Fisichella to race S5000 in Adelaide

The three-time grand prix winner has signed on with Team BRM as a guest driver for the V8-powered series as it makes its debut on the famous Adelaide street circuit.

The Adelaide 500 will mark the second round of the Tasman Series, which kicked off on the Gold Coast last weekend.

Fisichella isn't a complete stranger to S5000, having inked a race deal for the Albert Park round in 2020.

However he only got a single day of practice and qualifying before the event was cancelled due to the pandemic.

“I am thrilled to be coming back to Australia to race S5000 – at last," said Fisichella.

"After the unfortunate cancellation of the races at the 2020 Australian Grand Prix, it’s like we have unfinished business to take care of.

“My Formula 1 career started literally a few weeks after the last F1 race in Adelaide, so I have never driven on the circuit, which is now a slightly shorter version of the GP track, and so am looking forward to it enormously. I expect the S5000 car will be fast there.

“I’m also thrilled to be driving with Team BRM, which has a great record in racing in Australia – and who ran my friend Rubens [Barrichello] when he drove S5000 at their very first event, in 2019, and then at the 'no race’ Grand Prix in 2020."

Adelaide 500 CEO Mark Warren said Fisichella will be a welcome addition to the revived event.

“We are ecstatic to host Fisi in Adelaide and have no doubt he’ll put on a show for all eventgoers, particularly the Formula 1 enthusiasts," he said.

“Fisichella brings quality experience from his driving pursuits in Formula 1, GT and sportscar racing around the world and adds to the high calibre motorsport programme.

“We’re now just under a month to go until we hit the track and this latest signing kicks off a string of big announcements we expect to roll out in the coming weeks."

Nathan Herne has taken an early Tasman Series lead after clean-sweeping the opener in Surfers Paradise last weekend.

The Adelaide 500 will run from December 1-4.