Marco Bonanomi

Marco Erminio Bonanomi is an Italian professional racing driver.

Career

Formula Renault

Bonanomi began his car racing career in 2001 by competing in a few rounds of the Formula Renault Eurocup and Italian Formula Renault championships with the Cram Competition team. He took part in the same series in 2002, but moved to the RP Motorsport team.
Four years later, Bonanomi drove in four races of the 2006 Formula [Renault 3.5 Series season] for Tech 1 Racing, starting his current career trend. He completed a full season in the formula in 2007, finishing 12th in the Drivers' Championship for the RC Motorsport team. In 2008, he drove in the series again, this time for the Comtec team. He survived a horrendous crash at the season finale at the Circuit de Catalunya. Running behind Mikhail Aleshin on the front straight, Bonanomi jinked out to make a pass but touched wheels with the Russian which launched him into the air and after hitting the bottom of the scoring tower, his car landed upside down on the grass beside the pit exit. He was unhurt, but his car was unrepairable, thus meaning his season was over.

Formula Three

From 2003 to 2005 Bonanomi focussed on Formula Three competing in the Italian championship and the Euro Series, as well as a number of one-off races. During this period he drove for the former Formula One team, Coloni [Racing Car">Enzo Coloni Racing Car Systems">Coloni [Racing Car Systems|Coloni], and another run by retired F1 driver and compatriot Piercarlo Ghinzani.

Formula 3000

For 2006, Bonanomi drove in the Euroseries 3000 for the Fisichella Motor Sport team. He finished runner-up in the Drivers' Championship with six pole positions and wins from eighteen starts; his most successful stint yet in motorsport.

Formula Master

In addition to a full World Series by Renault campaign in 2007 [World Series by Renault season|2007], Bonanomi also competed in selected rounds of the inaugural International Formula Master series, achieving in final placing of fifteenth in the Drivers' Championship.

GP2 Series

In the early part of 2008, Bonanomi drove in another new motorsport championship: the GP2 Asia Series. Driving for the Minardi Piquet Sports team, he won the final race of the season in Dubai, the most prestigious win of his racing career so far. He returned to the GP2 Asia Series in the 2008–09 championship, replacing Alex Yoong at Qi-Meritus Mahara from the January Bahrain meeting onwards. This was due to Yoong lacking sufficient time for racing.

WEC Hypercar

In 2023, Bonanomi worked as a test & development driver on the Tipo 6 Isotta Frashini Italian LMH Hypercar alongside French driver Jean-Karl Vernay. British team Vector plans to enter the car in 2024 in WEC.