Formula One Career
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! Nationality
| Brazilian
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! Active years
| 2003 - 2005
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! Team(s)
| Jaguar, Williams
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! Grands Prix
| 19
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! Championships
| 0
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! Wins
| 0
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! Podium finishes
| 0
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! Pole positions
| 0
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! Fastest laps
| 0
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! First Grand Prix
| 2003Australian Grand Prix
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! First win
|
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! Last win
|
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! Last Grand Prix
| 2005Chinese Grand Prix
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Antonio Reginaldo Pizzonia Júnior (Manaus, Brazil, September 11, 1980) was one of two testdrivers for the WilliamsFormula One team. He drove in four races as an emergency replacement for Ralf Schumacher during the 2004 season, and in the final five races of the 2005 season as a replacement for Nick Heidfeld.
From 1991 to 1996 he competed in various karting series. In 1997 he moved to Britain and competed in Formula Vauxhall Junior; Pizzonia placed second, and won the Winter Festival. In 1998, in addition to taking the Championship in F-Vauxhall Junior, he won the Formula Renault Winter Festival. His 1999 season was even more successful, winning the British F-Renault series and finishing second in its European counterpart. In 2000, Pizzonia took 3 wins on his way to winning the British Formula Three Championship.
For 2001, Pizzonia switched to the Formula 3000 series, winning one race and finishing 2nd in the championship. He was then hired as test driver for Williams; however, he continued in F3000, placing 8th. In 2003 Pizzonia was hired by the Jaguar F1 team to partner Mark Webber. Following a string of poor results, he was dropped midway through the season and replaced by Minardi's Justin Wilson.
In 2004 he returned to Williams as test driver. Before the German Grand Prix, it was announced that Pizzonia would take over for Marc Gené, who had been filling in for the injured Ralf Schumacher. At the German Grand Prix, he finished 7th to take his first 2 career points; he repeated the feat at the Hungarian Grand Prix. In Belgium, he briefly led an F1 race for the first time, but failed to finish the race due to mechanical problems. He claimed a further 2 points in Italy, but with the announcement of Ralf Schumacher's return for the Chinese Grand Prix, Pizzonia's racing was over for the year.
Prior to the 2005 season, Pizzonia was in a virtual shoot-out with GermanNick Heidfeld for the second race seat alongside Webber. Despite Pizzonia's experience with the team and financial support from Petrobras, Heidfeld was given the seat. He would have again been teamed with Webber, who is said to have advised the team against hiring Pizzonia, whom he believed was not fast enough.
Pizzonia was still employed at Williams as a test driver, and when Heidfeld complained of headaches after being concussed in a crash during the Friday Practice Session at Monza, Pizzonia gained the chance to race. Having not entered a Formula 1 race since the 2004 Italian Grand Prix, the Brazilian qualified 16th, coming through the field to emulate his 2004 race result — picking up 7th place and 2 points. He then raced in the Belgian Grand Prix. where he incurred a fine for taking out 2nd placed Juan Pablo Montoya just a few laps from the end. Pizzonia also took the drive in the Brazilian Grand Prix, but his race was over before the first corner after taking out his own teammate Mark Webber resulting from a collision with David Coulthard.
Despite some speculation that another driver would be given an opportunity in the last 2 races of the season, Pizzonia completed the season for Williams. He retired from the Japanese Grand Prix early after spinning off,and retired in the Chinese Grand Prix after a tyre puncture. With news that Nico Rosberg will be joining Webber in 2006, Pizzonia's Formula 1 career seems to be over. He has been signed to drive for Paul Gentilozzi's Rocketsports team in the Champ Car World Series for the first race at the Long Beach Grand Prix.
