo move up the constructors ladder? Then once Raikkonen retires in 2021, you can bring in another youngster alongside an experienced and reliable head. On that point, it wouldn’t surprise me if Alfa Romeo went back for Hulkenberg for 2021 to partner Giovinazzi.

  10. I personally think Kimi has gone downhill massively in the 2nd half of the season. I think Giovinazzi has improved a bit, but he overall is poor. Given it is his first full season, maybe he can be forgiven. I know Alfa Romeo is not strong right at the moment, but I think the car was significantly stronger this year near the start than it was at any point last year. Ericsson managed 9 points across the season. Giovinazzi would have less than that even if he got the points in Germany.

    Ericsson certainly wasn’t a great driver, but i don’t see Giovinazzi as any better than him.

  11. Since 2014 (ie the hybrid era) there have been 118 races to date. That means 354 opportunities for a podium.

    20 podiums have been taken by a team outside of Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull in this time. This means, on average, the entire midfield has a 5.6% chance of scoring a podium on any given race day. There are 14 drivers outside the big three (the ‘midfield’) hence an INDIVIDUAL midfield driver has a 0.3% chance, each race, of a podium on average.

    Williams account for 12 of the 20 midfield podium places in the hybrid era, 10 of which came between 2014 and 2015. So if you weren’t driving a Williams in these two years your chances drop to 0.15% per race.

    In the last three years, there have been 59 races, or 177 podium positions. Only 3 drivers outside the big three have managed a podium, which equals a 1.7% for the entire midfield, or a 0.1% chance for a individual driver on average.

    Using the number of podiums scored to judge the quality of a midfield driver is completely meaningless in my opinion.

  12. Thanks for doing the maths. But still it was his teammate scoring some of these podiums. In Bahrain ’14 and Baku ’16 Perez was better, in Monaco ’16 lucky with strategy and in Sochi ’15 he capitalised from Kimi crashing into Bottas.

  13. Would love for Nico to take on an Indycar drive

  14. In my Formula B championship standings (always take out the Top 6 cars and then use the normal point system), Giovinazzi is 11th, ahead only of Grosjean and the Williams. Pierre Gasly, who only came into the championship six races ago, has only one point less than him. Magnussen is 29 points ahead of him.
    Kimi has 152 points and lies in 7th spot, with more than twice the point tally. Giovinazzi’s best result has been a 4th place, which he achieved three times. Kimi has been on the podium seven times.

    By the way, Carlos Sainz Jr will be champion in Brazil, he has a 49 point lead over Checo, who has had an incredible season and is fighting to stay second, ahead of Lando. Checo and Lance Stroll have been in the points 16 times in Formula B, but Checo has scored a whopping 76 more points, although he has “only” won 3 F-B races. Dany Ric has four wins but is only 4th, Lando also has 3 wins, Carlos has six wins.

    Danny Ric passed Nico Hülkenberg in the standings only in Mexico. Dani Kyvat is 6th in the ranking, he has scored 158 points in 19 races. In comparison, Alex Albon scored 98 points in 12 races, an Pierre Gasly has 73 points in 7 races. So far, the frenchman therefore has had the best time, even when one discounts the races where they didn’t finish.

    Here is the ranking:

    1. Sainz Jr 262 points / 15 points finishes / 6 wins
    2. Perez 213/16/3
    3. Norris 200/14/3
    4. Ricciardo 184/13/3
    5. Hülkenberg 169/15/0
    6. Kvyat 158/15/1
    7. Raikkonen 152/15/0
    8. Stroll 137/16/0
    9. Magnussen 103/12/2
    10. Albon 98/11/0
    11. Giovinazzi 74/15/0
    12. Gasly 73/6/0
    13. Grosjean 67/11/0
    14. Russell 20/12/0
    15. Kubica 9/4/0

    Constructors:
    1. McLaren 462
    2. Renault 353
    3. Racing Point 350
    4. Toro Rosso 329
    5. Alfa Romeo 216
    6. Haas 170
    7. Williams 29

  15. Whilst I’m disappointed Hulk won’t be in F1 next year, I’m super happy for Giovinazzi. Been a big fan of his since his marvellous debut season in GP2 and I’m really glad he’s starting to recapture his form after being out of full time competition for a few years. And that’s what people seem to continuously forget. Giovinazzi hadn’t raced a full season since his debut season in GP2 back in 2016 and his teammate is a former World Champion and has now competing in his 17th season in Formula 1. To be able to even remotely match Kimi’s pace is impressive and hopefully he continues his improved form into next season because, and I would certainly like this, he could be a contender for Ferrari in the distant future

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