Vittorio Brambilla

Infobox F1 driver
Name = Vittorio Brambilla
Nationality = flagicon|Italy Italian
Years = F1|1974 - F1|1980
Team(s) = March, Surtees, Alfa Romeo
Races = 79 (74 starts)
Championships = 0
Wins = 1
Podiums = 1
Points = 15.5
Poles = 1
Fastest laps = 1
First race = 1974 South African Grand Prix
First win = 1975 Austrian Grand Prix
Last win = 1975 Austrian Grand Prix
Last race = 1980 Italian Grand Prix

Vittorio Brambilla (November 11 1937 - May 26 2001) was a Formula One driver from Italy who raced for the March, Surtees and Alfa Romeo teams. His nickname was "The Monza Gorilla".

Career

Born in Monza, Brambilla began racing motorcycles in 1957 and won the Italian national 175 cc title in 1958. Before becoming a mechanic he also raced go-karts.

Formula Three, Formula Two, Sports cars

He returned to racing in 1968, in Formula 3 and won the Italian championship in 1972; by the time he was already racing Formula 2, where he won several races and bought his way into Formula 1. Brambilla was 2nd to Jacky Ickx in a 1970 2-heat Formula Two race at the Salzburg Ring in Salzburg, Austria. ["Ickx Wins Honors In Salzburg Race", New York Times, August 31, 1970, Page 48.] He drove a March BMWto 4th place in Hockenheim, in a 1973 Formula Tworace. There were two 10-lap heats covering convert|168.7|mi|km|2. ["Mass Captures Formula Two Race", New York Times, June 18, 1973, Page 41.] Brambilla won the City of Enna Cup, the 5th 1973 event in the European automaker's championship for 2,000 cc cars.He averaged 121 miles per hour (195 km/h) over convert|180|mi|km|0. He drove an Abarth-Osella. ["Brambilla Is Victor", New York Times, August 16, 1973, Page 75.] Brambilla captured the pole for the Monza 4-hour auto race in a BMW 3.5 CSL. ["Merzario The Fastest", New York Times, March 23, 1975, Page 206.]

Formula One, March 1974 – 1976

In his first year of Formula One, Brambilla was as quick as his teammate Stuck, but was a bit accident-prone. In the Swedish GP he ran in fifth until an engine problem. Brambilla finished tied for 18th, last, in the F1|1974 Formula One World Championship standings. ["Final Driver Standing", New York Times, October 7, 1974, Page 45.] He amazed many at the 1975 Belgian GP, where he led; and at the 1975 Swedish Grand Prix, where he secured pole position. But his great day came at the Österreichring in 1975, when he won a wet Austrian Grand Prix. He is best remembered for spinning off and wrecking the nose of his car as he took the chequered flag and completing his slowing down lap with the front of the car destroyed and waving madly to the crowd. As the race was shortened, he only received 4.5 points instead of 9 for the win. In fact, the chequered flag was flown in error for the red. The race was halted on the 29th lap, with 60% of the race completed. ["Brain Surgery for Driver", New York Times, August 18, 1975, Page 17.] He drove a March. 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 afterward but was unhurt. The session ended at that point with Niki Lauda leading. Before his accident Brambilla was second fastest with a lap of convert|118.21|mi/h|km/h|2|abbr=on. ["Lauda, in 'Training' Car, Paces Qualifying At Glen", New York Times, October 4, 1975, Page 22.] During 1976 he suffered several accidents and mechanical retirements, collecting only one point, while his teammate Ronnie Peterson won the 1976 Italian Grand Prix. He qualified his March in 8th position for the 1976 United States Grand Prix West. ["Regazzoni Takes Coast Race Pole", New York Times, March 28, 1976, Page 175.] In the race Brambilla was tapped from behind by Carlos Reutemann before they reached the first turn. Brambilla skidded off the course and was stationary, sitting near the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Linden Avenue. ["Good Turn For Brambilla? Drivers In Grand Prix Get A Fresh, New Start", Los Angeles Times, March 29, 1978, Page E1.] 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. ["Hunt Takes U.S. Grand Prix With Lauda Third", October 11, 1976, Page 47.]

urtees 1977 – 1978

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 posted a time of 1:59:01.41 in qualifying his Surtees 8th for the 1977 Monaco Grand Prix. ["Auto Racing", New York Times, May 23, 1977, Page E36.]

He was known for his 'Punch and Crunch' routine, in which, he would greet the unfortunate victim with an extremely strong handshake. He enjoyed watching the recipient wince whilst they were shaking hands. He would then follow this up with a rabbit punch to the back of one's neck.

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. ["At Long Beach, Calif.", New York Times, April 2,1978, Page S8.] His #19 Beta Surtees TS 19 finished 14th afterexperiencing engine failure on lap 50. ["Complete Results of 1978Long Beach Grand Prix, Los Angeles Times, April 2, 1979, Page H10.]

In a multiple pileup at Monza in the 1978 Italian Grand Prix, in which Ronnie Peterson died, Brambilla suffered serious head injuries. Brambilla was hit by a flying wheel and returned to race in the 1979 Italian Grand Prix. ["2 Reported Indicted In Fatal Crash", New York Times,October 3, 1979, Page D18.] In reaction to that race, it was announced in October 1978 that the Italian Grand Prix would moved to the Autodromo Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola for the next three years ["Italian Grand Prix Moved From Dangerous MonzaTrack", Los Angeles Times, October 27, 1978, Page SD_B4.] although this did not actually happen and the 1979 Italian Grand Prix was at Monza again.

Alfa Romeo 1979 – 1980

Brambilla drove briefly for the AlfaRomeo Formula One team in 1979 and 1980. On the first day of qualifying for the 1979 United States Grand Prix Brambilla was timed at 83.87 miles per hour (134.98 km/h). Heavy rain caused a slick track and slower times. ["Rain Sets Back Prix Qualifying", Washington Post, October 6, 1979, Page D2.] 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 Convert|520|hp|kW|0|abbr=on. 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. ["Alfa Romeo Racer Shown", Los Angeles Times, December 11, 1979, Page D8.]

Death

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. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010529/ai_n14384601] , [http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2001/05/27/former_formula_one_driver_brambilla_dies/]

Complete Formula One results

() (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in "italics" indicate fastest lap)* Half points awarded for shortened race

References

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fHwZkacyCY" Vittorio Brambilla tribute on YouTube]
* [http://www.lambomiura.com" Brambilla's Lamborghini Miura]