Lorenzo Bandini

Former F1 driver
Name = Lorenzo Bandini


Nationality = flagicon|Italy Italian
Years = F1|1961 - F1|1967
Team(s) = Scuderia Centro Sud,
Scuderia Ferrari
Races = 42
Championships = 0
Wins = 1
Podiums = 8
Points = 58
Poles = 1
Fastest laps = 2
First race = 1961 Belgian Grand Prix
First win = 1964 Austrian Grand Prix
Last win = 1964 Austrian Grand Prix
Last race = 1967 Monaco Grand Prix

Lorenzo Bandini (born 21 December 1935 - died 10 May 1967, Monaco) was an Italian motor racing driver who raced in Formula One for the Scuderia Centro Sud and Ferrari teams.

Career

Bandini was born in Barce,"Hulme Takes Monaco Race; Bandini Seriously Hurt, New York Times, May 8, 1967, Page 59] Cyrenaica,"Lorenzo Bandini", The Times, May 11, 1967, Page 12.] Libya of Italian parents. He had an older sister, Graziella. The family returned to Italy in 1939 and resided near Florence, Italy. When he was 15 his father died. Bandini left home and found a job as an apprentice mechanic in the workshop of Signor Freddi in Milan.

He made his way into auto racing from competing on motorcycles."Italy's Bandini Dies Of Monte Carlo Burns", Stars and Stripes (newspaper), May 11, 1967, Page 20.] He started racing cars in 1957 in a borrowed Fiat 1100. The wealthy and kindhearted Signor Freddi moulded Bandini's career and assisted him from the start of it.

He achieved a first class victory at the Mille Miglia, in a Lancia Appia Zagato, in 1958. He then raced in Formula Junior until 1961. Bandini purchased a Volpini Formula Junior car and placed third in his first race in Sicily. In 1959 and 1960 he drove a Formula Junior Stanguellini. In 1960 he placed fourth in the Formula Junior World Championship.

In 1961 Bandini became disappointed when Giancarlo Baghetti, also of Italy, was selected to drive a sponsored Ferrari by the association of Italian motor clubs FISA. However he had the attention of Signor "Mimo" Dei, the team patron of Scuderia Centro Sud. He was invited to join the Scuderia Centro Sud in Formula One. At a non-championship race, he finished third at Pau. Bandini drove his first world championship race at Spa later in 1961. He retired with engine failure. During the winter of 1961-1962 he drove in the "Tasman" races in Australia and New Zealand.

The Maranello based Ferrari team's success had declined after the triumphs of Phil Hill and Wolfgang Von Trips in the new rear-engined cars. Hill won the Formula One World Championship in 1961. After Bandini was hired by Ferrari for the 1962 and 1963 seasons, he did fairly well. His debut in a works Ferrari was good one at the Monaco Grand Prix. He placed third.

For 1963 Bandini was retained by Ferrari for sports car races only. Signor Dei once again assisted him by purchasing for him a BRM discarded by Graham Hill. Bandini campaigned the BRM in Scuderia Centro Sud colors.

Bandini, along with Ludovico Scarfiotti, won the Le Mans 24 Hours race for Ferrari in 1963. He again became the number one driver for Ferrari, replacing John Surtees who left in mid-season of 1966. He returned for the Italian Grand Prix

In 1964 Bandini won the first Austrian Grand Prix at the Zeltweg circuit, his only GP win. He also achieved victories for Ferrari in sportscar racing, notably the previously-mentioned 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1963, the Targa Florio in 1965, and the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1967.

Bandini was married to Margherita Freddi in 1963 and managed a garage owned by his wife's parents in Milan. He resided in Maranello, near the Ferrari headquarters."Bandini Dies of Race Injuries", New York Times, May 11, 1967, Page 62.]

Accident and death

In May 1967 Bandini was racing at the Monaco Grand Prix, running second to Denny Hulme on the 82nd lap, when he lost control of his car at the harbour chicane. He had just entered an "S-turn"when his Ferrari's left rear wheel hit the guard rail, sending him into an erratic skid. It impacted a light pole and overturned."Hulme Wins Monte Carlo; Bandini Hurt", Sheboygan Press, May 8, 1967, Page 13.] The car hit straw bales which lined the harbour side, rupturing the fuel tank, and sparks ignited the fuel as the car rolled over, with Bandini trapped beneath it. Marshals flipped his car upright and pulled Bandini, unconscious, out from the flaming Ferrari. It is thought that during the effort toright the overturned car that gasoline leaked on the hot brake line or the exhaust pipe and exploded. A second fire occurred when the gas tank exploded after Bandini had been pulled away from the Ferrari.

Bandini's burns were extensive, with third degree burns covering more than 70% of his body. The worst burns were on his arms and legs with slight burns on his face. Doctors were forced to wait for twenty-four to forty-eight hours before resolving to move Bandini to a hospital in Lyon, France, which specialized in the treatment of burns. Another option was flying in skin grafts from Italy. The burns caused severe lesions, and he also sustained a chest wound and ten chest fractures.

Three days later he succumbed to his injuries. He died at Princess Grace Polyclinic Hospital in Monte Carlo. There were concerns about the promptness of Bandini's rescue. However, investigators from the Principality of Monaco ruled on May 10 "that the security operation had functioned properly." The straw bales were replaced by an extended guard-rail the following year. [cite book|last=Stanley|first=Louis.T|title=Grand Prix 10|location=London|publisher=W H Allen Ltd|year=1969|isbn=0-491002726|page=15] Bandini's only previous race accident was not a severe one. It happened during a 1957 Formula Junior race near New York.

Bandini was buried in Reggiolo,"Mass Held For Bandini",
New York Times, May 12, 1967, Page 56.] and there were 100,000people who attended on May 13."100,000 at Bandini Rites", New York Times, May 14, 1967, Page S4.]

Complete Formula One results

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

Lorenzo Bandini Trophy

Since 1992, Bandini's hometown of Brisighella has awarded the Lorenzo Bandini Trophy ("Trofeo Lorenzo Bandini" in Italian), to an outstanding figure from the world of racing. [cite web |url=http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=182678&FS=F1 |title=Alonso awarded Bandini trophy |accessdate=2007-07-11] [cite web |url=http://www.trofeobandini.it/Premiati/Premiati.htm |title=Trofeo Lorenzo Bandini |accessdate=2007-09-09]

Winners

* Luca di Montezemolo, the winner of 1997, was the president of Ferrari.

References