29 Facts About Giovanna Amati

Giovanna Amati is the most recent female driver to have entered the Formula One World Championship.

An entry into Formula 3000 in 1987 brought little success but the following year, Giovanna Amati improved her performances.

Giovanna Amati moved to Japan for 1989 but still had no success.

In 1992, Giovanna Amati became the fifth and last woman Formula One driver when she signed for Brabham.

Giovanna Amati was born in Rome on 20 July 1959, to actress Anna Maria Pancani and theatre-chain owner Giovanni Giovanna Amati.

At the age of 18, Giovanna Amati was kidnapped for ransom on 12 February 1978 by three gangsters in a group led by Jean Daniel Nieto.

Giovanna Amati was forcibly removed from a car she was sitting in near her parents' villa in Rome and was taken away in a van.

Giovanna Amati was kept in a wooden cage for 75 days and was physically and mentally abused although Nieto occasionally comforted her.

Giovanna Amati was released on an 800 million-lira ransom on 27 April 1978 after two months of captivity.

Nieto, a French citizen, was later arrested after a meeting with Giovanna Amati arranged by the police.

Giovanna Amati began racing professionally in the Formula Abarth series in 1981, winning several times over the next four years.

Giovanna Amati entered three races, but only qualified once at Donington.

Giovanna Amati competed again in F3000 in 1988 with Lola and managed to secure two 10th places at Monza and Jerez.

In 1989 Giovanna Amati moved to Japan and competed for a brief period in the Super Formula Championship with little success.

In 1990, Giovanna Amati was involved in a crash with British driver Phil Andrews, when they collided during a test session prior to the Brands Hatch race that year.

In 1991, Giovanna Amati joined GJ Motorsports driving a Reynard 91D Cosworth for the entire season.

Giovanna Amati signed with the Brabham team in January 1992 to partner Eric van de Poele after the team was unable to sign Japanese F3000 driver Akihiko Nakaya, who was not granted a superlicence due to the FIA not recognising the Japanese F3000 series as a stepping stone in motor racing.

Giovanna Amati was the first female driver to enter a Formula One race since Desire Wilson in 1980 and the announcement earned a great degree of publicity for the then struggling Brabham team.

Giovanna Amati spun six times during practice and was unable to qualify after setting a time that was nine seconds slower than pole sitter Nigel Mansell and four seconds slower than teammate van de Poele.

At the Mexican Grand Prix, Giovanna Amati failed to qualify again, setting a time more than 10 seconds slower than Mansell.

Brabham sacked Giovanna Amati and replaced her with future 1996 World Champion Damon Hill.

Giovanna Amati went into the Porsche SuperCup for 1993 to win the Women's European Championship.

Giovanna Amati took a sabbatical in 1997 before returning in 1998 with a Ferrari 355.

Giovanna Amati raced in the International Sports Racing Series driving an Alfa Romeo Giudici Gaiero SPN.

Giovanna Amati competed in the 1998 Sebring 12 Hours in a BMW M3, driving alongside Craig Carter and Andy Petery but retired due to clutch trouble.

Giovanna Amati entered the 1000 km of Monza alongside Loic Depailler, Marco Lucchinelli, and Xavier Pompidou but they were unable to start.

Giovanna Amati then finished 11th at Le Mans during a two-hour race alongside Guido Knycz and Giovanni Gulinelli.

In 1999, Giovanna Amati raced in the SportsRacing World Cup driving a Tampolli RS2-RTA99 for the Cauduro Tampolli team alongside Angelo Lancelotti in the SR2 class.

Giovanna Amati finished third in the SR2 class at the end of the year.