A promising young Italian driver, Trulli started his F1 career with Minardi in 1997 before switching to the more competitive Prost team mid-way through the season following Olivier Panis' accident at Montreal.
On the Frenchman's return, Trulli handed back the drive, although a 4th place at Hockenheim and a scorching Austrian GP - where only a blown engine denied him the points - was enough to give him a permanent seat alongside Panis the following year.
A woefully inadequate car in 1998 meant a frustrating season, the only vague bright spot a sixth at Spa. 1999 was much of the same, with Trulli becoming increasing unhappy with the poor performance of the car.
For 2000, Trulli joins Jordan where he will line up alongside Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Trulli's background (like many F1 stars) is in Karting, where he was regarded as one of the finest talents to grace the sport. Many believe that given the right car and the right environment, Trulli could become Italy's first champion since Ascari.