Gianmaria Bruni is an Italian racing driver best known today as a multiple-time GT champion and Porsche factory driver. While his Formula One career was brief and hampered by uncompetitive cars, Bruni has since built a world-class reputation in endurance racing, with titles in the FIA World Endurance Championship, Le Mans Series, and FIA GT Championship, as well as multiple class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
| Nationality | Italian |
|---|---|
| Born | Gianmaria “Gimmi” Bruni 30 May 1981 Rome, Italy |
Formula One Career
Minardi: 2004
Bruni began his journey into Formula One in 2003, testing for the Minardi team. Like many drivers from modest backgrounds, the primary hurdle wasn’t talent—it was funding. Securing enough sponsorship to land a race seat in F1 was a significant challenge, but Bruni managed to do so in time for the 2004 season.
He signed with Minardi to contest the full championship, but the odds were stacked against him. The team was operating with limited resources and fielding one of the slowest and least developed cars on the grid. Despite Bruni’s clear ability, the machinery simply wasn’t there to make an impact.
Throughout the year, Bruni fought valiantly at the back of the field, often competing in wheel-to-wheel battles with fellow backmarker teams but never in contention for points. He was one of only two full-time drivers in 2004 to complete the season without scoring a single championship point, although it was through no fault of his own.
Gianmaria Bruni Formula One World Championship Career
| F1 Career | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Minardi |
| Entries | 18 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 2004 Australian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Gianmaria Bruni Teammates
| 2 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jos Verstappen | 5 | 2003 | |
| Nicolas Kiesa | 5 | 2003 | |
| Zsolt Baumgartner | 18 | 2004 | |
| Bas Leinders | 17 | 2004 |
Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Trust Minardi Cosworth | Minardi PS03 | Cosworth CR-3 3.0 V10 | AUS | MAL | BRA | SMR | ESP | AUT | MON | CAN | EUR | FRA | GBR | GER TD | HUN TD | ITA TD | USA TD | JPN TD | – | – | ||
| 2004 | Wilux Minardi Cosworth | Minardi PS04B | Cosworth CR-3L 3.0 V10 | AUS NC | MAL 14 | BHR 17 | SMR Ret | ESP Ret | MON Ret | EUR 14 | CAN Ret | USA Ret | FRA 18 † | GBR 16 | GER 17 | 25th | 0 | ||||||
| Minardi Cosworth | Cosworth CR-3L 3.0 V10 | HUN 14 | BEL Ret | ITA Ret | CHN Ret | JPN 16 | BRA 17 |
† Did not finish the race, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.
