Like many endurance drivers, Gianmaria Bruni, celebrating his 34th birthday today, began in karting before moving to single-seaters, winning the European Formula Renault 2.0 title in the process. After two seasons in Euro F3000, the Italian driver graduated to Formula One in 2004 where he contested the entire season without picking up a single point. He raced for the modest Minardi team that saw the emergence of many budding talents but, faced with financial issues in 2005, had to turn towards drivers with more substantial backing. Minardi was eventually sold and became Toro Rosso.

Bruni therefore dropped down to GP2 Series, the antechamber of Formula One, for two seasons before finally turning to endurance. It was a decision that soon paid off as, in his first year in 2007, he became FIA GT2 vice-champion with Ferrari who took him under their wing. Since then, the Roman has cumulated victories and titles in the Le Mans Series, the American Le Mans Series (now the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship) and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) since its creation in 2012.

His debut in endurance marked the start of a formidable tandem with Jaime Melo that became a benchmark in the now-defunct GT2 category, winning the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2010 with Risi Competizione. Once the Brazilian had departed, Bruni discovered the Finn Toni Vilander in the United States.

The pairing has been together ever since, apart from the odd occasion where Ferrari decided to split them, notably in 2013 when Bruni partnered Giancarlo Fisichella up to the next-to-last race of the FIA WEC season. Separated for the season finale to increase the team’s chances of winning the LM GTE Pro class, it was finally Bruni who took the title. A fully deserved triumph for “Mister Pole”, faster than anyone over a timed lap.

Since then, while Ferrari and AF Corse scooped a third trophy in 2014, the Monaco resident, father to a little girl, picked up a second cup the same year, shared this time with Vilander, a duo that puts to bed all the clichés about Italians and Scandinavians and who, with the support of Fisichella, will be going all out to take LM GTE Pro class title once again at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2015.

We’ll have to wait until 3pm on 14 June to see if this birthday wish comes true but, in the meantime, we wish Gimmi many happy returns of the day!

Cécile Bonardel / ACO – Translation from French by David Goward

PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, MONDAY 9 JUNE 2014, SCRUTINEERING. Gianmaria Bruni, who is celebrating his birthday today, will be striving to pick up a fourth class win at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.