Tonio Liuzzi: “It’s a solid start to the season”

After his stint at Toro Rosso and his appointment as a third driver at Force India, Vitantonio Liuzzi, an Italian native of Locorotondo (province of Bari), has been confirmed this season with the Indian team, after replacing Giancarlo Fisichella (who left for Ferrari) at the end of the 2009 championship. Thus, since 2007, it is the first time he is a full-time driver for an entire season.

As the 3rd Grand Prix approaches, Liuzzi has just completed the first two races by finishing in the points each time (9th place in Bahrain and 7th place in Australia).

Aware of his past, he states: « I had a solid race at Monza when I returned to business last year. Now we are scoring points, and I want to give my best for this team because they believed in me. »

Regarding the form displayed, he is satisfied: « I am really very happy because it confirms what I have been saying since the beginning of the season, that I am back and ready to achieve big results as long as I am in harmony with the car and it gives me the opportunity. »

For now, Force India is having its best season start, but Liuzzi remains realistic regarding a potential battle with the top teams:

« Unfortunately, to keep up with the speed of the “Top Teams,” such as Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, or even Mercedes GP, it is very difficult for Force India, but the team is working really hard.

The Italian driver prefers to focus on an opponent “within wheel’s reach”: « For us, the main competitor from the start has been Renault, but in the meantime, they have made great progress. So I think our primary goal will be to catch up with them in Malaysia and beat them in the championship. »

For Liuzzi, this challenge is likely to be intense, he concludes: « It’s certain that it won’t be easy because they (Renault) are a great team and they will continue the development of their cars. But as soon as we’re back in our workshops in Silverstone, we’ll work even harder and even better. »

By dominating his teammate Adrian Sutil since the beginning of the season, Vitantonio wants to be the spearhead at Force India. The combination of a well-engineered car and a renowned Mercedes engine should help him in his quest for success.