Battistini built his early career in karting, finishing third in the Junior European Championship and claiming the British Open Championship before transitioning to cars. These results established him as a competitive talent on the British and European junior circuit.
In 2003 Battistini competed in the Caterham R400 Challenge, winning more races than any other driver and earning the Driver of the Year award. Despite his superior pace, he finished second in the championship after being struck from behind in the penultimate race at Brands Hatch, a collision that stripped him of the points lead going into the final round.
Battistini moved to Asia for the 2006 and 2007 seasons of the Asian Formula Three Championship. He finished fourth in his debut year, then returned in 2007 to take the series title, winning five races across the campaign.
After testing a Champ Car for Minardi Team USA and following the unification of American open-wheel racing under the IRL banner, Battistini signed with Panther Racing to race in the Firestone Indy Lights Series. He joined less than ten days before the season opener, having never previously competed on an oval track.
His oval debut on 29 March 2008 at Homestead-Miami Speedway ended in victory, making it both his first oval race and his first Indy Lights win. On 24 May 2008 he won the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from pole position for his second win of the season. He added two further victories at Iowa and Kentucky to finish the year with five wins in total, the most of any driver in the series. At the conclusion of the season he left Panther Racing to race the finale with Team Moore Racing. At the 2008 IRL Awards Evening in Las Vegas, Battistini received the Gregory and Appel "Securing Tomorrow" Award for leading the win tally.
Battistini made a single Indy Lights appearance in the fourth race of the 2009 season for Genoa Racing before spending most of the year seeking a full-time IndyCar seat. Unable to secure one, he made two further Indy Lights oval appearances in 2010, driving for Team PBIR and Bryan Herta Autosport.
On 23 September 2011, Battistini tested with Conquest Racing at Kentucky Speedway. He subsequently made his IndyCar Series debut with Conquest at Kentucky later that season, retiring on lap 124 of 200 due to fatigue.
Battistini's 2008 Indy Lights campaign stands as one of the more complete debut seasons in the series: five wins, the Freedom 100, and the season's leading win total, achieved by a driver who had never raced on an oval before the opening round. His career arc — British club racing, Asian open-wheel, and American oval racing — was unusually broad for a driver of his era.
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