Fabrizio DelMonte - What can you tell me about him?

JohnSSC · 12 Apr 2005, 03:46 (Ref:1275991)

Greetings! I do not visit you folks much as I am usually in the F1/IRL forums. Recently, Champ Car added a new driver with Eric Jenson as Team Owner. Jenson (Jensen?) selected Fabrizio DelMonte as his driver in a one car team.

I had not even heard of him until last week but suspect since you folks closely follow the whole panoply of Single-Seater racing then someone can fill me in on who this guy is and does he have the goods?

Thanks for your help!

Kicking-back · 12 Apr 2005, 05:07 (Ref:1276010)

He drove in Euro 3000 for the past three seasons - finishing as runner up in the championship in both 2003 and 2004.

(Euro 3000 was the "level 2 series" - not the official FIA F3000 series)

Last year he won a few races at the start of the season and was always in the mix thereafter - although he wasn't consistently the fastest man at each and every race.

His took the title race all the way down to the last meeting of the season.

Prior to Euro 3000, Fabrizio did some races in German F3 in 2001, and won an Italian Formula Renault race in 2000.

Not a potential superstar, then, but a very competent and talented driver who will show well in ChampCar once he gets a bit more seat time and his team is up to speed.

Ian Sowman · 12 Apr 2005, 11:29 (Ref:1276193)

He also won a Formula Renault Winter Series race in the UK in 2000 if memory serves.

BootsOntheSide · 12 Apr 2005, 12:53 (Ref:1276291)

KB's assessment sounds accurate (they usually are), but there's certainly no obvious reason why he's been chosen about guys like Michel aliente or Memo Gidley, who are from North America and have more relevent experience, and theoretically much more potential. Good though he is, I can't see what he can add to Jensen, let alone to ChampCars in general, but maybe Eric's a shrewder man that any of us.

Kicking-back · 12 Apr 2005, 13:22 (Ref:1276330)

I agree with you there Boots - a rookie team needs a driver who knows the car and the track

kickstart · 12 Apr 2005, 18:39 (Ref:1276543)

And of course his Dad is the "man from Delmonte"

El_Gibleto · 12 Apr 2005, 19:50 (Ref:1276603)

There's one obvious reason why he got the drive.

He brought $$$$$$$

Kicking-back · 13 Apr 2005, 07:15 (Ref:1276877)

The team specifically say he didn't.

John Weed · 13 Apr 2005, 07:54 (Ref:1276890)

Well, he did ok last year in F3000.
But I must say that when he was in German F3 back in 2001 with the likes of Gary Paffet, Joao Paulo Oliveira, Kousuke Matsuura, Bjorn Wirdheim, etc... he was far, but far back in the field.
I'm sorry my friend, but when the competition comes you will know what I'm talking about.

JohnSSC · 13 Apr 2005, 10:17 (Ref:1276988)

I have had server problems so I have been away - thanks for the posts.

So this guy is not a top 5% of the grid person?

Interesting choice then if as Jensen says he brings no money as there are a number out there with experience and $$.

mcurtis26 · 13 Apr 2005, 10:27 (Ref:1276993)

Hasn't Jensen said that their driver for round 1 may not be their driver for round 2, but i guess that applies to a lot of the teams??

John Weed · 13 Apr 2005, 14:29 (Ref:1277198)

Folks,
I Will Give You Guys 2 Hints.
Politics And Money, Got It?
That's Why He Is Driving. If The Owner Said He Is Not Bringing Money He Is Simply Doing The First Option.
You Can't Play With Politics, One Mistake You Are Out, Trust Me.
Hope That Helped.

Go_For_Pole · 13 Apr 2005, 15:18 (Ref:1277219)

That is one way to see things.

On the other hand suppose you had a team put together at the very last time and very inexperienced at this level. The good news is that you had a driver (Valiante) that is universally considered pretty talented. However come the first race you end up dead last because of inexperience and lack of preparation. You get a lot of negative publicity and all of the sudden the existance of an excellent driver in your team becomes a problem.

So what do you do? You hire an inexperienced driver to save face or at least share the blame. Simple huh?

JohnSSC · 14 Apr 2005, 11:13 (Ref:1277933)

John Weed - please explain to me the "politics" comment. I am a bit dense as far as that sort of thing goes. Do you mean a favor is being done of some sort??

Thanks!

Marcel ten Caat · 14 Apr 2005, 19:26 (Ref:1278294)

On the entry list for the first race of the 2005 F3000 Italia season that was released today Fabrizio del Monte is listed as the GP Racing driver.

Not sure if he does a full season of F3000 Italia.

Kicking-back · 14 Apr 2005, 19:32 (Ref:1278299)

maybe he's doing a couple of races - there's a long gap until the next ChampCar event

JohnSSC · 15 Apr 2005, 10:27 (Ref:1278760)

I guess my other question is this: "Is he related to the DelMonte food interests?"

Is he committed to a full season of F3?

Marcel ten Caat · 15 Apr 2005, 12:35 (Ref:1278846)

he's rumoured to do the whole F3000 season with GP Racing

Viceroy · 16 Apr 2005, 23:22 (Ref:1279875)

3 F3000 dates are conflicting with champcars. So he can´t do the whole season of both.

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