Giovanardi has come out of retirement this year to provide his vast exerience and skill to Team Mulsanne in the FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR). However it's been a tough season with promise not translating into results. It all came right finally during the most recent round, held in Slovakia back in July, when the team showed real podium pace and Giovanardi collected points in two of the three races.

“I was thrilled by the idea of entering Fabrizio in the event,” said Michela Cerruti, Romeo Ferraris Operations Manager. “Seven months ago at Monza, we began our cooperation for the WTCR programme and now having him at the wheel of one of our cars in our home event is something very special.

Cerruti also reckons that the team can target a strong result on a track where the Giulietta package works well. “I believe the track suits the Giulietta well as it was proved in last year’s TCR International Series,” she said. “We have recently scored the first points in the World Cup and two podiums in TCR Italy, let’s hope we keep on this way.”

Monza, known as the ‘Temple of Speed’, was inaugurated in 1922 and became the third permanent racetrack in the world. It hosted the Italian Grand Prix fifteen times between 1922 and 1949, and then since the inception of the Formula One World Championship in 1950, has held the race every year, with only one exception, in 1980.

There are three European crowns in the long list of touring car titles won by Giovanardi who raced Alfa Romeo cars for much of his hugely successful racing career before he went on to race for GM’s Vauxhall brand in the British Touring Car Championship.

“I’m enthusiastic about racing again at Monza in such a competitive series like TCR Europe,” says Giovanardi. “This is the opportunity to try and harvest the fruits of the hard work we have done throughout the season.

“Monza is Romeo Ferraris’ home circuit and not far away from Alfa Romeo’s historical factory. The fans have always cheered for me here and this gives me great motivation. I promise to put in a show to entertain the spectators,” Giovanardi added.

TCR Italy runs to a double header format with Race 1 taking place at Monza tomorrow (Saturday) at 1735 (local time) and Race 2 the day after tomorrow (Sunday) at 1210. Both races are scheduled to be of 23 minutes duration. This is the sixth and penultimate round of TCR Italy 2018 with the final appointment on the calendar coming next month in Barcelona.