Saturday,
September 09, 2006
Grand Prix at Monza-- Bonanza at First for Italy, Lately a
Drought
The ANNOTICO Report
When the championship started in 1950 at Monza
Italy, the Italians
dominated the Podium the first 5 years, but never again would Italy occupy the Monza podium in quite the same fashion.
Italian fans had to wait
until 1964 before another Italian, Lorenzo Bandini,
graced the podium after finishing third behind his race-winning Ferrari team
mate John Surtees. But just two years later, in 1966, Ludovico
Scarfiotti, a relative unknown, won an unexpected
victory for Ferrari in front of an adoring - if slightly surprised - home
crowd.
Four decades on and Italy
is still awaiting its next winner. In that time only three men have come close
to matching Scarfiotti's
achievement. Michele Alboreto finished second for
Ferrari in both 1984 and 1988, whilst Riccardo Patrese,
despite competing in 15 Italian Grands Prix, appeared
on the podium just once with a third place for Alfa Romeo in 1984. Even Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella, a
native of Rome
and the most successful Italian currently driving, has had limited luck at his
home Grand Prix. His third place in last year's
race was his best result to date.
Although local team Ferrari have done their bit, racking up an unsurpassed
16 wins, it has been a long and restless wait.
82 Italians have competed in
Formula One races, but Giuseppe Farina, Alberto Ascari
and Ludovico Scarfiotti
remain the only Italians to triumph in their home event. By way of comparison,
over the same period 11 Britons, four Brazilians, and two Americans have won at
Monza.
Fisichella will be racing again this weekend
alongside fellow countrymen Jarno Trulli
and Vitantonio Liuzzi. Two
of the three are proven race winners, but given the 40-year lull and Ferrari's recent form, a Maranello
victory will surely be the most likely cause for the Inno
di Mameli to be heard around Monza's
historic grandstands on Sunday.
WHY ITALY
IS STILL WAITING, 40 YEARS ON
Formula 1
The Official Formula 1 WebSite
September 8, 2006
Rain is forecast for Monza this weekend, and
many fans at the circuit will be hoping it can wash away one very specific dry
spell. It has been 40 years since an Italian driver won his home Grand Prix and
although local team Ferrari have done their bit, racking up an unsurpassed 16
wins, it has been a long and restless wait.
Since the championship
started in 1950, 82 Italians have competed in Formula One races, but Giuseppe
Farina, Alberto Ascari and Ludovico
Scarfiotti remain the only Italians to triumph in
their home event. By way of comparison, over the same period 11 Britons, four Brazilians,
and two Americans have won at Monza.
This, despite the fact that things began so well for the
Italians.
The country' inaugural Grand Prix at
Monza in 1950
was an Italian whitewash, both in terms of driver and car. Farina won the
event, the Turin
native driving a blistering race in his Alfa Romeo to beat the Ferrari of
Alberto Ascari, with Alfa team mate Luigi Fagioli
third. Not only that, Farina's
victory also ensured he beat Argentina's
Juan Manuel Fangio to the drivers title, claiming the
sport's first world championship for
Italy.
A year later and Italy' run continued at the track. This time it was Ascari wh!
o took victory for Ferrari, whilst Alfa Romeo team
mates Felice Bonetto and Nino Farina shared their
drive to third place. The interloper in second was Jose Froilan
Gonzalez, but as the Argentinean was at the wheel of a Ferrari, the podium
remained a primarily Italian affair.
Ascari would win again for Ferrari in 1952, the sixth
victory of his championship-winning season and the third successive home
success for Italy.
The following year he crashed out of the lead on the penultimate lap of the
race, handing victory to the Maserati of Fangio. But despite Ascari's demise, it wasn?t
all bad news for the Italian fans, who saved their cheers for the Ferraris of
Farina and Luigi Villoresi in second and third places
respectively.
Fangio reigned supreme in 1954 and 1955 and, although
Italy
remained in the running with a third place for Ferrari's
Umberto Maglioli in '54
and a second place for Mercedes driver Piero Taruffi in '55,
there was a notable lull in home success.! Farina's retirement from the sport and Ascari's fatal accident, both in 1955, then robbed Italy of two of its legends and never again
would the country dominate the Monza
podium in quite the same fashion.
Indeed, Italian fans had to wait until 1964 before another Italian, Lorenzo Bandini, graced the podium after finishing third behind his
race-winning Ferrari team mate John Surtees. But just two years later, in 1966,
Ludovico Scarfiotti, a
relative unknown, won an unexpected victory for Ferrari in front of an adoring
- if slightly surprised - home crowd.
Four decades on and Italy
is still awaiting its next winner. In that time only three men have come close
to matching Scarfiotti's
achievement. Michele Alboreto finished second for
Ferrari in both 1984 and 1988, whilst Riccardo Patrese,
despite competing in 15 Italian Grands Prix, appeared
on the podium just once with a third place for Alfa Romeo in 1984. Even Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella, a
native of Rome
an! d the most successful Italian currently driving,
has had limited luck at his home Grand Prix. His third place in last year's race was his best result to date.
Fisichella will be racing again this weekend
alongside fellow countrymen Jarno Trulli
and Vitantonio Liuzzi. Two
of the three are proven race winners, but given the 40-year lull and Ferrari's recent form, a Maranello
victory will surely be the most likely cause for the Inno
di Mameli to be heard around Monza's
historic grandstands on Sunday.
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