Alessandro Zanardi
Alessandro Zanardi (born 23rd October, 1966 in Bologna, Italy) is an Italian racing driver best known for his appearances in Formula One and US Open Wheel racing.
Early career
Zanardi began car racing in 1988 when he took part in Italian F3.
Zanardi graduated to Formula 3000 in late 1989 with Middlebridge Racing - where he won his first race at this level in the round at Le Mans.
Zanardi moved across to the Italian Il Barone Rampante team in 1990, initially struggling before winning two straight races at Monza & Jerez - putting the Italian firmly into the lead of the championship.
Formula One
1991-: Scuderia Italia
Zanardi graduated to Formula One in 1991 with the BMS Scuderia Italia team driving alongside Alex Caffi. Zanardi was plagued with reliability issues in his first season at this level but did score a impressive fifth place in the Portuguese Grand Prix.