INDYCAR: Filippi Hoping To Make Switch To America

IndyCar

INDYCAR: Filippi Hoping To Make Switch To America

Italy’s 2011 GP2 runner-up tells SPEED.com he’s now focused on joining the IZOD IndyCar Series, and hopes to do so as teammate to Takuma Sato.

Marshall Pruett | Posted February 22, 2012

A mid-season switch to Coloni boosted Filippi's results, moving the Italian to second in the GP2 championship by season's end. (Photo: LAT)

As Formula One faces its first season in decades without an Italian driver, Indy car racing could be the beneficiary as 2011 GP2 runner-up Luca Filippi looks to forge a career in America.

Hailing from the northwestern town of Savigliano, 26-year-old Filippi recently completed his sixth and final season in F1’s equivalent of Indy Lights, earning three wins for Scuderia Coloni. With his career at somewhat of a crossroads, a chance encounter with IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard last year helped open the door for Filippi to explore his options outside of F1.

“Randy Bernard was in Monza for the Formula One race—it was the GP2 season finale,” he told SPEED.com. “In that race, I won the race, [set] fastest lap and finished second in the series; it was a great weekend and he wanted to chat with me. He said he wanted me to come to Las Vegas to see him and meet people and maybe I could find an opportunity. He said he liked my style, he liked my racing, and luckily it was a good situation. I’d won at Spa and at Germany just before Monza, so everything was good for my momentum when we spoke together.”

Filippi was an interested observer at Barber earlier this week. (Photo: LAT)

Although the outcome of the Las Vegas race won’t soon be forgotten, Filippi was able to get a sense for the differences in how racing is approached from both sides of the Atlantic.

“I love what I have seen,” he said. “I know Las Vegas was a very bad weekend, but in the time before the race, it was very interesting to me and I met a lot of people. I found the atmosphere real relaxed and very welcoming to me. Since then, I really wanted badly to come race over here.”

Filippi, who spent Monday and Tuesday as a guest of Rahal Letterman Racing at Barber Motorsports Park, says that although his chances to make it in F1 are slim, he doesn’t view the IndyCar Series as a second-tier scenario to fall back on.

“I grew up with Alex Zanardi winning races with Ganassi, and that’s when I first started thinking of Indy car racing,” he said. “In Italy, we of course have Ferrari (in F1), but it has been a long time since we see Italians winning races. So, honestly speaking, I’ve always had Indy cars as a priority. I had an opportunity to become a Formula One test driver for Honda, and took it, but since then, I’ve always found that to get into a Formula One program, it’s so difficult. Now, it is very much about how much money you are bringing to race there.”

Provided Filippi lands in IndyCar, he’ll continue a tradition that has dominated Indy car competition since the 1990s.

Europe’s open-wheel ladder has produced most of the top drivers in the IndyCar Series today, with Dario Franchitti (F3), Will Power (F3, WSBR), Helio Castroneves (F3), Tony Kanaan (F3), Ryan Briscoe (F3), Oriol Servia (F3) and Mike Conway (F3, GP2) having cut their teeth across the pond.

Justin Wilson (F3, F3000) and Takuma Sato (F3) graduated to F1 before transitioning to Indy car racing, and Simon Pagenaud (WSBR), James Jakes (F3, GP2) and E.J. Viso (GP2) all moved Stateside relatively early in their careers.

Include past CART/Champ Car champions Alex Zanardi (F3, F3000, F1), Juan Montoya (F3, F3000), Gil de Ferran (F3, F3000) and Sebastien Bourdais (F3, F3000) to the list, and Filippi fits the F3000/GP2-to-Indy car mold cast by some of the most dominant and poplar open-wheel drivers in recent years.

“I was taken by Honda when I was quite young, and did Formula One test driving for them, which was good,” he said. “They shaped my career, but since they withdraw from Formula One, making it [to F1] has been very hard. It became very tough for me. I had a long-term contract with Honda who believed in me and put a lot of effort into my career. It was a great time.

A.J. Foyt Racing's Mike Conway, left, served as GP2 teammate to Filippi, right, and the two also shared Honda F1 test driving duties. (Photo: LAT)

“Since then, I had no contract, but 2011 was great for me. It was the best season of my career. I have to take a chance now to build my career, and I really believe IndyCar is the right step and exactly what I want. I’m very glad now I’m in a position to build a career here.”

With success in F1 largely dictated by manufacturer alliances, Filippi finds himself drawn to the relative parity the IndyCar Series provides its drivers.

“I have a little bit of experience with the Honda F1 team, but I built my career in GP2,” he said. “It’s nothing like Formula One. GP2 is a very challenging category where the driver and engineer make the most difference. It’s a spec car, spec tire, spec engine, so it’s really depending on the work the driver and engineer make together. I think it’s a great series that really proves if a driver is complete, so I was really surprised and happy when I saw that IndyCar is the same way.

“OK, this year you have different engine manufacturers, but the rest of the new Dallara car is similar to (the Dallara-built) GP2 car, which I believe is good for me. A driver can have a big input on setups and can make a difference with his team, and I love that. As a racing driver, as an outlet, that’s what you want—to prove yourself every time you drive.”

A few friends and acquaintances in the IndyCar paddock have also helped Filippi to set his sights on the series.

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