Fabrizio Giovanardi hails “enjoyable” Giulietta outing

Fabrizio Giovanardi returned to being behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo after more than ten years, although just for a test with the Romeo Ferraris-built Giulietta TCR at Monza this week.

The Italian drove for two afternoons, as Gianni Morbidelli and Kevin Gleason took driving duties in the morning on the first and second day respectively.

“It was a very interesting couple of days,” said the Italian to TouringCarTimes. “It felt good to get a taste of the Giulietta TCR, especially getting back in an Alfa Romeo after all these years.”

Although the car felt good, Giovanardi’s lack of experience with TCR cars does not allow him to assess where they are compared to the opposition.

“We were able to improve the car step-by-step, which was encouraging and enjoyable at the same time. Monza is obviously a very peculiar track and it’s not easy to draw conclusions from what I’ve been able to see. Due to my lack of experience with TCR cars I can’t really say what the potential of the car is, but it felt quite good.”

Although several fans were excited with the prospect of a reunion between Giovanardi and the Italian brand, “Piedone” advised everyone not to get too carried away.

“Like I said, I understand the fascination for the fans of the Alfa Romeo-Giovanardi pairing, but at the moment I can’t confirm anything other than I have enjoyed these two days with the team and with the car. We will see what the future brings.”