Difference between revisions of "Fabrizju Zolla"
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In [[2019 Bostonia Grand Prix|Bostonia]], Zolla would be in line for another podium finish late in the race but a collision during an attempted overtake from the car behind Zolla would see him spin out and finish fifth. At the [[2019 Montesayettean Grand Prix|Montesayettean Grand Prix]], a chaotic start would see Zolla drop from his second place qualification down into eight place. However, rain would arrive during the middle of the race and persist into the end. Well time pitstops from Zolla would see him regain a number of positions in the wet weather, eventually taking the lead of the Grand Prix to earn his second career victory and fastest lap. | In [[2019 Bostonia Grand Prix|Bostonia]], Zolla would be in line for another podium finish late in the race but a collision during an attempted overtake from the car behind Zolla would see him spin out and finish fifth. At the [[2019 Montesayettean Grand Prix|Montesayettean Grand Prix]], a chaotic start would see Zolla drop from his second place qualification down into eight place. However, rain would arrive during the middle of the race and persist into the end. Well time pitstops from Zolla would see him regain a number of positions in the wet weather, eventually taking the lead of the Grand Prix to earn his second career victory and fastest lap. | ||
| − | Continuing his streak of career firsts, Zolla | + | Continuing his streak of career firsts, Zolla earned his first career pole at the [[2019 Karimun Grand Prix|Karimun Grand Prix]], but a late race overtake would see him finish second for the first time in his career. Zolla's first retirement of the season would come in [[2019 Gandorian Grand Prix|New Gandor]] after a collision into the first corner damaged his suspension. A disastrous qualifying in [[2019 Monsilvan Grand Prix|Monsilva]] where he was unable to set a time, saw Zolla start from the back of the grid. Despite this, he would manage to recover and finish eight place. Zolla's sixth and final podium of the season would come at the [[2019 Paleocacherian Grand Prix|Paleocacherian Grand Prix]]. Zolla would finish his season with a fourth place finish in [[2019 Ajakanistan Grand Prix|Ajakanistan]], a second retirement in [[2019 Lurjizean Grand Prix|Tavisebi]] due to another first lap collision, and a sixth place finish in [[2019 Salisfordian Grand Prix|Salisford]]. He finished fifth in the driver's championship with 220 points after being as high as third earlier in the season. |
====2020 season==== | ====2020 season==== | ||
Revision as of 15:09, 11 October 2023
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| Born | Fabrizju Antoine Zolla 17 September 1998 Sinatre, Montcrabe |
|---|---|
| Gran-Prix One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Montcrabin |
| 2023 team | Renehan |
| Car number | 31 |
| Championships | 1 (2022) |
| Wins | 24 |
| Podiums | 37 |
| Career points | 1257 |
| Pole positions | 18 |
| Fastest laps | 13 |
| First entry | 2018 Baltanlan Grand Prix |
| First win | 2019 Montcrabe City Grand Prix |
| Last win | 2023 Paleocacherian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2023 Reykani Grand Prix |
| 2022 position | 1st (416 pts) |
| Previous series | |
| 2017 2015–2016 | Gran-Prix 2 Championship Gran-Prix 3 Championship |
| Championship titles | |
| 2017 2016 | Gran-Prix 2 Championship Gran-Prix 3 Championship |
| Awards | |
| FIA Rookie of the Year (2018) | |
Fabrizju "Fab" Antoine Zolla (born September 17, 1998), is a Montcrabin racing driver in Gran-Prix One competition with the Renehan GP1 Team and is the reigning world champion, having won in the 2022 season. He signed with Renehan in the 2018 season following an extremely successful junior career with back to back titles in Gran-Prix 2 and Gran-Prix 3. He is contracted with Renehan until the end of the 2028 season, after signing a six year contract extension following his world championship.
Born in Sinatre, Montcrabe, Zolla joined the Iżakk Racing Driver Development Programme in 2011. Zolla quickly rose through the ranks within the Development Programme, becoming the youngest driver to jump from karting to racing in the program at the age of 15. He was able to secure a seat in Gran-Prix 3 in 2015 at the age of 16, finishing fourth in just his first year in the competition. In 2016 he became a Gran-Prix 3 champion, earning him a spot in Gran-Prix 2 for 2017. In just his first year in the competition, Zolla won Gran-Prix 2. His sudden success led Zolla to be heavily pursued by Gran-Prix one teams, gaining the nickname "The Montcrabin Wunderkind". Initially expected to join Iżakk Racing, with the team even announcing him as their next driver, Zolla controversially pulled out and chose to sign with Renehan instead, causing Iżakk to sue Zolla for damages. The case was eventually ruled against Iżakk by the FIA.
Zolla began his GP1 career off with an extremely strong rookie season, securing two podiums and winning FIA Rookie of the Year. In his second season Zolla was able to secure his first career victory at his home Grand Prix, the Montcrabe City Grand Prix and finished fifth in the drivers championship standings. He followed his sixth place finish in 2019 with a fourth place in his third season in 2020. Following two successful campaigns in 2019 and 2020, Zolla struggled heavily in fourth season, failing to secure a race win and finished seventh in the championship standings. Following regulation changes in 2022, the Renehan car quickly jumped to the front of the pack, allowing Zolla to regain form. He finished first in the drivers championship, winning fourteen of the season's twenty races, becoming the 2022 world champion.
Contents
Personal life
Junior career
Gran-Prix One
Zolla joined the Iżakk Racing Driver Development Programme in 2011. In 2017 he drove his first Gran-Prix One car during a test session with Iżakk Racing. At the test, Zolla managed to put up competitive times with both Iżakk drivers despite never having driven in a Gran-Prix One car before.
After Zolla finished his GP2 season as champion, he became the reserve driver for Iżakk for the final three races of the 2017 Gran-Prix one season, but did not drive in any practice sessions. During the Salisford Grand Prix, the final race of the season, Iżakk announced Zolla would be driving for the team in 2018. The next day, Zolla released a press announcement denying that he would be racing for Iżakk stating he had never signed a contract with the team. A week later Zolla announced he signed a contract to race with Renehan in 2018. Zolla was heavily criticized by Iżakk team principal Dudu Coutinho who claimed Zolla "broke his commitment to the organization" and "scammed us out of millions in investment". Iżakk sued Zolla through the FIA's contract dispute board, claiming Zolla was under contract for 2018 and owed the team damages. The Board ruled against Iżakk as Zolla had never formally signed a contract with the team.
Renehan (2018-present)
2018 season
In his first career Gran-Prix One race at the Baltanlan Grand Prix, Zolla scored his first career points finishing 7th and ahead of his teammate. Zolla would have a strong start to his rookie year finishing with back to back 6th place finishes at the following two Grand Prix. In just his fourth ever career race, Zolla would secure his first podium finish, finishing 3rd at the Reykani Grand Prix despite qualifying in 8th.
Zolla's good luck to start the season would end at the Montesayettean Grand Prix, where he would have the first Q1 exit of his career due to a fuel pressure problem with his car. Then on the first lap of the main race he was taken out by a spinning driver. Zolla would recover with three straight points appearances at 8th, 7th and 9th in the subsequent three Grand Prix. His streak ended in Tirol when he was forced to retire due to an engine failure. In rounds ten and eleven Zolla would again return to the top of the grid with a 6th and 5th place finish at the Jackson and Kivuian Grand Prix respectively.
A refueling problem caused Zolla to qualify 13th at the Karimun Grand Prix where was only able to recover to 12th. Zolla became involved in his first retirement due to on track collision at the Ajakanistan Grand Prix where he caused a multi car collision into the first corner after qualifying 18th due to engine penalties. He received a ten place grid penalty for the accident at the subsequent Paleocacherian Grand Prix where he was able to recover to a 13th place finish. Zolla would return to the points at the Monsilvan Grand Prix with a 10th place finish, but would drop out again at the Gandorian Grand Prix where he would finish 12th.
Zolla would end his 2018 campaign on a high note, earning his second career podium at the Lurjizean Grand Prix with a third place finish and a 6th place finish at the final race of the season in Salisford Grand Prix. He would finish 7th in the driver's championship standings, behind only the drivers of the top three teams. For his efforts in his rookie season he would be awarded FIA Rookie of the Year at the 2018 FIA award ceremony.
2019 season
Zolla began his second year off to a strong start with his third career podium in Baltanla, finishing third after qualifying fourth. Zolla would just barely finish off the podium in the next three races, earning three straight fourth place finishes. He would return to the podium in Jackson Grand Prix with another third place finish. In Kivu Zolla would cross the line in third place, but finished fourth due to a five second penalty for nearly colliding with another car in the pitlane.
At the Reykanoring, Zolla would recover from an eleventh place qualifying position to finish fifth. Zolla would earn his fifth fourth place finish at the Creeperian Grand Prix. At his home Grand Prix in Montcrabe City, Zolla would manage to qualify third at the technically challenging circuit. A long pitstop from the Izakk of Frenċ Bakere would allow Zolla to move up into second place. During the the final laps of the race, the leading Moffatt of Georgia O'Concannon reported an engine issue. On the penultimate lap of the race, Zolla would pass O'Concannon into the Crabota Chicane for the lead of the race, earning both his maiden victory at his home Grand Prix and his first career fastest lap.
In Bostonia, Zolla would be in line for another podium finish late in the race but a collision during an attempted overtake from the car behind Zolla would see him spin out and finish fifth. At the Montesayettean Grand Prix, a chaotic start would see Zolla drop from his second place qualification down into eight place. However, rain would arrive during the middle of the race and persist into the end. Well time pitstops from Zolla would see him regain a number of positions in the wet weather, eventually taking the lead of the Grand Prix to earn his second career victory and fastest lap.
Continuing his streak of career firsts, Zolla earned his first career pole at the Karimun Grand Prix, but a late race overtake would see him finish second for the first time in his career. Zolla's first retirement of the season would come in New Gandor after a collision into the first corner damaged his suspension. A disastrous qualifying in Monsilva where he was unable to set a time, saw Zolla start from the back of the grid. Despite this, he would manage to recover and finish eight place. Zolla's sixth and final podium of the season would come at the Paleocacherian Grand Prix. Zolla would finish his season with a fourth place finish in Ajakanistan, a second retirement in Tavisebi due to another first lap collision, and a sixth place finish in Salisford. He finished fifth in the driver's championship with 220 points after being as high as third earlier in the season.
2020 season
TBD
2021 season
TBD
2022 season
TBD
2023 season
Zolla started off his 2023 campaign with a pole at the opening Baltanlan Grand Prix, and was in the lead for much of the race. However, during his second pit stop the pit crew sent him off with three medium tires and one hard tire forcing Zolla to pit again the next lap. This caused him to drop down to sixth, where he recovered back to fourth to finish the race and earned fastest lap. His struggles continued at the Rakhmani Grand Prix, Fabrizju again qualified pole and earned pole in the sprint race shootout. Zolla managed to win the sprint race. At the second turn of the Grand Prix, Zolla and his teammate Alfons Menegus collided, forcing both Renehan's to retire. Both drivers accused the other of causing the accident, with team principal Aaron O'Sullivan criticizing both drivers for "reckless driving".
Zolla earned his first victory at the Bostonia Grand Prix, earning first place after qualifying second to the Scutari of Vitale Scutari. He followed up his maiden victory with another victory at the Karimun Grand Prix, again overtaking the pole sitter from second place with this time it being his teammate Menegus. Despite a disappointing start to the season, Zolla would rise to second in the driver's championship heading into his home Grand Prix, the Montcrabe City Grand Prix. He would both qualify and finish the Crabin Circuit in 2nd place behind Georgia O'Concannon. The Creeperian Grand Prix would grant pole and first place to Zolla, who rose to first in the rankings over Scutari. However his time as number one in the world would be short-lived as the next race, the Jackson Grand Prix, saw Zolla qualify second behind the Scutari of José Uribe Álvarez. On Lap 5 of the race, Álvarez and Zolla collided causing front wing damage to Zolla forcing him to pit and sidepod damage to Álvarez ultimately causing him to retire on Lap 20. Zolla would make up the places he lost to finish P2 behind Scutari, seeing Scutari retake the lead in the driver's championship. Zolla would once again take the lead in the driver's championship at the Kivuian Grand Prix where he would qualify on pole and win the race.
At the Gjorkan Grand Prix would qualify second in both the main qualifying session and the sprint shootout. Following a win in the sprint race, Zolla would be leading the Grand Prix but a tire puncture resulting from a collision ahead of Zolla would see him lose the lead very late in the race at lap 69. He would finish seventh with the fastest lap, once again surrendering the lead of the driver's championship. His poor luck would continue at the Hapatmitas Grand Prix where would he would retire following a collision during a blue flag overtake with the Mercedes of Maddox Chance. Zolla saw a return to form at the Paleocacherian Grand Prix where he would earn both pole and the top podium spot. After a bad qualifying session in the Reykani Grand Prix saw Zolla have several lap times deleted causing him to qualify 11th, Zolla would manage to finish 5th. Two wins in the next three races, at the Lavarazzian Grand Prix and the Tiroler Grand Prix, would see him close the championship gap to Scutari to seven points going into the Tumanitun Grand Prix
Racing record
Complete Gran-Prix One results
(Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
