Roberto Colciago
Encyclopedia
Roberto Colciago is a racing driver from Saronno
, Italy
. He has spent most of his career in touring car racing
– first in Super Touring and then in Super 2000
– and currently competes in the World Touring Car Championship
. His major successes include two Swedish Touring Car Championship
drivers' titles and the Italian Touring Car Championship title. He is married, with one daughter.
ship at the age of 19. He was classified in 5th position in the 1987 standings, with one race win in his rookie
season, and went on to win the title in 1990. From there, he progressed to the FIA Formula 3000 International Championship, but returned to Italian F3 in 1992 and then spent two further seasons in the German F3 Championship
.
1995 brought Colciago into touring cars. He participated in the Italian and Spanish
Super Touring Championships, with 8th and 10th place classifications respectively. He continued in the Italian series for the next four years and won the privateer
's class title in 1996 and 1999. He spent the 2000 and 2001 seasons driving an Audi A4
in the European Super Touring Cup, in which he was a race winner on seven occasions. His 2001 programme was dovetailed with a title-winning participation in the Swedish Touring Car Championship
and he successfully defended this title in 2002.
Colciago has spent the last few years switching between Italian and European championships. In 2003, he competed in the European Touring Car Championship
, but returned to Italy in 2004, this time in the Touring Master Cup, in which he won two races and finished second in the standings. In 2005, he was back in the ETCC in its new form as the World Touring Car Championship
, driving a Honda Accord
for independent entrant JAS Motorsport. Then he made another return to Italy for a title-winning season in the Italian Touring Car Championship driving a SEAT
. He has since reappeared in the World Championship with SEAT Sport Italia.
Saronno
Saronno is a comune of Lombardy, Italy, in the province of Varese. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree in 1960.The place is well known for its apricot kernel biscuits and is also a manufacturing town....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He has spent most of his career in touring car racing
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
– first in Super Touring and then in Super 2000
Super 2000
Super 2000, also known as S2000, is an FIA specification and classification for production based race cars. The specification is split to cover both rally and touring car racing. Super 2000 rally cars are also permitted to compete in Super 2000 World Rally Championship events...
– and currently competes in the World Touring Car Championship
World Touring Car Championship
For the video game, known as World Touring Car Championship in Japan, see TOCA World Touring CarsThe FIA World Touring Car Championship is an international Touring Car championship sanctioned by the FIA.-History:...
. His major successes include two Swedish Touring Car Championship
Swedish Touring Car Championship
Swedish Touring Car Championship was a touring car racing series based in Sweden, but also with rounds in Norway. They began operating in 1996, heavily influenced by the British Touring Car Championship and the success of BTCC racing on Swedish television...
drivers' titles and the Italian Touring Car Championship title. He is married, with one daughter.
Career history
After a period in karting, Colciago entered the Italian Formula Three ChampionItalian Formula Three Championship
The Italian Formula Three Championship is the Formula Three racing competition in Italy.-History:Formula Three has traditionally been regarded as the first major stepping stone for F1 hopefuls - it is typically the first point in a driver's career at which most drivers in the series are aiming at...
ship at the age of 19. He was classified in 5th position in the 1987 standings, with one race win in his rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season, and went on to win the title in 1990. From there, he progressed to the FIA Formula 3000 International Championship, but returned to Italian F3 in 1992 and then spent two further seasons in the German F3 Championship
German Formula Three Championship
The German Formula Three Championship – currently titled the ATS Formel 3 Cup – is Germany's national Formula Three series. In the hierarchy of motor racing formulae, Formula Three is placed between national Formula Renault and championships such as GP2...
.
1995 brought Colciago into touring cars. He participated in the Italian and Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Super Touring Championships, with 8th and 10th place classifications respectively. He continued in the Italian series for the next four years and won the privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
's class title in 1996 and 1999. He spent the 2000 and 2001 seasons driving an Audi A4
Audi A4
The first generation Audi A4 debuted in 1994, with production starting November 1994. It was built on the Volkswagen Group B5 platform, which it shared with the fourth generation Volkswagen Passat . It had a front-mounted longitudinal engine and front-wheel drive...
in the European Super Touring Cup, in which he was a race winner on seven occasions. His 2001 programme was dovetailed with a title-winning participation in the Swedish Touring Car Championship
Swedish Touring Car Championship
Swedish Touring Car Championship was a touring car racing series based in Sweden, but also with rounds in Norway. They began operating in 1996, heavily influenced by the British Touring Car Championship and the success of BTCC racing on Swedish television...
and he successfully defended this title in 2002.
Colciago has spent the last few years switching between Italian and European championships. In 2003, he competed in the European Touring Car Championship
European Touring Car Championship
The European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004...
, but returned to Italy in 2004, this time in the Touring Master Cup, in which he won two races and finished second in the standings. In 2005, he was back in the ETCC in its new form as the World Touring Car Championship
World Touring Car Championship
For the video game, known as World Touring Car Championship in Japan, see TOCA World Touring CarsThe FIA World Touring Car Championship is an international Touring Car championship sanctioned by the FIA.-History:...
, driving a Honda Accord
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a series of compact, mid-size and full-size automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, and sold in a majority of automotive markets throughout the world....
for independent entrant JAS Motorsport. Then he made another return to Italy for a title-winning season in the Italian Touring Car Championship driving a SEAT
SEAT
SEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded on May 9, 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , a state-owned industrial holding company....
. He has since reappeared in the World Championship with SEAT Sport Italia.