Fabrizio Barbazza - Career

Career

Barbazza was born in Monza, Lombardy. After a career in motorcross in his teens, he began racing Formula Monza in 1982. The following year he moved into Italian Formula 3 series, and in 1984 finished sixth in the series. In 1985 he won four races and finished third in the championship. He then went to the United States and entered the American Racing Series, where he won four races and the title in his first attempt. After that he entered CART in 1987 and finished third at Indianapolis, becoming CART's Rookie of the Year. In 1990 he was hired as a driver in Formula 3000, which led to a chance at Formula One, in the AGS team in early 1991. Barbazza failed to qualify for any race and in 1993 joined the Minardi team, scoring points twice in his first four races. In 1995, while racing a Ferrari 333SP sports prototype at the Road Atlanta circuit, he was involved in an accident with Jeremy Dale, which resulted in heavy head and chest injuries which left him in critical condition, in a coma and on artificial respiration. Although he fully recovered, he didn't return to racing. Instead he started a go-kart circuit in Monza and began designing crash barriers.

He has since relocated to Cuba where he has set up a fishing resort in the north of the country called La Villa Clara. He has also raced again, at a local karting track in Cuba, where he has re-discovered his love for the sport.