Jarno Trulli

Biography

arno Trulli (born 13 July 1974 in Pescara, Italy) is an Italian Formula One auto racing driver currently in the employ of the Toyota team.
Trulli's parents were motorsport fans, and named their son after Jarno Saarinen, the Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racing champion who had been killed at Monza in 1973. This Finnish forename caused a certain amount of confusion when he first entered Formula One, with many not initially realising that he was Italian. His father's enthusiasm also meant that, like many successful racers, he was involved in karting from an early age.
After winning the Italian and then European Go-Karts championships he won the German Formula Three championship in 1996, and in 1997 made his debut in F1 with Minardi. After 7 races he replaced the injured Olivier Panis at Prost and impressed immediately, finishing fourth at the German Grand Prix and even leading the Austrian Grand Prix until his engine blew. He stayed at the Prost team for the next two seasons and eventually scored his first podium at the 1999 European Grand Prix. The poor performance of the Prost team convinced him that a switch to Jordan would bring improved results. In 2000 he moved to the Irish squad, but the team was no longer the force it had been in the late 90s. In his two years with Jordan, Trulli failed to score a podium, but did impress with a series of brilliant qualifying displays. During this period suggestions were made that Trulli was more of a qualifying specialist than an out-and-out fast race driver, a charge he frequently denied. Under long-term contract to Flavio Briatore, Trulli found himself at Renault in 2002. Alongside Jenson Button, he often outqualified the Brit, but was generally shaded in the races. Regardless of Button's improved pace that season, it was Trulli who stayed at Renault for 2003, to partner promoted tester Fernando Alonso.
The 2003 Renault was a strong car and in Alonso's hands won the Hungarian Grand Prix. Trulli struggled to attain similar results, but did achieve a podium in Germany, his first since leaving Prost. Mindful of how much Alonso had outperformed him in 2003, Trulli improved markedly the next year. For the first half of the season he was the better of the two Renault drivers, racking up regular points and podiums. At Monaco he finally took his first victory after a brilliant display from pole position. Having performed so well the Italian was eager to stick with the team for 2005, but his relationship with team-boss Briatore soured. A last corner error which allowed Barrichello onto the podium in France enraged the team and from that point onwards his days with the French manufacturer were numbered. For the second half of 2004 Trulli failed to gain any points and was consistently off the pace during races. He later accused the team of favouring Alonso and the reasons why his 2004 season deteriorated have never been properly identified. With three races left that season he was sacked, Jacques Villeneuve his replacement. Fortunately Trulli had a Toyota deal lined up for 2005 and the early exit from Renault allowed him to race for his new team in the last two events of 2004.
His 2005 season was good. Early season podiums demonstrated that he was back on the pace and at Indianapolis he took Toyota's first F1 pole (albeit with very low fuel). For the vast majority of the year he outclassed highly paid team-mate Ralf Schumacher, but a late season dip in form saw him slip to 7th in the championship, two points behind the German.
Trulli is undoubtedly very fast. Over one lap few drivers can match his accuracy, speed and precision. Yet the doubts over his racecraft refuse to go away. In the past two years he has improved noticeably, but poor showings can still occur. He has suffered some very poor luck throughout his career, but there are times when he has simply failed to capitalise on his chances. Regardless, he still remains one of the sport's leading drivers, although question marks remain. Martin Brundle has in the past expressed his own doubts about Trulli's race pace.