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Jarno Trulli |
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Nationality |
Italian |
Born |
13/07/74 |
Place of birth |
Pescara, Italy |
Lives |
Monaco |
Marital status |
Single |
Height/Weight |
1,73m / 60 kg |
Hobbies |
Music, karting, fitness, swimming, tennis, cycling |
Favorite food |
Pizza |
Grand Prix starts |
49 |
Pole positions |
Monaco '97, Nurburgring '99 |
Podium finishes |
1 |
Previous teams |
Prost, Minardi |
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Profile
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Jarno Trulli admits he is not a 'typical Italian'. He arrives early for appointments; does not care for football, claiming he did not even support Italy in the last World Cup; and he even has a Finnish name; he is called Jarno after a Finnish motorcycle rider, something which confused the Italian media when Trulli entered Formula One; "When I made the announcement I was entering F1 with Minardi," he explains, "many people thought I was Finnish. The Italians did not know me because I had not driven in Italy!"
His lack of fame in his home country is something many predict will change in the coming years as Trulli makes his mark in Formula One with the Benson and Hedges Jordan team.
Schooled for 12 years in karting, the 25 year old Italian came to Formula One with an impressive list of achievements; he is the only Formula One driver to have won everything there is to win in karting. "It was very important for me to get my grounding in karting," he explains. "I used to go to karting events from the age of three. My father drove as a hobby and I used to go along with my mother to support him". As a result Trulli was a big fan of motorsport from an early age and was watching Formula One from the tender age of four. "Then one day," he recalls with glee, "when I was about seven, there was a new category for young people called mini-kart and my dad asked me if I wanted a go. Once I was in the kart that was it - I didn't want to get out again! But I never dreamed where it would lead me!
Trulli shone in the karting races and became a driver for an official factory team. The next step proved elusive for a while as he struggled to find the financial backing. Then, in 1995, he received a call from the German F3 KMS team who offered him a free drive. Trulli made the most of the opportunity, wining two of the six races he competed in as well as being crowned rookie of the year. After only half a season driving a Formula car, his results were impressive enough for three F1 teams to come calling. Trulli chose to go with Benetton who offered him a full season in the German F3 Championship with the KMS team. Trulli won the Championship and became Benetton's Junior team Champion.
In 1997 he planned to race F3000 in Japan, but a call from Minardi gave him the unexpected opportunity to race in Formula One for half a season. It was all the introduction he needed; the next year he joined Prost, where he remained until 1999. In his first season with the team he led the Austrian Grand Prix before engine failure robbed him of Grand Prix victory. In 1999 he finished second in Nurburgring - his first F1 podium. "It felt like I was home again," he explains. "I was suffering a lot before when I had not been on the podium for so long!"
Trulli had not dreamt of becoming an F1 driver. "I loved karting and just thought I would be a professional driver of some kind," he explains. "I only started to dream after I won the F3 Championship in 1996. And I think that dream is only just beginning. I want to be on the top of the podium but I haven't had the chance to do that, until now. Joining Jordan is a fantastic opportunity for me and I am really looking forward to playing my part in Jordan's success."
"I don't want to be famous, I just want to be a good, winning driver. That is just something I want for myself."
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Career
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1983 - 1986
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Mini Kart |
1987 |
Winner Gold Medal "Youth Games" 100 cadet class
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1988 |
Winner Italian Go-Kart Championship 100 National class
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1989 |
Winner Italian Go-Kart Championship 100 National class
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1990 |
Winner Italian Go-kart Championship 100 National Class
Winner Grand Prix of Hong Kong Class 100 FA
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1991 |
Winner World Go-kart Championship class 100 FK
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1992 |
World Go-kart Championship class 125FC, 2nd
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1993 |
World Go-kart Champion class 100 SA 2nd Winner Grand Prix of Japan Class 100 FSA
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1994 |
Winner World Cup "Memorial Ayrton Senna" class 100 FSA
Winner European Go-kart Championship class 100 FSA
Winner North America Go-kart Championship class 100 FSA
Winner World Go-kart Championship class 125FC
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1995 |
Winner Grand Prix of Australia 100 FSA
Winner Italian Go-kart Championship class 100 FA
Winner World Cup "Memorial Ayrton Senna" class 100 FSA
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1996 |
Winner German F3 Championship - Benetton Jr team
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1997 |
Competed in 7 F1 races Minardi-Hart until Canadian GP
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1997 |
Competed in 7 F1 races with Prost Mugen-Honda as of French GP (replacing Oliver Panis) up to Luxembourg GP, 3 points, 15th
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1998 |
F1 Prost Peugeot, 1 point, 15th
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1999 |
F1 Prost Peugeot, 7 points, 11th
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2000 |
Joins Jordan Grand Prix team |
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