He moved to England aged 19 to compete in the British F3 Championship, learning the language, gaining the nickname “Gimmi”, enduring the food and the weather in order to progress in his chosen sport. However, it was when he finally gave up his single seater ambitions and concentrated on GT cars that his career really blossomed.
The 34-year-old Roman won the 2008 FIA GT Championship, 2011 ILMC and Le Mans Series titles and two class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2008 in GT2 with Risi Competizione and 2011 in LMGTE Pro with AF Corse) before entering the WEC and a golden era for the Ferrari 458 Italia and AF Corse.
We asked Gimmi about his victories, which are listed below, and his time in the WEC to date:
Le Mans (2012), Silverstone (2012), Sao Paulo (2012), Spa (2013), Sao Paulo (2013), Bahrain (2013), Spa (2014), Le Mans (2014), Fuji (2014), Bahrain (2014), Silverstone (2015), Fuji (2015)
Q: You have competed in all but one of the WEC races since 2012 (missing Bahrain 2012). How have you seen the championship develop since it started?
“I have seen the Championship grow up a lot and this is fantastic because, when we started, we were only a few in GT, and now we can see how it’s grown and developed. There’s lots of interest coming in for next year and in a few weeks we will see new manufacturers joining. It’s developed not just in GT but in LMP1 too and, from the outside, new people know more about the championship day by day. I think the WEC is doing something very good, and for everyone.”
Q: You have scored 8 pole positions in the WEC. Do you like the format adopted in 2014 with two drivers and an average time?
“I think this year it’s better than last year, with just the one best time from two drivers combined, the format is better. I like it like this because you share everything together if there is just two drivers, like we have, and you win or lose with your team mate so it’s good to bring this in too. It’s good for team spirit.”
Q: You have finished on the podium 20 times, including 12 wins, in the 31 races you have competed in. Which race victory did you enjoy the most?
“There’s actually two that I have enjoyed the most. The first was the 24 Hours of Le Mans for AF Corse in 2012 and the second was at Sao Paulo in 2013. Le Mans was very satisfying because we started last after Giancarlo had a big crash in practice, only doing 20 minutes of night practice and warm up. It was very hard to get into the rhythm and be at the highest level but we all did it and it meant even more because of how we started the week.
“Brazil in 2013 was a very hard race, and a very intense battle with Darren Turner and Aston Martin Racing, especially the last hour and 10 minutes. It was very close. Coming from not a fantastic start of the season, we’d had a big fight back and there are definitely good memories of the end of that season.”
Q: Can anything beat standing on the podium at Le Mans? Which Le Mans victory was the sweetest?
“I think it was the 2012 victory because it was a very intense battle, but the best one is of course always the last one!! I will never forget the first one, but it was a different era, with different cars and fewer competitors. There are different emotions for each, but the first and last I will remember always.”
Q: You have only failed to finish a race twice, both times in Shanghai (12 and 14). Were these the most disappointing WEC races you’ve had, or were results like Nürburgring and COTA (7th) this year worse?
“Of course this year we discovered we could actually finish in China, and in 2nd place so at least we know we can do it there. In 2014 we had quite a big crash there but recovered for the championship so that made up for it. This year has been very difficult and there were a couple of races where to finish was really hard. Nürburgring was the toughest because we were on pole, in the lead and pulling away when got an electronic problem which ultimately cost us the championship. I knew after that race to win the championship would be difficult. It’s hard to accept, but it’s racing.”
Q: Which race stands out in your memory as the hardest of all?
“Le Mans 2013 because after two and a half hours we had lost a friend but at the same time had to race another 21+ hours. I didn’t want to race and it was hard to concentrate in the night. It was a really, really tough race, a lousy race…when you’re a driver you never want to see that happen to anyone but to a friend it is even worse. It’s been good to see safety improved, especially at Le Mans, and we all want to enjoy our racing.”
Q: Which race brought the biggest smile to your face (not just for winning, but perhaps for the competition, the ambiance of the event or the team spirit)?
“Bahrain 2014 was very nice – the whole week. From the time we arrived, we had fun especially doing a “head-to-head” interview with Toni – we started laughing and didn’t stop. All three days on track went nice and the race too which was a good battle with others. Winning the GT Drivers’ Championship there was the icing on the cake…family and team spirit are the words which remind me most of this time!”
Gimmi Bruni was talking to Fiona Miller
Photos all by Adrenal Media/WEC: 1) Gianmaria Bruni; 2) 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2014; 3) Bruni and team mate Toni Vilander have formed a strong partnership with engineer Luca Massè; 4) Le Mans team mate Giancarlo Fisichella with Bruni and Vilander on the drivers' parade podium with their qualifying award; 5) Happy champions after the 6 Hours of Bahrain 2014