Q & A with Tonio Liuzzi
He’s been called flamboyant, a trendsetter, and has certainly brought a distinct flair to the Formula 1 paddock, all while displaying flashes of brilliance in F1′s newest car and youngest team, Scuderia Toro Rosso. His young career has seen him conquer every championship imaginable, from a World Karting Title to the Formula 3000 Championship in 2004, which catapulted him to the top of Red Bull’s young driver development program. Even though there were low expectations of his car and engine package going into 2006, he has proven feisty and willing to duke it out with some front-runners, which netted Tonio and Toro Rosso their first championship point in Indianapolis.
So what is it about this young ace that has made fans, fellow drivers, the world’s media, but most importantly Mr. Dietrich Mateschitz and his billion dollar multinational (Red Bull) take notice?
Can’t just be the tattoos, piercings, wardrobe stacked with Luis Vuitton, Gucci and Alpinestars and the odd fur coat!
Well, it was up to you to find out…to ask the man himself!
1. Ever since you have entered Formula One I was intrigued about the visible scar in the middle of your forehead. How did it happen?
“I’m like Harry Potter! I was 6 years old and I loved to answer at the phone, and while running down to a phone call I fell off straight into a glass door and I did it perfectly in the middle.”
2. If you were stuck in an elevator, who would you like to be stuck with?
“An astonishing girl, think Angelina Jolie could be fine.”
3. Describe your perfect night out?
“A cool night with my friends, karting race before, than meet some chicks and go clubbing flat out, than after party in the hotel room.”
4. Who is your favorite MotoGP rider?
“Marco Melandri.”
5. Describe yourself in three words?
“Funny, Chaotic, Crazy.”
6. If you were granted one wish what would it be?
“I keep my wishes, if not they don’t come true.”
7. Who was your first kiss?
“A horny school mate.”
8. What is your favourite holiday destination?
“Miami.”
9. Do you think you could be in F1 were it not for Red Bull?
“In F1 you can never know, for sure Red Bull gave me a big support to get to here, but I think my CV was good enough to get some offers.”
10. What is in your fridge at the moment?
“Red Bull, yoghurt and salami.”
11. Imagine if you could be someone else for one day, who would you be and what would you do?
“I’d like to swap for one day with Usher and roll like he does.”
12. I’d like to ask of you, do you usually make a bet within the team? If yes, which was your most interesting bet?
“My hardest one was a bungee jumping bet, I had to be top 2 in qualy and the boss was jumping, but cause I did 7th I had to jump.”
13. What is the connection like between you and your engineer, Riccardo Adami?
“He is cool, great engineer and good guy to work with, I think we have a good flow together, and that makes the difference.
14. What’s the best and the worse thing about being a F1 driver?
“I love everything about it.”
15. Having now raced as a CRG factory kart pilot, and now racing F1, do you still drive any karts and do you think the two can be compared in regards to skill?
“I always keep driving with CRG when I can and I think that for feelings and skill the kart is the closest thing to F1.”
16. Which driver while karting did you most enjoy battling against?
“Every year there was a different one, but I think Foré in my last year was a tough fighter.”
17. Would you like to race motorbikes?
“What a question! I’d love to!”
18. Which was your most memorable race/pass ever?
“Toccacelo and Pantano last lap same corner in Hungary 2003 in F3000.”
19. Your always wearing hats. How many different hats do you own?
“I think around 60, I love them.”
20. Are you selling your KTM SM by any chance?
“Not really, every bike I get I keep.”
21. What does NASCAR mean to you? Wicked racing, truck driving, rock’n'roll or nothing?
“Wicked racing.”
22. When will your website be updated with your race diaries of this season?
“Still working on it. The guy who does my web site is on holiday the whole year!”
23. As a fellow karting driver I was wondering what steps you had to take to get yourself into Formula 1?
“It’s part of the game, you need the whole package.”