Ask the Expert - Force India’s Vitantonio Liuzzi

How many Grands Prix did Ayrton Senna win? How many piercings does the world’s most pierced woman have? How many windmills are there on the Greek island of Mykonos? How many F1 wins have been scored by Italian drivers? Which famous Italian poet was born in Pescara? These are just some of the questions we thought Force India’s Vitantonio Liuzzi would take in his stride after he agreed to participate in our personal trivia test, ‘Ask the Expert’…

Q: You were born in Locorotondo. Which Italian noble family ruled the city until the early 19th century?
Vitantonio Liuzzi: Not a clue.
Incorrect - it was the Caracciolo family.

Q: You replaced Giancarlo Fisichella at Force India after he departed for Ferrari. How many world championship points has he scored during his Formula One career?
VL: I would guess about 250.
Incorrect - it’s actually 275.

Q: If he hadn’t become a racing driver, your team mate Adrian Sutil could have been a…
VL: A pianist.
Correct

Q: Like many of your rivals, your biggest racing hero is Ayrton Senna. How many Grands Prix did the Brazilian win during his career?
VL: 50? He won many.
Incorrect - Senna won 41.

Q: Your team principal Dr Vijay Mallya has many business interests. Can you name one of the two Calcutta football teams his United Breweries sponsors?
VL: No, I cannot. If it would have had something to do with Kingfisher then I would know.
Incorrect - it’s the East Bengal or Mohun Bagan.

Q: You are a fan of R ‘n’ B music. In what year is the term believed to have been coined?
VL: In the 1970s?
Incorrect - it was in 1948 by Billboard magazine writer Jerry Wexler.

Q: You like to holiday on Mykonos, but how many windmills are there on the Greek island?
VL: Around 15 I would guess.
Close enough - it’s actually 16

Q: You were crowned the 2004 Formula 3000 champion, but which of your Formula One rivals claimed the replacement GP2 championship a year later?
VL: Nico Rosberg.
Correct

Q: Some of your favourite clothes are from Moncler. What French mountain village inspired the name?
VL: I have no idea.
Incorrect - Monastier de Clermont.

Q: Your team mate Sutil was questioned recently about his favourite music. Which artist was he the biggest fan of?
VL: Mozart?
Incorrect - it seems Sutil’s tastes are a little more contemporary as it’s actually Phil Collins.

Q: You live in Pescara. Which famous Italian poet was born in the Italian town?
VL: Gabriele D’Annunzio
Correct

Q: Your manager is former Lotus boss Peter Collins. How many constructors’ championships did Lotus win?
VL: Seven. He told me this many times.
Correct

Q: Can you guess - to the nearest five - how many Formula One wins have been scored by Italian drivers since 1950?
VL: 40.
Correct - it was 43

Q: How many wins has your former Toro Rosso team mate Scott Speed taken since shifting his focus back to Stateside racing?
VL: Three maybe.
Generous but incorrect - he’s won one, racing in the 2008 Nascar Camping World Truck championship.

Q: You finished third in last year’s Speedcar Series, racing against some rather famous F1 veterans. In terms of Grand Prix starts, which of them was the most experienced and where did he finish in the ’08 Speedcar table?
VL: Jean Alesi, and I think he finished fourth.
One point from a possible two - it was Frenchman Alesi with 201 starts. He finished fifth, however.

Q: In 2002 you finished eighth in the prestigious F3 Masters event. Which other current F1 driver took part in that race and where did he finish?
VL: Heikki Kovalainen.
One point from a possible two - it was Kovalainen, who finished fourth.

Q: You have owned at least one road car made by Maserati, a famous name from Formula One’s past. How many Grands Prix did the works Maserati team win?
VL: That’s too difficult. I don’t know.
Incorrect - Nine, between 1953 and 1957.

Q: Vijay Mallya has said he will consider Indian driver Karun Chandok for a possible testing seat for next season. To date, Narain Karthikeyan is the only Indian to have competed in Formula One racing. How many points did he score in his 19-race career?
VL: That must have been in Indianapolis. And he must have scored five points.
Correct - all of them for Jordan at the ill-fated 2005 US Grand Prix, where only the six Bridgestone-shod cars raced.