Andrea Montermini

Andrea Montermini is an Italian racing driver who was active in open-wheel competitions, including Formula 1, until 1999. He recorded 29 entries (20 starts) in the Formula One World Championship between 1994 and 1996 and eleven starts in the CART championship between 1993 and 1999.

Since 2001, Montermini is competing regularly in sports car championships, gaining the most of success in the International GT Open series in which he was the overall champion two times, in 2008 and 2013.

Andrea Montermini scored most of his success driving Ferrari cars

Two seasons, one victory in the Italian Formula 3

Born in May 1964 in Sassuolo near Modena, Andrea Montermini started his racing career in 1987 in the Formula Alfa Boxer, finishing third in the points in his rookie season. In 1988, he made a step up to the Italian Formula 3 Championship.

He was without wins or podiums in his first F3 season, then reaching four podiums, including one victory, in the 1989 F3 season. He finished fourth in the championship points. The champion was Gianni Morbidelli. Montermini also scored great result in the non-championship F3 Monaco Grand Prix, finishing in the second place and sharing a podium with Antonio Tamburini (1st) and Rickard Rydell (3rd).

Formula 3000 vice-champion in 1992

The next competition in Montermini's career was the International Formula 3000 Championship in 1990. In his F3000 rookie season, Montermini scored two podiums with Madgwick Racing to finish 8th in the points. Next year, he drove for 3001 International and finished 10th in the points, scoring again two podiums.

His best F3000 season was in 1992 when he won three races and finished second in the points, behind Luca Badoer. Montermini was driving for two teams that year, in six races for Il Barone Rampante and then in four races for Forti Corse. He also celebrated a victory in the F3000 World Cup race.

Testing F1 cars, racing in the CART Indy Car World Series

In the early 1990s, while racing in Formula 3000, Montermini had an opportunity to test Formula 1 cars with different teams (Dallara, Ferrari, Benetton). However, he didn't continue a career in Formula 1 but in the CART Indy Car World Series, recording four starts in 1993.

He was driving the #50 Lola-Chevrolet for the American division of the Italian team EuroInternational under the banner of Euromotorsport. He retired in three races and finished in sensational fourth place at Detroit Grand Prix. The same year, he scored one more win in the Formula 3000 World Cup race.

Four CART races with three teams in 1994

In 1994, Montermini recorded four more CART championship entries with three different teams. In March, he crashed out in the season-opening round at Surfers Paradise during practice, driving for Dale Coyne Racing.

After that, he was driving for King Racing in Cleveland (16th) and Toronto (7th) and then for Project Indy at Las Vegas (9th).

Montermini crashed heavily in the qualifying for the 1994 Spanish Grand Prix

Heavy crash in Formula One debut with Simtek in Spain

In May 1994, Montermini made a Formula One debut with MTV Simtek Ford in the Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

A debut wasn't successful because he failed to qualify for the race in the #32 Simtek S941-Ford, crashing heavily during the qualifying session and breaking both legs. It's interesting that he came to Spain as a replacement for Roland Ratzenberger who lost a life earlier that year at Imola.

Andrea Montermini at 1995 European Grand Prix at Nurburgring

1995 Formula One season with Pacific

For the 1995 Formula 1 season, Montermini signed with Pacific Team Lotus to drive the #17 Pacific PR02-Ford. He made his first F1 start in the season-opening race in Brazil, finishing the race in the ninth place, six laps behind race winner Michael Schumacher.

After that, a series of bad results followed, including DNQ at Monaco Grand Prix. Until the end of the season, he finished two races, German Grand Prix in 8th place and Hungarian Grand Prix in 12th place.

Struggling with Forti in the 1996 F1 season

For the 1996 F1 season, Montermini joined the Italian Forti Grand Prix to drive the #23 car alongside Luca Badoer as his teammate in the #22 car. The team stayed in the championship for ten rounds, declaring bankruptcy after the British Grand Prix.

In those ten rounds, Montermini managed to finish only one race, the Argentine Grand Prix in the tenth place. Forti's withdrawal from the championship was also the end of Montermini's F1 career. He never returned to the championship, recording only a short stint as a test driver for Lola in 1997.

Andrea Montermini's F1 car in 1996

Three IMSA Championship wins in a Ferrari 333 SP

After losing a place in Formula One, Montermini joined Moretti Racing to drive a Ferrari 333 SP in the 1997 IMSA World Sportscar Championship.

He was pretty successful in his first sports car racing season, scoring three wins (Lime Rock, Pikes Peak, Sebring 2 Hours). His partner was Brazilian Antonio Hermann.

Two Le Mans attempts in 1998 and 1999

In 1998, Montermini reduced his racing programme, participating in just one race and it was the biggest race of all, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He was driving the #31 Nissan R390 GT1 for Tom Walkinshaw Racing-operated Nissan factory team, sharing a car with Jan Lammers and Erik Comas. They finished in sixth place.

A year later, Montermini returned to Circuit de la Sarthe with French team Courage Competition, driving the #13 Courage C52-Nissan. Sharing a car with compatriots Alex Caffi and Domenico Schiattarella, he finished in the sixth place again.

Four starts in the CART Championship in 1999

Outside Le Mans, Montermini was driving the #12 Ferrari 333 SP for Doyle Risi Racing at Petit Le Mans and the #36 Eagle-Toyota for All American Racers in the CART FedEx Championship Series.

He scored some points with an eleventh-place finish at Vancouver and then retired in three CART races at Las Vegas, Houston and Surfers Paradise. The CART race in Australia marked an end of Montermini's open-wheel racing career.

Two wins in the 2002 FIA GT Championship

After being out of racing in 2000, Montermini opened a new chapter of a career in 2001, focusing on sports car racing only. He started slowly, participating in just two races in 2001, including Daytona 24 Hours in a Mastercar Ferrari F355.

In 2002, he returned to Daytona in a Mastercar Ferrari 360 Modena but his main competition was FIA GT Championship with JMB Racing's Ferrari 360 Modena. Sharing a car with Christian Pescatori, he scored two wins in N-GT class to finish third in the final classification.

In 2003, he recorded just one FIA GT starts with Mastercar's Ferrari, focusing instead on the Italian GT Championship. In November 2003, he scored GT class victory in non-championship Le Mans 1000 race, driving a Ferrari 360 Modena GT for Cirtek Motorsport.

Porsche Supercup as the main championship in 2004

In 2004, Montermini's main competition was the Porsche Supercup. Driving for Walter Lechner Racing, he reached three podiums to finish fourth in the points. Outside Porsche Supercup, Montermini recorded many one-off appearances in different championships (ALMS, Rolex Series, Italian GT).

Then, in 2005, Montermini raced with Ferrari 575 Maranello in the Italian GT Championship and FIA GT Championship but without any success.

Racing in the inaugural International GT Open season in 2006

In 2006, the International GT Open series has been established and Montermini became the regular entrant, staying in the series until today. In the inaugural season, he raced with different teams and different cars.

He was also active in the Italian GT Championship, driving a Saleen S7-R. He drove that car for Zakspeed Racing in selected events of the FIA GT Championship, winning a race at Hungaroring.

Montermini's championship-winning Ferrari in 2008

GTA class winner in 2007, International GT Open champion in 2008

In 2007, Montermini was driving the #1 Ferrari F430 GTC for Scuderia Playteam SaraFree, sharing a car with Michele Maceratesi and scoring three wins in GTA class to take the championship title. The overall champions were Joel Camathias and Richard Lietz.

In 2008, Montermini and Maceratesi stayed together in the #3 Ferrari F430 GTC, taking the overall victory in the International GT Open with five wins in sixteen races. In 2009, Montermini had a double programme, driving a Ferrari F430 GTC for Racing Team Edil Cris in the International GT Open and for FBR team in the Le Mans Series, not scoring wins or podiums in both competitions.

Italian GT2 champion in 2010 with Scuderia Villorba Corse

In 2010, Montermini captured one more championship title, winning the GT2 title in the Italian GT Championship. He was driving the #16 Ferrari F430 GTC for Scuderia Villorba Corse together with Emanuele Moncini. They were race winners five times in fourteen races.

In 2011, Montermini stayed with Scuderia Villorba Corse, driving the #8 Ferrari 458 Italia GTC in the International GT Open. Moncini was his co-driver and they finished the season second in the points both in the Super GT class and the overall classification.

Andrea Montermini spent successful years with Scuderia Villorba Corse

International GT Open champion again in 2013

In 2012, Juan Manuel Lopez became Montermini's co-driver in Scuderia Villorba Corse #2 Ferrari 458 Italia GTC. They finished fifth in the points of the Super GT class and overall.

And then, in 2013, Montermini added one more championship title to his account. Driving the #3 Ferrari 458 Italia GTC, Montermini was on the top podium spot six times. His co-drivers were Luca Filippi (five rounds), Davide Rigon (two rounds) and Niccolo Schiro (one round).

Wide racing programme in 2014

In 2014, at the age of 50, Montermini wasn't slowing down. Just opposite, he expanded his racing programme with Scuderia Villorba Corse to Blancpain GT Series, parallel to his commitments in the International GT Open.

He finished third in the GT Open. At Spa 24 Hours, a part of the Blancpain Endurance Series, he was 15th. He also raced with Ombra Racing in selected races of the European Le Mans Series and V de V Endurance Challenge.

Andrea Montermini at Mount Panorama Circuit in 2015

Class podium at 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour

In 2015, Montermini's main competition was V de V Endurance Challenge. Driving a Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 for AF Corse, he scored four podiums.

He was also on the podium at Bathurst 12 Hour race in Australia, where he was driving Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 for Vicious Rumour Racing together with Renato Loberto and Benny Simonsen. They finished sixth overall and second in A-Am class.

A year later, Montermini returned to Mount Panorama Circuit with Vicious Rumour Racing, ending the race 17th overall and fourth in A-Am class. Over the season, he competed part-time in the V de V Endurance Challenge and Italian GT Championship.

Andrea Montermini (in the middle) still races successfully in 2018

Returning to International GT Open in 2018

In 2017, Montermini was out of racing for most of the season, appearing in just one round of the Pirelli World Challenge with TR3 Racing. He won one race in a Ferrari at Virginia International Raceway.

In 2018, the 54-year-old Montermini wasn't ready for retirement yet and he joined Italian team RS Racing in the International GT Open. He and Daniele di Amato scored a podium in a Ferrari 488 GT3 in the season-opening round at Estoril and then their first victory in the first race at Circuit Paul Ricard. It remained their only win and they finished 8th in the final standings.

In 2019, Montermini joins Rinaldi Racing in the 24H Series.

Montermini is celebrating victory at Circuit Paul Ricard in May 2018