Gianni Morbidelli (born 13 January 1968) is an Italian racing driver. He participated in 70 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 11 March 1990. He achieved one podium and scored a total of 8.5 championship points. He most recently competed in the TCR International Series.
Racing career
Early career Morbidelli was born in Pesaro. His father, Giancarlo Morbidelli, was the founder of the Morbidelli motorcycle company, which had some success in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Morbidelli started karting in 1980. He won the EUR-AM championship in 1986, before moving to Italian Formula Three. He became Italian Formula 3 and Formula 3 European Cup champion in 1989, as well as winning two races in Italian Touring Cars. He then moved to the Scuderia Italia Formula One team, doing the first two races of the F1 season as stand-in for Emanuele Pirro, before concentrating on Formula 3000. He won one race and finished fifth in the 1990 championship, as well as undertaking test driver duties for Scuderia Ferrari for that year.
Formula One
Resuming his F1 career at the end of the season, Morbidelli competed in the final two races of the season with Minardi, where he remained until the end of . He briefly joined Ferrari for the 1991 Australian Grand Prix, drafted in after Alain Prost was fired by the team, where Morbidelli earned his first Formula One points, earning half a point for 6th after a rain-shortened race. A lack of sponsorship led to him leaving Minardi to rejoin Italian Touring Cars for 1993, where he drove an Alfa Romeo 155 to two wins for Alfa Corse, before being hired by Footwork Arrows for . He managed four-point-scoring positions in two years with the team, including his only podium place finish in the 1995 Australian Grand Prix, earning third place in a race of high attrition. Morbidelli became Footwork Arrows' most successful driver, with a total of eight points for the team.
Morbidelli also competed in the Italian Superturismo Championship for 1995, scoring two race wins, and, after spending a year out in 1996 testing for Jordan, gained another podium that year. Back in Formula One for , he raced in several mid-season events for Sauber as a replacement for Nicola Larini. He scored no points and was not classified in the championship for that year. His unsuccessful season and two injuries from separate testing accidents led to Morbidelli retiring from Formula One racing.
Post-Formula One
In 1998, Morbidelli drove for Volvo in the British Touring Car Championship, but was not as competitive as his teammate Rickard Rydell, who won that year's title. His only competitive showing was in the summer meeting at Thruxton, where he charged from near the back of the pack to finish fourth, passing many cars in the process. Morbidelli then spent several years in various European touring car series', with a high point in the 2001 European Touring Car Championship, where he raced the BMW 320i to fifth place in the championship, winning the last race at Estoril. Morbidelli raced in the Italian round of the 2004 season in a SEAT Toledo, but scored no points and did not contest in further meetings.
Morbidelli drove a Lamborghini in several grand tourer races in 2005, and moved back to touring cars for 2006. Competing in the World Touring Car Championship for N-Technology, he managed two second places in an Alfa Romeo 156. Not as competitive as when he was driving the BMW, he moved back to GT racing for 2007, winning two races in the ADAC GT Masters series. He has had considerable success in the Italian Superstars Championship, where Morbidelli won the title with both Audi RS4 and BMW M3 three years in a row from 2007. The short-lived Speedcar Series gave him another championship title, where he won the 2008–09 championship. The season featured a close fight with defending champion Johnny Herbert, with Morbidelli finishing one place ahead in the final round to win the title.
Morbidelli made his WTCC return in 2014, driving a Chevrolet Cruze for Münnich Motorsport. He made his debut in the FIA World Rallycross Championship with the same team at his home round in 2015.
Racing record
Career summary Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/laps Podiums Points Position1987Italian Formula ThreeEuroracing Junior Team120001711th1988Italian Formula ThreeForti Corse121224255thMacau Grand Prix10000N/A7th1989Italian Formula ThreeForti Corse116436591stMacau Grand Prix10000N/ADNFFIA European Formula 3 Cup11011N/A 1stItalian Superturismo Championship??2????4th1990International Formula 3000Forti Corse111103205thItalian Superturismo ChampionshipCiBiEmme Engineering411213018thFormula OneSCM Minardi200000NCBMS Scuderia Italia100001991Formula OneMinardi Team1500000.524thScuderia Ferrari100001992Formula OneMinardi Team1500000NC1993Italian Superturismo ChampionshipAlfa Corse1220033812th1994Formula OneFootwork160000322nd1995Italian Superturismo ChampionshipCiBiEmme Engineering2022231495thFormula OneFootwork100001514th1996Italian Superturismo ChampionshipCiBiEmme Engineering80002508th1997Formula OneRed Bull Sauber Petronas700000NC1998British Touring Car ChampionshipVolvo S40 Racing2500005611th2000European Touring Car ChampionshipCiBiEmme Engineering20503102023rd2001European Super Production ChampionshipCiBiEmme Engineering101103755th2002European Touring Car ChampionshipCarly Motors Team Isert600000NCAmerican Le Mans SeriesAmerican Viperacing100001540th2004FIA GT ChampionshipGPC Giesse Squadra Corse800001416thEuropean Touring Car ChampionshipSEAT Sport Italia200000NC2005Italian GT ChampionshipReiter Engineering40010825thFIA GT ChampionshipGPC Sport100000NC2006World Touring Car ChampionshipN.Technology1900022214th2007ADAC GT MastersReiter Engineering82005495thCampionato Italiano SuperstarsAudi Sport Italia766761371st2008Speedcar SeriesSpeedcar Team103115335thCampionato Italiano SuperstarsAudi Sport Italia834481431stADAC GT MastersReiter Engineering200000NC2008–09Speedcar SeriesPalm Beach / Palm Racing91005551st2009Campionato Italiano SuperstarsROAL Motorsport1864891971stInternational Superstars Series1032351231st2010Campionato Italiano SuperstarsTeam BMW Italia1611261264thInternational Superstars Series120003746thV8 Supercars ChampionshipTriple F Racing200000NC†2011Campionato Italiano SuperstarsHopmobile Audi Sport Italia600111813thInternational Superstars Series600111815thV8 Supercars ChampionshipTriple F Racing200004579th2012International Superstars SeriesAudi Sport Italia1542541284thCampionato Italiano Superstars900203710thV8 Supercars ChampionshipTriple F Racing200000NC†2013International Superstars SeriesAudi Sport Italia16617102331stCampionato Italiano Superstars1051871701st2014World Touring Car ChampionshipAll-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport2310011099th2015TCR International SeriesWestCoast Racing2134582434thFIA World Rallycross ChampionshipAll-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport20000040th2016TCR International SeriesWestCoast Racing2011361746th2017TCR International SeriesWestCoast Racing2021341326th2018World Touring Car CupTeam Mulsanne130000035th2019TCR Europe Touring Car SeriesWestCoast Racing14000013513th2025Thailand Super Series - GTCTecpro Barriers Racing † Not eligible for points.
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 DC Points 1990 Forti Corse DON SIL PAU JER MNZ PER HOC BRH BIR BUG NOG 5th 20
Complete Formula One results Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 WDC Points 1990 BMS Scuderia Italia Dallara F190 Ford Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8 USA BRA SMR MON CAN MEX FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR ESP NC 0 SCM Minardi Minardi M190 JPN AUS 1991 Minardi Team Minardi M191 Ferrari 037 3.5 V12 USA BRA SMR MON CAN MEX FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR ESP JPN 24th 0.5 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 643 AUS 1992 Minardi Team Minardi M191B Lamborghini 3512 3.5 V12 RSA MEX BRA ESP NC 0 Minardi M192 SMR MON CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR JPN AUS 1994 Footwork Footwork FA15 Ford HBE7/8 3.5 V8 BRA PAC SMR MON ESP CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR EUR JPN AUS 22nd 3 1995 Footwork Footwork FA16 Hart 830 3.0 V8 BRA ARG SMR ESP MON CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR EUR PAC JPN AUS 14th 5 1997 Red Bull Sauber Petronas Sauber C16 Petronas SPE-01 3.0 V10 AUS BRA ARG SMR MON ESP CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA AUT LUX JPN EUR NC 0
Complete Italian Superturismo Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 DC Pts 1993 Alfa Corse Alfa Romeo 155 TS MNZ1 MNZ2 VAL1 VAL2 MIS1Ret MIS29 MAG11 MAG21 BIN114 BIN2Ret IMO1Ret IMO27 VAR116 VAR23 MIS116 MIS2Ret PER1 PER2 MUG1 MUG2 9th 58 1995 CiBiEmme Engineering BMW 318i MIS1Ret MIS26 BIN16 BIN27 MNZ15 MNZ24 IMO17 IMO2Ret MAG15 MAG24 MUG15 MUG27 MIS13 MIS211 PER11 PER21 VAR110 VAR24 VAL16 VAL25 5th 149 1996 CiBiEmme Engineering BMW 320i MUG1 MUG2 MAG1 MAG2 MNZ1 MNZ2 BIN1 BIN2 MIS1 MIS2 IMO1 IMO2 PER14 PER2Ret PER13 PER23 VAR1DSQ VAR25 VAL117 VAL25 8th 50
Complete British Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position – 1 point awarded all races) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) (* signifies that driver lead feature race for at least one lap – 1 point awarded)
Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Pos Pts 1998 Volvo S40 Racing Volvo S40 THR1 THR2 SIL1 SIL2 DON1 DON2 BRH1 BRH2 OUL1 OUL29* DON1 DON2 CRO1 CRO2 SNE1 SNE2 THR1 THR2 KNO1 KNO2 BRH1 BRH2 OUL1 OUL2 SIL1 SIL2 11th 56
Complete European Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 DC Pts 2000 CiBiEmme Engineering BMW 320i MUG1 MUG2 PER1 PER2 A1R1 A1R2 MNZ1 MNZ2 HUN1 HUN2 IMO1 IMO2 MIS1 MIS2 BRN1 BRN2 VAL1 VAL2 MOB1 MOB2 3rd 202 2002 Carly Motors Team Isert BMW 320i MAG1 MAG2 SIL1 SIL2 BRN1 BRN2 JAR1 JAR2 AND1 AND2 OSC1 OSC2 SPA1 SPA2 PER1 PER2 DON1 DON2 EST1 EST2 NC 0 2004 SEAT Sport Italia SEAT Toledo Cupra MNZ1 MNZ2 VAL1 VAL2 MAG1 MAG2 HOC1 HOC2 BRN1 BRN2 DON1 DON2 SPA1 SPA2 IMO1 IMO2 OSC1 OSC2 DUB1 DUB2 NC 0
Complete European Super Production Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DC Pts 2001 CiBiEmme Engineering BMW 320i MNZ BRN MAG SIL ZOL HUN A1R NÜR JAR EST 5th 75
Complete World Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 DC Points 2006 N. Technology Alfa Romeo 156 ITA129† ITA2 FRA1 FRA2 GBR1 GBR2 GER1 GER2 BRA1 BRA2 MEX1 MEX2 CZE1 CZE2 TUR1 TUR2 ESP1 ESP2 MAC1 MAC2 14th 22 2014 All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 MAR1 MAR2 FRA1 FRA2 HUN1 HUN2 SVK1 SVK2 AUT1 AUT2 RUS1 RUS2 BEL1 BEL2 ARG1 ARG2 BEI1 BEI2 CHN1 CHN2 JPN1 JPN2 MAC1 MAC2 9th 109 † Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.
Complete Campionato Italiano Superstars results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)