Luciano Burti

Luciano Burti is a Brazilian former Formula One driver who competed in 2000 and 2001, first with Jaguar and later with Prost Grand Prix. Though his time in Formula One was brief, it was marked by high-profile incidents, especially a terrifying crash at the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix. He later moved into a role as a test driver for Ferrari.

Nationality	Brazilian
Born	Luciano Pucci Burti 5 March 1975 São Paulo, Brazil

Formula One Career Overview

Jaguar: 2000–2001

Burti made his unexpected Formula One debut at the 2000 Austrian Grand Prix, stepping in at the last minute to replace the ill Eddie Irvine at Jaguar Racing. His consistent work as a test driver earned him a full-time race seat for the 2001 season alongside Irvine, replacing the retiring Johnny Herbert.

However, after just four races, Burti was replaced by Pedro de la Rosa due to underwhelming performances and a changing team strategy. Despite the short tenure, his promotion to a race seat reflected his respected testing performances.

Prost Grand Prix: 2001

Burti’s F1 journey continued swiftly as he joined Prost Grand Prix, replacing the underperforming Gastón Mazzacane. Partnered with veteran Jean Alesi, Burti showed promise, occasionally outqualifying his experienced teammate and earning his best career finish — eighth place — at the 2001 Canadian Grand Prix.

2001 German Grand Prix

At Hockenheim, Burti was involved in a dramatic first-lap incident. After Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari suffered a gearbox failure, Burti collided with the back of the slowing car and was launched over Enrique Bernoldi‘s Arrows. The spectacular cartwheel ended without injuries, and all three drivers restarted the race. Burti later spun out on lap 23.

2001 Belgian Grand Prix

Burti’s most infamous moment came just two races later at Spa-Francorchamps. While attempting to pass Eddie Irvine at the high-speed Blanchimont corner, the pair made contact, dislodging Burti’s front wing under his front wheels. This rendered him unable to steer or brake, and he slammed into the tire barriers at nearly 190 mph (305 km/h).

The force of the impact sent tire segments flying into the air, some landing on Burti’s cockpit, knocking him unconscious. Irvine, despite also crashing, rushed to help marshals free Burti from the wreckage. Burti suffered a concussion and facial bruising, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season. Tomáš Enge replaced him at Prost.

Ferrari Test Driver: 2002–2004

After recovering, Burti joined Ferrari as a test driver from 2002 to 2004, contributing to car development during a dominant era for the team. He did not return to a race seat and retired from Formula One without scoring championship points.

Post-Formula One Career

Following his F1 exit, Burti returned to Brazil, where he began competing in Stock Car Brasil, one of the country’s most popular racing series. He also became a commentator and analyst for TV Globo, covering Formula One for Brazilian audiences.

Luciano Burti Formula One World Championship Career

F1 Career	200–2001
Teams	Jaguar, Prost
Entries	15 (14 Starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	5
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	2000 Australian Grand Prix
Last entry	2001 Belgian Grand Prix

Luciano Burti Teammates

4 drivers	Involvement	First Year	Last Year
Johnny Herbert	1	2000
Eddie Irvine	5	2000	2001
Jean Alesi	8	2001
Heinz-Harald Frentzen	2	2001

Complete Formula One Results

Year	Team	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	WDC	Points
2000	Jaguar Racing	Jaguar R1	Cosworth CR2 V10	AUS	BRA	SMR	GBR	ESP	EUR	MON	CAN	FRA	AUT 11	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	USA	JPN	MAL	23rd	0
2001	Jaguar Racing	Jaguar R2	Cosworth CR3 V10	AUS 8	MAL 10	BRA Ret	SMR 11														20th	0
2001	Prost Grand Prix	Prost AP04	Acer V10					ESP 11	AUT 11	MON Ret	CAN 8	EUR 12	FRA 10	GBR Ret	GER Ret	HUN Ret	BEL DNS	ITA	USA	JPN