Dario Benuzzi (born January 1946) [1] is an Italian test driver, best known for his employment at Ferrari, a manufacturer of sports cars in Italy. He has tested every production model following the Dino road cars as well as the company's Formula One cars. [2] As a chief test driver, he is responsible for its development work that involves spending five to six hours in a car daily at Ferrari's private track and on the road, then giving feedback to his team of test drivers and car engineers. [3]
Originally from the neighbouring Vignola, his career with the factory began in 1971 when as a mechanic, [3] he applied for a job at Ferrari and soon, he began working in its prototype department. He gradually progressed from mechanic to trainee test driver under the auspice of chief test driver Roberto Lippi. [4]
From the late 1980s [3] to 1993, when Nicola Larini stepped in, Benuzzi was the test driver for Ferrari's Formula One cars. Benuzzi was one of the Olympic torch bearer at the Maranello leg for the 2006 Winter Olympics, handing it to fellow test driver, Luca Badoer. [5] Benuzzi was named one of the "Men of the Year 2011" by Top Gear for beating unruly Ferraris into shape for 40 long years.
The 2000 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 12 March 2000 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne. It was the first race of the 2000 Formula One season. The 58-lap race was won by Michael Schumacher for the Ferrari team after starting from third position. Schumacher's new teammate for the 2000 season, Rubens Barrichello finished second in the other Ferrari, with Ralf Schumacher third for BMW-Williams.
The 2000 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 7 May 2000 at the Circuit de Catalunya, in Montmeló, Catalonia, Spain with approximately 79,000 spectators. It was the fifth round of the 2000 Formula One World Championship and the 42nd Spanish Grand Prix. Mika Häkkinen of McLaren won the 65-lap race after starting second. His teammate David Coulthard finished second, with Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello third.
The 2000 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 10 September 2000, at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza near Monza, Lombardy, Italy, in front of an estimated 110,000 to 120,000 people. It was the 14th round of the 2000 Formula One World Championship and the season's final event in Europe. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher won the 53-lap race from pole position. McLaren's Mika Häkkinen took second and Williams' Ralf Schumacher was third.
The 2000 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 8 October 2000, in front of 151,000 people at the Suzuka International Racing Course in Suzuka, Mie, Japan. It was the 26th Japanese Grand Prix and the 16th and penultimate race of the 2000 Formula One World Championship. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher won the 53-lap race from pole position. McLaren's Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard finished second and third, respectively. Schumacher's victory confirmed him as the 2000 World Drivers' Champion, as Häkkinen could not overtake Schumacher's points total with one race remaining in the season.
The 2001 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 16 September 2001 at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza near to Monza, Lombardy, Italy. It was the 15th round of the 2001 Formula One World Championship and the 72nd Italian Grand Prix. Rookie Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya won the 53-lap race from pole position. Rubens Barrichello finished second in a Ferrari with Montoya's teammate Ralf Schumacher third.
The Ferrari F40 is a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car engineered by Nicola Materazzi with styling by Pininfarina. It was built from 1987 until 1992, with the LM and GTE race car versions continuing production until 1994 and 1996 respectively. As the successor to the 288 GTO, it was designed to celebrate Ferrari's 40th anniversary and was the last Ferrari automobile personally approved by Enzo Ferrari. At the time it was Ferrari's fastest, most powerful, and most expensive car for sale.
Nigel Stepney was a British mechanic. He worked for several teams in Formula One before being appointed chief mechanic at Ferrari. He became a central figure in the 2007 Formula One espionage controversy. Stepney was latterly team manager for Sumo Power.
Robert Józef Kubica is a Polish racing and rally driver, competing for Team WRT in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship. He was the first and, as of 2023, only Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One, making his latest appearance in the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
Sauber Motorsport AG is a Swiss motorsport engineering company. It was founded in 1970 by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993. After operating it under their own name from 1993 until 2018, Sauber Motorsport AG renamed their Formula One racing team to Alfa Romeo F1 Team in a partnership deal with Alfa Romeo from 2019 to 2023. Sauber is set to be the Audi factory team for the 2026 season onwards.
The 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 63rd season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 60th Formula One World Championship which was contested over 17 events commencing with the Australian Grand Prix on 29 March and ending with the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 1 November.
Stefano Domenicali is an Italian manager and the current CEO of Formula One Group, replacing Chase Carey. He was the CEO of Italian sports car manufacturer Lamborghini from 2016 to 2020. He was the team principal of the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team. Under his leadership Ferrari won their last Formula One World Championship to date.
The 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 64th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. Red Bull Racing won its maiden Constructors' Championship with a 1–2 finish in Brazil, while Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel won the Drivers' Championship after winning the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. In doing so, Vettel became the youngest World Drivers' Champion in the 61-year history of the championship. Vettel's victory in the championship came after a dramatic season finale at Abu Dhabi where three other drivers could also have won the championship – Vettel's Red Bull Racing teammate Mark Webber, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.
Kamui Kobayashi is a Japanese racing driver. He competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing, and in the Super Formula Championship for KCMG. He previously competed in Formula One, Formula E, the GP2 Series, and the GP2 Asia Series. Kobayashi is the 2019–20 and 2021 World Endurance champion and 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans winner along with his team-mates Mike Conway and José María López. He is the third FIA world champion from Japan after Toshi Arai and Kazuki Nakajima.
The 2008 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 27 April 2008 at the Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló, Spain. It was the fourth race of the 2008 Formula One World Championship. Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team won the 66-lap race starting from pole position. Felipe Massa finished second in the other Ferrari, and Lewis Hamilton was third in a McLaren.
The 2008 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 14 September 2008 at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza, Italy. It was the 14th race of the 2008 Formula One World Championship. Future four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel for the Toro Rosso team took a maiden victory, winning the 53-lap race from a maiden pole position. Heikki Kovalainen finished second in a McLaren, and Robert Kubica third in a BMW Sauber.
Daniil Vyacheslavovich Kvyat is a Russian professional racing driver racing for Prema Racing in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship. Kvyat competed in Formula One between 2014–2017 and 2019–2020. He became the second Formula One driver from Russia and is the most successful of the four Russian drivers to date, with three podiums.
The 2012 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 66th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 63rd FIA Formula One World Championship, a motor racing series for Formula One cars, recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) – the governing body of motorsport – as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. The championship was contested over twenty rounds, which started in Australia on 18 March and ended in Brazil on 25 November. The 2012 season saw the return of the United States Grand Prix, which was held at the Circuit of the Americas, a purpose-built circuit in Austin, Texas. After being cancelled in 2011 due to civil protests, the Bahrain Grand Prix also returned to the calendar.
The Lotus E20 is a Formula One racing car designed and produced by the Enstone-based Lotus F1 Team for the 2012 Formula One season. The chassis was designed by James Allison, Naoki Tokunaga, Martin Tolliday and Dirk de Beer with Renault continuing to supply engines. The E20 was the twentieth Formula One car to be designed at Enstone since 1992, and was named in tribute to the contribution made by the facility and its personnel in their twenty-year history. The car was also the first from Enstone to carry the Lotus name, since the team ceased using the Renault name following their renaming from Lotus Renault GP at the end of 2011. The car, which was launched by the team on its website on 5 February 2012, was driven by 2007 World Drivers' Champion Kimi Räikkönen and reigning GP2 Series champion Romain Grosjean, both of whom returned to Formula One after a two-year absence.
The 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 70th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)'s Formula One motor racing. It featured the 67th Formula One World Championship, a motor racing championship for Formula One cars which is recognised by the sport's governing body, the FIA, as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. Teams and drivers took part in twenty-one Grands Prix—making for the longest season in the sport's history—starting in Australia on 20 March and finishing in Abu Dhabi on 27 November as they competed for the World Drivers' and World Constructors' championships.
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