Former F1 star Fisichella on taking on Adelaide streets

One year ago Adelaide was alive again with the return of Supercars, but S5000 also put on a show with Formula 1 winner Giancarlo Fisichella the star attraction.

The three-time Grand Prix winner made a guest appearance in a VAILO backed Team BRM machine and the then 49-year-old did not look out of place racing against drivers half his age on a famous track he had never driven at before.

It was not Fisichella’s first S5000 drive, but the first full round given his debut was cut short by COVID-19 at the 2020 Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The 2005 Australian Grand Prix winner qualified fifth, eight tenths off pole man Aaron Cameron before rising into the top four in the opening race.

Despite a second race DNF due to a tag of the turn 8 wall, Fisichella fought his way back to sixth in the finale to leave the weekend having made his mark.

During his time bringing some Formula 1 back to Adelaide, the former Renault and Ferrari driver who made his debut at the 1996 Australian Grand Prix caught up one on one with AUTO ACTION to share his thoughts on racing an S5000 on the famous South Aussie streets and he was a big fan of the track that hosted Formula 1 from 1985 to 1995.

“I still do plenty of GT racing but it is my first time in Adelaide and it is amazing,” Fisichella said.

“There is a fantastic atmosphere with a lot of people like a F1 Grand Prix weekend.

“It is Incredible to see so many people and kids around the track and I really enjoy the atmosphere and weather.

“There are a lot of nice and interesting corners. Especially turn 1 the chicane where we jump over the second kerb.

“Turn 8 is always a challenge on the throttle and the G forces in the corners are very high as well.”

Although Fisichella had 229 Grands Prix under his belt in a career that spanned from 1996 to 2009 at Minardi, Jordan, Benetton, Sauber, Renault, Force India and Ferrari, the S5000 drive marked a return to single seaters.

It marked the end of a drought between full race weekends in an open wheeler that spanned all the way back to his final Formula 1 race at Yas Marina in 2009 in the famous Ferrari red.

Over the next 13 years Fisichella had been exclusively GT racing for the prancing horse, starting at the 24 Hours of Le Mans annually, recording two class wins, while his S5000 drive at Albert Park only got as far as qualifying.

Despite the extensive F1 experience, Fisichella noted it was far from simple switching GT to open wheelers quickly.

“It is a big challenge for me,” he said.

After 12 years of GT racing, jumping into a single seater again is not easy, especially without any testing at all. We only did two practice sessions with three or four red flags so I could not drive much before qualifying.

“I have done no single seater racing since I retired. Just GT which is a very good car and quite similar but also very different.

“Here it is very difficult behind the wheel because there is no power steering and you have to take risks, good risks.

“There is a lot of power and not much aero so the car is very unstable in the braking points.”

As a contracted Ferrari driver it won’t be a simple path, but Fisichella also pledged his desire to drive a Supercar having watched them first hand in Adelaide.

“I want to drive a Supercar one day why not. I like the category!”

Image: Jack Martin Photography

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