GP2 Feature - Pantano Heads Home
06/09/2007
Giorgio Pantano is heading home this weekend. He grew up in the town of Monza and has visited the Autodromo di Monza, situated in the picturesque Royal Park to the north of Milan, for longer than he can remember.
As a boy he cycled to the track to watch Ferrari Formula 1 test sessions, and since 2001 he has raced on the hallowed asphalt in Formula 3000, F1 and GP2.
For a track that means so much to him and that he knows so well, it has given him mixed results: in his one and only Italian Grand Prix, for Jordan in 2004, he crashed heavily at Parabolica, but he won both of last year's GP2 races.
"In the seven years that I have raced at Monza," says Giorgio, "last year gives me the happiest memories. To win both races at my home circuit was a fantastic feeling and I am hoping to achieve the same result this coming weekend."
Since last year's clean sweep he has switched teams from FMS International to Campos Grand Prix and, to date, 2007 has been a good year.
He won the feature race at Magny Cours and has finished on the podium on four other occasions. He lies fourth in the championship table, just one point behind third placed Luca Filippi, with three rounds remaining.
"It has gone well so far this year," says Giorgio, "and Monza is going to be a very close race. There are three obvious passing places: under braking for the first chicane, the second chicane and Ascari."
"We reach very high speeds – 325kph – on the straights so it's possible to slip-stream past other cars. I'm looking forward to it."
Giorgio's ambition is to get a second crack at F1. Since he started racing karts in 1988, he has raced and beaten many of F1's current stars and he believes that GP2 is his best springboard back to the top echelon.
"The GP2 car is very impressive," he says, "especially when compared to F3000. The driving style in GP2 is the closest you will get to that of an F1 car, which makes it a great place for preparing drivers for F1."
A win in either of the GP2 races this weekend would take him a step closer to realising his dream.