Giovinazzi targeting Audi DTM switch for 2016

The Italian was title winner Felix Rosenqvist's nearest challenger in F3, and shone again in the Macau Grand Prix last weekend when he won the qualification race, only to be given a 20-second post-race penalty for causing a collision with Dani Juncadella.

Although a move up to GP2 would be a logical step, the Carlin driver may go to touring cars because he does not have big-money backers supporting his push up the racing ladder.

"I don't know what I will be doing yet," he told Motorsport.com. "We will start to see the offers we have next year, and then we will see.

"We have a DTM programme with Audi maybe – and that is my first target. But we can still go to GP2, or even stay in F3. So we will see."

Giovinazzi has already made his DTM debut, standing in for the suspended Timo Scheider at Moscow Raceway earlier this year. 

Macau disappointment 

A charging drive from 10th on the grid to finish fourth in Macau's main race marked Giovinazzi as once of the race's stars, but he said the result brought little satisfaction – because he was still annoyed about his grid penalty. 

"It is a little bit disappointing, because it could have been a different race if I could have started from P1," Giovinazzi told Motorsport.com.

"But going from P10 to P4 – without a safety car – like I did, and the team as well, means we did the maximum that we could do."

Giovinazzi said he had to pull off some bold overtaking moves to gain positions – after deciding that the only way to approach the race was to go on maximum attack.

"I overtook everyone in the first braking zone [Lisboa], so I take also a lot of risk honestly," he said.

"I think also I pushed too much in the first four or five laps because when I was close to [Alexander] Sims, my rear tyres were sliding a bit. I slowed down on the second last lap to just cool down everything and the last lap I did my best lap.

"It shows that we could have been there, at least on the podium."

Proud of campaign

Reflecting on his season, Giovinazzi said he could have no complaints about his form, even though he left Macau disappointed that his chances of overall victory were wrecked by the grid penalty.

"I think we showed all year we were strong," he said. "We fought for the championship, we won many races and were strong also in Macau, so there is nothing more to say.

"There was just a lot of disappointment with this final. But I have to say thanks to the Carlin guys. They did a really good job, we had a really good season, and we are just looking forward to next year."