Date of birth: 2/4/1979 Place of birth: Padua Resident in: Padua Weight: 66 kg Height: 1,66 cm Nationality: Italian
Complete record of wins
First race: San Marino 2005 First victory in GP2: France 2006 Pole positions: 2 Podiums: 23 Victories: 10
Sporting career
1988
First steps in Karting
1994
World Karting Champion Junior category Italian Champion Junior category
1995
European Karting Champion, Formula A category
1996
European Karting Champion, Formula A category
1997
3rd World Karting Championship, Formula Super A category
1998
Finalist in the World Karting Cup, Formula Super A category
1999
3rd World Karting Championship, Formula Super A category Palmer Audia winter series Formula 3
2000
Champion German Formula 3 Championship Formula 3000
2001
9th Formula 3000
2002
Runner-up Formula 3000
2003
3rd Formula 3000
2004
Formula 1 (Jordan)
2005
Indy Racing League 6th GP2 Series
2006
5th GP2 Series
2007
3rd GP2 Series
Biography
After a brilliant career in the world of karting, where he won the Italian Championship and the European in the cadet category in his first participation, the world title in the Junior category in 1994, and the European champioships in ‘95 & ‘96, Giorgio Pantano became one of the hottest properties in Italian motor-racing. In 2000 he changed to motor-car racing, German Formula 3, he was soon alternating drives in different championships with tests for several Formula 1 teams. He drove a Benetton in 2000, McLaren in 2001, Williams in 2002, and a Minardi also in 2002. His good performances brought him a place in the Formula 3000 International, where he fought for the title over three years, until in 2004 the Jordan team gave him a chance to make his debut in Formula 1.
His time in the top category of motor-racing coincided with a decline in the fortunes of the Anglo-Irish team, and he suffered a season full of problemas. He was replced in the team when there were three races left, and in 2005 decided to try his luck in the GP2 Series, which started that very year. In his first year he won a pole position and had six podium finishes, 6th in the final standings. The following year, and after losing the first six rounds in Valencia, Imola and Nürburgring, was able to open his victory account by winning the short race held in France, at the circuit of Magny-Cours. He also managed to get two more victories, in the two races held at Monza, finishing the season 5th in the overall standings.
In the 2007 season Pantano got another two victories, visiting the podium a total of four times. His good results allowed him, in spite of five retirements, to finish the championship in 3rd position; above all because the Italian showed a great ability in setting up the car so as to get good classification positions in training, and most importantly in the long races on Saturday afternoons.
In 2008, the Italian driver joined the Racing Engineering team, setting himself the highest possible objective: to win races and to fight for the title. The intense work done in winter confirmed those expectations, and now, the fruits of all that hard work has brought the prize he cherished. The Repsol driver has made his experience and inborn talent tell to go the fastest and so add a new trophy to his already large collection: the trophy awarded to the Champion of the GP2 Series 2008.
