In Pixar's Cars 2, which countryman is Lightning McQueen's Italian racing rival?

Francesco Bernoulli is Lightning McQueen's Italian racing rival in Pixar's Cars 2.

Francesco is a Formula-style race car and one of the competitors in the World Grand Prix, an international racing event created by Miles Axlerod. His flamboyant confidence and repeated claims of superiority make him a strong contrast to Lightning's more mature attitude after the first film.

Francesco is voiced by John Turturro. The character's design reflects open-wheel racing, with exposed wheels and a narrow body unlike Lightning McQueen's stock-car-inspired shape. Their rivalry is competitive but not the film's only conflict, because Cars 2 also follows Mater as he becomes involved in an espionage conspiracy.

Francesco is sometimes confused with Luigi, another Italian character in the franchise. Luigi is a small Fiat 500 who owns Luigi's Casa Della Tires in Radiator Springs; Francesco is the internationally famous racer and Lightning's World Grand Prix opponent.