Santino Ferrucci

Santino Ferrucci (born 31 May 1998 in Woodbury, Connecticut, USA) is an American racing driver who competed for Trident during the 2018 FIA Formula Two Championship. Ferrucci arrived in F2 as a Haas F1 Development Driver midway through the 2017 season, and would partner fellow Haas development racer Arjun Maini in 2018.

However, Ferrucci would not complete the 2018 season as Trident cancelled his contract after the American's petulant display at the 2018 Silverstone Sprint Race. Indeed, Ferrucci would receive a four race ban for deliberately hitting teammate Maini after the race, with Trident ultimately deciding to end their involvement with Ferrucci ahead of the 2018 Hungaroring Feature Race.

Ferrucci is the son of wealthy American businessman Mike Ferrucci.

Background
Ferrucci began his career in karting, before making his car racing debut at the age of 14, taking part in the SBF2000 Winter Series. A strong campaign would result in Ferrucci gaining a seat in the F2000 Championship Series for 2013. Another strong maiden campaign ultimately saw Ferrucci attract interest from several European teams, with the American youth duly moving across the Atlantic in search of a path to Formula One.

The Formula Ladder
In 2014 Ferrucci would gain seats in w:c:motorsport:German Formula Three and several races in the famed British Formula 3 series. The latter series would see Ferrucci become the youngest ever race winner in the series, earning him a couple of races in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship at the end of the season. Ferrucci also got his first taste of the Macau Grand Prix, finishing eighth.

2015 would see Ferrucci begin the season in the Toyota Racing Series, ultimately ending his maiden campaign in third. For the rest of the year Ferrucci busied himself with the European F3 Championship, scoring a solitary podium. For 2016 Ferrucci moved to the GP3 Series with DAMS, while also obtaining a spot in the new Haas Development Programme.

Ferrucci's maiden GP3 campaign was not an impressive one, although the American did secure a lone podium finish en-route to twelfth in the Championship. That earned him a second season in GP3 for 2017 as well as a test in a F1 car at the 2016 Young Driver Test. However, Ferrucci would not complete his second GP3 season, instead managing to gain a seat in Formula Two for the rest of 2017.

Formula Two History
That seat in the 2017 FIA Formula Two Championship came at Trident, with Ferrucci getting the seat for the rest of the season. The American racer duly delivered points at his debut race, finishing ninth in the Hungaroring Feature Race, but slipped back in the Sprint. Indeed, question's over Ferrucci's true value would remain for the rest of the season, with three other drivers having already occupied the American's new seat.

Quiet Campaigning
The rest of Ferrucci's maiden F2 campaign would be very low-key, with the American only scoring two more points with ninth at the Spa Feature Race. Indeed, between the Spa Sprint race and the season finale in Yas Marina, Ferrucci would only finish in the top ten once, and retire twice. Come the end of the season Ferrucci had scored just four points, although that was double the tally of teammate Nabil Jeffri.

Expectations Examined
Regardless, Ferrucci would be retained for the 2018 season, with fellow Haas Development driver Arjun Maini joining him at Trident. However, it would be a low-key start to the season for the American, with Maini out performing him in both races in Bahrain. Indeed, Ferrucci would have to wait until the Baku Sprint Race to score his first points, finishing sixth after a late surge.

A clutch issue at the start of the Barcelona Feature Race would destroy Ferrucci's chance at points in the third round of the season, before a rather anonymous display followed in Monte Carlo. A similarly inauspicious display followed in Le Castellet, before Ferrucci claimed a pair of points finishes at the Red Bull Ring.

Petulance Punished
However, Ferrucci would throw away his drive with a series of ridiculous actions during and after the weekend at Silverstone. Indeed, having already caused an uproar by being refused permission to run a "Make America Great Again" inspired livery, Ferrucci grew frustrated as he was unable to pass teammate Maini during the Sprint race. After the chequered flag Ferrucci took matters into his own hands, deliberately driving into teammate Maini before outlining the fact that he had done so on social media.

Ferrucci then ignored a call to speak with the Stewards of the meeting, who also had evidence of the American racer driving without his gloves, and with a phone in hand. Those infringements, combined with his deliberate teammate tangle, resulted in Ferrucci getting disqualified from the results, issued a €66,000 fine, and receive a four race ban. The American youngster subsequently released a statement regarding his actions at Silverstone, although Trident decided to terminate his contract after a dispute over payments.

Ferrucci's seat was given to Alessio Lorandi for the rest of 2018, although the American racer retained his position in the Haas Development Programme.

Post Formula Two Career
Despite receiving a ban from the F2 Championship, Ferrucci would secure a seat in the IndyCar Series, completing the 2018 season with Dale Coyne Racing. Furthermore, Ferrucci was miraculously retained by Haas' Development programme and remained in contention, albeit barely, for a seat in Formula One for 2019.

Full Formula Two Record
Shown below are a series of tables outlining 's career in Formula Two in statistical form.

Formula Two Entries
The list below includes all of the teams and cars, as well as overall finishing positions for during their F2 career:

Career Results
Below is a table showing 's full Formula Two record.


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