Andrea Montermini is one of Italy's most talented racing drivers, having achieved success at every level of the sport before graduating to Formula One as official test driver at Ferrari in 1991 and Benetton in 1993. At 30 years of age Andrea's recent racing career has included race-winning success in Formula 3000 and impressive performances in the Indycar World Series.
Born in Sassuolo, Italy, on 30th May 1964, Andrea's motor racing career began in June 1987 when he made his motor racing debut in Formula Alfa Boxer. He scored three victories on his way to finishing third overall in the championship, and for 1988 he moved up to the Italian Formula 3 series.
Driving a Ralt-Volkswagen for the Team Automotor, he soon learned this important formula. The following season he finished fourth in the championship driving a Euroteam Reynard-Alfa Romeo, scoring three pole positions, two second placed finishes and one win. The highlight of his season was a fine second place overall in the Monaco Formula 3 Grand Prix.
In 1990 Andrea stepped up to the European Formula 3000 series, claiming pole position for Madgwick Motorsport on making his debut at Donington Park. A strong season saw him finish second at Le Mans and third in Jerez, and he acted as official test driver for the Scuderia Italia Formula One team.
For the 1991 Formula 3000 Championship he moved to the 3001 Team, scoring two pole positions and two third placed finishes in a season which also saw him complete 12,000kms of testing for the Ferrari Formula One team. The following year he finished second in the Formula 3000 Championship after claiming three pole positions and three race wins for the Barone Rampante team. He ended the year with victory in the World Cup Formula 3000 event in Buenos Aires, a title he was to retain in 1993 when he won the same event in Halifax, Canada.
The 1993 season was mainly devoted to racing Indycars, Andrea qualifying fourth in Detroit and achieving two top six finishes for the Euromotorsport team. He also undertook Formula One testing for Benetton Formula.
Last season Andrea qualified fourth for the opening round of the Indycar series in Surfers Paradise, Australia, but soon set his heart on Formula One and made his Grand Prix debut for Simtek at the Spanish Grand Prix. Sadly, a serious accident during practice ended Andrea's hopes of racing, and after recuperating from the accident he returned to Indycars where he remained very competitive. He finished the year with victory in the 17th Rally of Monza driving a Lancia Delta Evolution. In March this year he signed to drive for the Pacific Grand Prix team, driving a Pacific-Ford PR02 in the Formula One World Championship, and finished 9th on his debut for the team in the Brazilian Grand Prix.