Luigi Villoresi

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Luigi Villoresi
Nationality Flag of Italy Italian
World Championship Career
Active years 1950-56
Team(s) Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia
Races 34
Championships 0
Wins 0
Podium finishes    8
Pole positions 1
Fastest laps 2
First race 1950 Monaco Grand Prix
Last race 1956 Italian Grand Prix

Luigi Villoresi (May 16, 1909 - August 24, 1997) was an Italian Grand Prix motor racing driver who continued racing on the Formula One circuit at the time of its inception.

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Born in Milan, Lombardy, and nicknamed "Gigi", he was the older brother of race car driver Emilio Villoresi who co-piloted with him in several races at the beginning of their careers. From a prosperous family, Villoresi could afford to buy a car and began competing in local rallies at the age of twenty-two with a Lancia Lambda and a few years later acquired a Fiat Balilla with which he and his brother Emilio competed in the Mille Miglia. In 1935, he raced in the Coppa Ciano, finishing third and went on to capture the Italian driving championship in the 1100cc sports car class. The following year he and his brother purchased a Maserati which they drove individually in different races. Emilio was so successful that he was signed to drive an Alfa Romeo for Scuderia Ferrari in the 1937 season. Unfortunately, Emilio died while testing an Alfa Romeo factory racer at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

In 1938, Luigi Villoresi became part of the Maserati team, driving the 8CTF model that Maserati had designed to compete with the dominant German Silver Arrows. In 1939 he won the South African Grand Prix but the onset of World War II interrupted his racing career. At war's end, he returned to race for Maserati until 1949 when he signed again with Scuderia Ferrari debuting in Formula One on May 21, 1950.

Already 41 years old, Villoresi served as an elder statesman for the F1 team, notably as Alberto Ascari's mentor who became his closest friend. In 1954, he and Ascari joined the new Lancia racing team but Ascari's death in the spring of the following year profoundly affected Villoresi and his career went into steep decline. He retired from Grand Prix racing in 1957 after 32 Formula 1 championship starts without a victory but made it to the podium 8 times while scoring a total of 49 championship points. Villoresi continued rally racing and won the Acropolis Rally in Greece in 1958 before retiring to a home in Modena.

Luigi Villoresi died in 1997 at the age of eighty-eight.

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 WDC Points
1950 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 125 Ferrari GBR
MON
Ret
INDY
SWI
Ret
BEL
6
FRA
DNS
ITA
24th 0
1951 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 375 Ferrari SWI
Ret
INDY
BEL
3
FRA
3
GBR
3
GER
4
ITA
4
ESP
Ret
5th 15
1952 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 500 Ferrari SWI
INDY
BEL
FRA
GBR
GER
DUT
3
ITA
3
8th 8
1953 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 500 Ferrari ARG
2
INDY
DUT
Ret
BEL
2
FRA
6
GBR
Ret
GER
8
SWI
6
ITA
3
5th 17
1954 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F Maserati ARG
INDY
BEL
FRA
5
GBR
Ret
GER
DNS
SWI
ITA
Ret
20th 2
Scuderia Lancia Lancia D50 Lancia ESP
Ret
1955 Scuderia Lancia Lancia D50 Lancia ARG
Ret
MON
5
INDY
BEL
DUT
GBR
ITA
DNS
20th 2
1956 Scuderia Centro Sud Maserati 250F Maserati ARG
MON
INDY
BEL
5
22nd 2
Luigi Piotti Maserati 250F Maserati FRA
Ret
GBR
6
GER
Ret
Officini Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F Maserati ITA
Ret

Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired
1946 52 28 121.249 18 7 200 0 Running
Totals 200 0
Starts 1
Poles 0
Front Row 0
Wins 0
Top 5 0
Top 10 1
Retired 0
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