Formula One star Giancarlo Fisichella will drive for the Alfa Romeo Autodelta team in the final meeting of the 2003 FIA ETCC. In the attempt to claim another European Touring Car Drivers’ title, the Italian team will run a five-car formation, with Fisichella joining the regular trio Gabriele Tarquini, Nicola Larini, Roberto Colciago and newcomer James Thompson.

This is not the Touring Car debut for the F1 driver from Rome, as at the age of 22 he was part of the Alfa Corse 2 team in the 1995 International Touring Car Championship. “It will be like coming back to his roots,” said Autodelta team manager Monica Sipsz, “Because I was his team manager then. And our technical director Marco Calovolo was his race engineer.”

Fisichella’s best result was a second position in Mugello with the powerful Alfa 155 V6; he remained at Alfa Corse and in the ITC for the following season, in which he was classified sixth, with six podium results. That same year, his Formula One career took off.

Since then Fisichella has driven for Minardi, Jordan and Benetton, before returning to Jordan again. He has competed in 124 grands prix, becoming one of the most popular and fastest drivers in the World Championship. He was classified sixth in the 2000 season and after nine podium finishes, he finally managed to win his first GP this year in Brazil.