14/06/2019
NEWS STORY
Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi is to receive the Trofeo Bandini award in Brisighella this weekend.
Giovinazzi, who has yet to open his championship points account this season, will be awarded the prestigious award in Brisighella on Saturday, adding his name to a long list of Formula One legends.
The accolade, which is awarded each year for a commendable performance in motorsport, is named after F1 and Le Mans 24-hour winner Lorenzo Bandini, who tragically lost his life in an accident during the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix.
The first Italian driver in F1 since 2011, Giovinazzi joins a select group of hallowed names as he steps onto the stage where the likes of Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen have received the accolade.
In fact, eight Formula One World Champions feature in the Trofeo Bandini list of winners, with Jenson Button, Jacques Villeneuve, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg also having been awarded the prize.
More than 15,000 fans are expected to be line the streets as Giovinazzi will drive his Alfa Romeo on the open roads, from Piazza del Popolo in Faenza to Piazza Carducci in the centre of nearby Brisighella.
The car will then remain on show in the square for the public to see, a golden chance for local fans to see an F1 car in action up close - in a very different setting from the circuits the cars usually run on.
In addition to Giovinazzi, several members of the Alfa Romeo team will also receive important acknowledgements on the day. Among the winners of these awards are Technical Director, Simone Resta; Head of Track Engineering, Xevi Pujolar and Head of Aerodynamics, Jan Monchaux.
The awards are in recognition of the work the winners, and the team as a whole, has been doing in the last twelve months.