Alessandro Pier Guidi

Alessandro Pier Guidi is an Italian racing driver who currently serves as Ferrari factory driver in GT races. He reached the top of the world in 2017 by winning the GT class in the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship together with James Calado, driving a Ferrari 488 GTE. In June 2019, the same duo won GT class at 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a help of third co-driver Daniel Serra.

Previously in a career, Pier Guidi participated in many different GT and single-seater competitions, scoring only one championship title in the 2005 Italian GT Championship.

Alessandro Pier Guidi

Italian GT champion in rookie season

Born in December 1983 in Tortona, Alessandro Pier Guidi spent teenage years in karting competitions, stepping into car racing in 2002. His first competition was the Italian Formula Renault. In 2005, Pier Guidi switched to GT racing, joining Playteam Sara Free in the Italian GT Championship.

Pier Guidi captured the championship title in the GT2 class in his rookie season, winning eight races together with Toni Vilander in the #78 Ferrari 360 Modena GTC. Driving the same car, Pier Guidi finished second in the GTA class of the Spanish GT Championship.

Winning the Mil Milhas Brasileiras in 2006

In January 2006, Pier Guidi continued his winning streak with a victory at Mil Milhas race at Interlagos. He was sharing the #36 Ferrari 360 Modena GTC with Toni Vilander and Gianbattista Giannocaro.

During 2006, Pier Guidi was driving Ferrari F430 GTC for Playteam in the International GT Open and Spanish GT Championship, sharing a car with Michele Bartyan. They were second in the GTA class of the Spanish championship and fourth in the same class of the International GT Open.

Part-time comeback to single-seater racing

In 2006, Pier Guidi also participated in two rounds/four races of the Formula 3000 International Masters, driving for ADM Motorsport at Magny-Cours and Oschersleben.

In October 2006, Pier Guidi was representing Team Italy in the first two rounds of the A1 Grand Prix series. He competed at Zandvoort and Brno. For the rest of the A1 GP season, he was replaced by Enrico Toccacelo.

Alessandro Pier Guidi in 2007

2007 – racing with Maserati in the FIA GT Championship

In 2007, Pier Guidi stayed with Scuderia Playteam Sarafree which entered the FIA GT Championship with Maserati MC12 GT1. Alessandro was sharing the #12 car with Gianbattista Giannocaro. Without wins or podiums, they finished ninth in the final standings.

In 2008, Pier Guidi participated in just one FIA GT race with Vitaphone Racing Team, driving a Maserati MC12 at Spa 24 Hours. Sharing the #2 car with Miguel Ramos, Alexandre Negrao and Stephane Lemeret, he finished in the second place.

2008 – a season in the Superleague Formula

Pier Guidi's main competition in 2008 was the Superleague Formula. He was driving the #4 car for Galatasaray team, operated by his old team Scuderia Playteam.

In twelve races, Pier Guidi scored three podiums to finish 8th in the points. He was on a podium at Nurburgring, Estoril and Vallelunga.

Back to GT racing in 2009

In 2009, Pier Guidi returned to FIA GT Championship, joining Vitaphone Racing Team in the second part of the season. He was driving the #33 Maserati MC12 in four races, finishing second in two races (Spa 24 Hours, Hungaroring) and winning the last race of the season at Zolder, with Matteo Bobbi as a co-driver.

In 2010, Pier Guidi participated in three different competitions with Maserati. In the FIA GT1 World Championship, he joined Triple H Team Hegersport in four rounds, scoring one podium at Navarra. Pier Guidi also won two races with Maserati in the FIA GT4 European Cup and scored two wins in the Maserati Trofeo Europe.

Racing with Maserati until 2012

In 2011, Pier Guidi's main competition was the Italian Superstars Championship. He was driving the #46 Maserati Quattroporte for the Swiss Team, scoring two podiums in the last round at Vallelunga and finishing ninth in the final standings.

In 2012, he was driving Maserati GranTurismo MC GT3 in the some GT Open and GT Sprint races. During the year, he switched to Ferrari, driving a Ferrari F430 GTC and Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 in different competitions. He scored Pro-Am class victory at Spa 24 Hours in the #52 AF Corse Ferrari.

Daytona 24h debut in 2013, class victory in 2014

In 2013, Pier Guidi switched completely to Ferrari race cars, driving for Esta Motorsports and SMP Racing in the International GT Open and Blancpain Endurance Series.

In January 2013, Pier Guidi made a debut at Daytona 24 Hours, driving the#63 Ferrari 458 Italia for Scuderia Corsa. He finished 12th overall and fourth in the GT class. A year later, he reached the top podium spot at Daytona, winning the GTD class in the #555 Ferrari 458 Italia of the Level 5 Motorsports. His co-drivers were Townsend Bell, Scott Tucker, Bill Sweedler and Jeff Segal.

Alessandro Pier Guidi

World Endurance Championship debut in 2014

In 2014, Pier Guidi spent most of the season in the Italian GT Championship,  driving a Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 for BMS Scuderia Italia. He was a race winner once and finished 8th in the points.

During the season, he had occasional appearances in the FIA WEC, European Le Mans Series, British GT Championship, Blancpain Endurance Series and GT Asia. In the World Endurance Championship, Pier Guidi joined AF Corse in Bahrain and Interlagos to drive the #61 Ferrari 458 Italia GTC.

2015 – a season in the European Le Mans Series

In 2015, Pier Guidi's main competition was the European Le Mans Series, in which he was driving the #56 Ferrari 458 Italia GTC for AT Racing, alongside father and son Alexander Talkanista and Alexander Talkanista Jr. They scored one GTE class victory at Monza and finished fifth in the final standings.

During the season, Pier Guidi also raced in the Blancpain Endurance Series, taking the Pro-Am class victory at Spa 24 Hours in the #47 AF Corse Ferrari, together with Gianmaria Bruni, Stephane Lemeret and Pasin Lathouras.

In recent years, Pier Guidi has wide programme of races with Ferrari

Combining European and American races in 2016

In 2016, Pier Guidi repeated full season in the European Le Mans Series with AT Racing, finishing again in the fifth place of the GTE class. He was also driving Ferrari for AF Corse in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, scoring one podium in five races.

On the other side of Atlantic, he participated in five races of the IMSA SportsCar Championship with Scuderia Corsa, finishing best in the second place at Laguna Seca.

In June 2016, Pier Guidi finally made a debut at 24 hours of Le Mans. He joined Gianmaria Bruni and James Calado in the #51 Ferrari 488 GTE, not finishing the race.

2017 FIA WEC GT champions: Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado

World GT champion in 2017

In 2017, Pier Guidi took over the #51 Ferrari 488 GTE and participated full season in the FIA World Endurance Championship alongside James Calado. They scored two podiums in first two races at Silverstone and Spa. At Spa, joined by Michele Rugolo as the third driver, they finished 11th in the GTE Pro class.

The first win for Pier Guidi and Calado came in the fourth round at Nurburgring. Until the end of the season, they added two more wins (Austin, Fuji) and two podiums (Shanghai, Bahrain) to became FIA WEC GT champions.

Parallel to his FIA WEC commitments, Pier Guidi was also driving Ferraris in the Blancpain GT Series, Asian Le Mans Series and IMSA SportsCar Championship. His was third in the GTLM class at Petit Le Mans with Risi Competizione.

Winners' selfie at Le Mans podium: Pier Guidi, Serra and Calado

Victory at 2019 Le Mans 24 Hours

In 2018, Pier Guidi and James Calado stayed together in the #51 Ferrari for the 2018-2019 FIA World Endurance Championship super season. After finishing seventh in GTE Pro class at Le Mans, they won at Silverstone. The second win came in the season-closing race at Le Mans in June 2019. They finished second in FIA WEC classification for GT drivers.

In January 2019, Pier Guidi rejoined Risi Competizione at Daytona 24 Hours, finishing second in GTLM class. In the same season he scored four wins with Luzich Racing in the GTE class of the European Le Mans Series and took the championship title.

Pier Guidi stayed with Ferrari in the 2019-2020 FIA WEC season.

Photos: Alessandro Pier Guidi,