Yeah I just watched that video again(the 2nd Panizzi video). You're right. I thought I actually heard his wheels lock up one time on a downshift. Maybe its not important on gravel and dirt, so they just get use to it.

 

well yeah but Panizzi rarely drives on gravel and dirt...he is a tarmac specialist

 

A rally driver that rarely drives on dirt or gravel? I don't know a great deal about Panizzi, so it was just a thought.

 

yeah he rarely drives on dirt and gravel....when he raced for puegot he only did tarmac rally's. When he raced for Lancia also only tarmac. Last year with mitsu he primarily did tarmac. Teams like peugot brought him in exclusively on tarmac rallies to secure there manufacturers championships because he is the tarmac god.
I dont know if you watch rally much but in 2003 when puegot brought him in for there tarmac rally in Spain he dominated so badly that at a faimos hairpin turn on the leg he did 2 360 burnouts waving his hand at the crowd and still won the stage by along shot and the rally. He is truly amazing on the tarmac...he just sucks at snow and gravel

 

Actually now that you mention it I do remember seeing that burnout. I just didn't realize it was Panizzi.

 

yeah he is not very popular because simply he will never win a WRC championship. He cannot compete competitively on gravel and snow. He is only a tarmac driver. I just admire his skill because he is so darn fast on it and I particularly dont care for gravel and snow rallies. I just like tarmac alot

 

Do you know if Panizzi grew up driving karts? Or did he drive production cars?

 

he grew up around sanremo and corsica and lives in montecarlo now...He started off driving as a hobby in the mountains and was recognized by opel, that taught him and then he debuted several years later in WRC in a lancia.
http://www.panizziwrc.com/
http://www.wrc.com/page/DriversDetai...605463,00.html

 

That's an interesting way to get into the WRC.

 

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