Vittorio Brambilla

Vittorio Brambilla ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; 11 November 1937 – 26 May 2001) was an Italian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from Template:F1 to Template:F1. Nicknamed "the Monza Gorilla",Template:Efn Brambilla won the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix with March.

Born and raised in Monza, Brambilla competed in Formula One for March, Surtees and Alfa Romeo. A wet weather specialist, Brambilla won the curtailed Template:F1GP in Template:F1 with a 27-second margin over James Hunt in only 29 laps.

Career

Born in the town of Monza itself, Brambilla began racing motorcycles in 1957 and won the Italian national 175cc title in 1958. He continued to race motorcycles on a casual basis throughout his career, finishing 12th in a guest appearance at the 1969 Italian 500cc motorcycle Grand Prix riding a Paton. Before becoming a mechanic he also raced go-karts. His older brother, Ernesto ("Tino"), was also a racing driver.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Formula Three, Formula Two, Sports cars

He returned to racing in 1968, in Formula 3 and won the Italian championship in 1972, by which time he was already racing Formula 2. Brambilla was 2nd to Jacky Ickx in a 1970 2-heat Formula Two race at the Salzburg Ring in Salzburg, Austria.<ref>Ickx Wins Honors In Salzburg Race, New York Times, 31 August 1970, Page 48.</ref> He drove a March BMW to 4th place in Hockenheim, in a 1973 Formula Two race. There were two 10-lap heats covering Template:Convert.<ref>Mass Captures Formula Two Race, New York Times, 18 June 1973, Page 41.</ref> Brambilla won the City of Enna Cup, the 5th 1973 event in the European automaker's championship for 2,000 cc cars. He averaged Template:Convert over Template:Convert. He drove an Abarth-Osella.<ref>Brambilla Is Victor, New York Times, 16 August 1973, Page 75.</ref> Brambilla captured the pole for the Monza 4-hour auto race in a BMW 3.5 CSL.<ref>Merzario The Fastest, New York Times, 23 March 1975, Page 206.</ref>

Formula One

March 1974–1976

File:Vittorio Brambilla - March Ford 761 (Foto Spu 1976-07-31).jpg

Brambilla driving a March 761 at the 1976 German Grand Prix.

In his first year of Formula One, Brambilla was as quick as his teammate Stuck, although more accident-prone. In the Swedish GP he ran in fifth until an engine problem. Brambilla finished tied for 18th, last, in the Template:F1 Formula One World Championship standings.<ref>Final Driver Standing, New York Times, 7 October 1974, Page 45.</ref> In 1975 he amazed many at the Belgian GP, where he led until encountering brakes problems after 54 laps, and at the 1975 Swedish Grand Prix, where he secured pole position until a transmission failure forced him to retire after 36 laps. His great day came at the Österreichring in 1975, when he won a wet Austrian Grand Prix. He spun off and wrecked the nose of his car as he took the chequered flag, and completed his slowing down lap with the front of the car destroyed while waving to the crowd (being the first victory of an Italian driver since the 1966 Italian Grand Prix with Ludovico Scarfiotti). As the race was shortened, with 60% of it completed, he only received 4.5 points instead of 9 for the win.<ref>Brain Surgery for Driver, New York Times, 18 August 1975, Page 17.</ref> A more serious accident occurred that season when Brambilla crashed his March through a new curve at Watkins Glen during qualifying for the 1975 United States Grand Prix. He backed into a guard rail afterwards but was unhurt. The session ended at that point with Niki Lauda leading. Before his accident Brambilla was second fastest with a lap of Template:Convert.<ref>Lauda, in 'Training' Car, Paces Qualifying At Glen, New York Times, 4 October 1975, Page 22.</ref> During 1976 he suffered several accidents and mechanical retirements, collecting only one point at the 1976 Dutch Grand Prix. He qualified his March in 8th position for the 1976 United States Grand Prix West.<ref>Regazzoni Takes Coast Race Pole, New York Times, 28 March 1976, Page 175.</ref> In the race Brambilla was tapped from behind by Carlos Reutemann before they reached the first turn.<ref>Good Turn For Brambilla? Drivers In Grand Prix Get A Fresh, New Start, Los Angeles Times, 29 March 1978, Page E1.</ref> He lost the right rear wheel on his March on the 35th lap of the 1976 United States Grand Prix after holding fifth place for a time.<ref>Hunt Takes U.S. Grand Prix With Lauda Third, 11 October 1976, Page 47.</ref>

Surtees (1977–1978)

File:SurteesTS20BarryBoor.JPG

Brambilla driving for Surtees at the 1978 British Grand Prix

In 1977, Brambilla moved to the Surtees team, where he scored six points. At the same time he also drove for the Alfa Romeo sports car team, achieving the World Championship for the team. Brambilla finished 8th in the 1977 Monaco Grand Prix.<ref>Auto Racing, New York Times, 23 May 1977, Page E36.</ref>

Brambilla continued with Surtees in 1978. At the 1978 United States Grand Prix West he placed 17th in qualifying, with a time of 1:23.212.<ref>At Long Beach, Calif., New York Times, 2 April 1978, Page S8.</ref> His #19 Beta Surtees TS 19 finished 14th after experiencing engine failure on lap 50.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In a multiple pileup at Monza in the 1978 Italian Grand Prix, Brambilla suffered serious head injuries when he was hit by a flying wheel during a multiple car collision on the opening lap. In reaction to that race, in which Ronnie Peterson sustained fatal injuries, it was announced in October 1978 that the Italian Grand Prix would move to the Autodromo Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola for the next three years<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> although this did not actually happen until 1980. The 1979 Italian Grand Prix was at Monza again, and Brambilla recovered and returned to participate in that race.<ref>"2 Reported Indicted In Fatal Crash", New York Times, 3 October 1979, Page D18.</ref>

Alfa Romeo (1979–1980)

Brambilla drove briefly for the Alfa Romeo Formula One team in 1979 and 1980. On the first day of qualifying for the 1979 United States Grand Prix Brambilla was timed at Template:Convert. Heavy rain caused a slick track and slower times.<ref>Rain Sets Back Prix Qualifying, Washington Post, 6 October 1979, Page D2.</ref> In December 1979 Alfa Romeo revealed its Formula One race car for the 1980 season. The company named Patrick Depailler, Brambilla, and Bruno Giacomelli as its drivers. The racer was nearly identical to one driven by Giacomelli in the 1979 Italian Grand Prix. It was a wing car design with a V-12 engine that generated more than Template:Convert. Alfa Romeo announced that it was working on a 1,500 cubic centimeter turbocharged engine which was to begin track testing in a Formula One car in the summer of 1980.<ref>Alfa Romeo Racer Shown, Los Angeles Times, 11 December 1979, Page D8.</ref>

Retirement and death

Brambilla retired at the end of the 1980 season. In the early 1990s he opened a Formula One memorabilia shop in Milan, occasionally driving the safety car during the Italian Grand Prix. He died at Lesmo, near Milan, of a heart attack at the age of 63 while gardening at his home. He reportedly collapsed while mowing the lawn.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Racing record

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Template:Tooltip	Pts
Template:F2	Scuderia Picchio Rossa	Brabham BT23	Ford	THR Template:Small	HOC	BAR Template:Small	ROU														13th	3
	North Italian Racing Developments	Brabham BT30						PER Template:Small
		Brabham BT23							TUL Template:Tooltip
	Scuderia Ala d'Oro	Brabham BT30								IMO Template:Small	HOC Template:Small
Template:F2	Scuderia Ala d'Oro	Brabham BT30	Ford	HOC Template:Small	THR Template:Small	NÜR Template:Small	JAR	PAL													18th	2
		March 712M							ROU Template:Tooltip	MAN	TUL	ALB	VAL
	Vittorio Brambilla													VAL Template:Small
Template:F2	Vittorio Brambilla	March 712M	BMW	MAL	THR	HOC	PAU	PAL	HOC	ROU	ÖST Template:Small	IMO Template:Small	MAN	PER	SAL	ALB	HOC				NC	0
Template:F2	Beta Racing Team	March 712M	BMW	MAL Template:Tooltip																	4th	35
		March 732			HOC Template:Small	THR Template:Tooltip	NÜR Template:Tooltip	PAU Template:Small	KIN	NIV Template:Small	HOC Template:Small	ROU	MNZ Template:Small	MAN	KAR	PER Template:Small	SAL Template:Small	NOR	ALB Template:Small	VAL Template:Small
Template:F2	Brian Lewis Racing	March 732	BMW	BAR	HOC	PAU	SAL	HOC	MUG	KAR	PER	HOC	VAL Template:Small								NC	0
Template:F2	Project 3 Racing	March 752	BMW	EST	THR Template:Small	HOC Template:Small	NÜR	PAU	HOC	SAL Template:Small	ROU	MUG Template:Small	PER Template:Small	SIL	ZOL	NOG	VAL Template:Small				13th	9
Template:F2	Project Four Racing	March 762	Lancia	HOC	THR	VAL Template:Small	SAL	PAU	HOC	ROU	MUG										NC	0
	Vittorio Brambilla	March 732	Ferrari									PER Template:Small	EST	NOG	HOC
Template:F2	Willi Kauhsen Racing Team	Elf 2J	Renault	SIL	THR	HOC	NÜR	VAL	PAU	MUG	ROU	NOG	PER	MIS Template:Small	EST	DON					NC	0
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Complete Formula One results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Template:Tooltip	Pts
Template:F1	Beta Utensili	March 741	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	ARG	BRA	RSA Template:Small	ESP Template:Small	BEL Template:Small	MON Template:Small	SWE Template:Small	NED Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small	AUT Template:Small	ITA Template:Small	CAN Template:Small	USA Template:Small			18th	1
Template:F1	Beta Team March	March 741	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	ARG Template:Small	BRA Template:Small																11th	6.5
		March 751				RSA Template:Small	ESP 5Template:Smallsup	MON Template:Small	BEL Template:Small	SWE Template:Small	NED Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small	AUT 1Template:Smallsup	ITA Template:Small	USA Template:Small
Template:F1	Beta Team March	March 761	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	BRA Template:Small	RSA Template:Small	USW Template:Small	ESP Template:Small	BEL Template:Small	MON Template:Small	SWE Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small	AUT Template:Small	NED Template:Small	ITA Template:Small	CAN Template:Small	USA Template:Small	JPN Template:Small		19th	1
Template:F1	Beta Team Surtees	Surtees TS19	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	ARG Template:Small	BRA Template:Small	RSA Template:Small	USW Template:Small	ESP Template:Small	MON Template:Small	BEL Template:Small	SWE Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small	AUT Template:Small	NED Template:Small	ITA Template:Small	USA Template:Small	CAN Template:Small	JPN Template:Small	16th	6
Template:F1	Beta Team Surtees	Surtees TS19	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	ARG Template:Small	BRA Template:Small	RSA Template:Small	USW Template:Small														19th	1
		Surtees TS20						MON Template:Small	BEL Template:Small	ESP Template:Small	SWE Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small	AUT Template:Small	NED Template:Small	ITA Template:Small	USA	CAN
Template:F1	Autodelta	Alfa Romeo 177	Alfa Romeo 115-12 3.0 F12	ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	ESP	BEL	MON	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA Template:Small					NC	0
		Alfa Romeo 179	Alfa Romeo 1260 3.0 V12														CAN Template:Small	USA Template:Small
Template:F1	Marlboro Team Alfa Romeo	Alfa Romeo 179	Alfa Romeo 1260 3.0 V12	ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	BEL	MON	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED Template:Small	ITA Template:Small	CAN	USA				NC	0
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^‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance completed.

See also

• Formula One drivers from Italy

External links

• "Brambilla's Lamborghini Miura"