Giancarlo Baghetti


Giancarlo Baghetti was a Formula One driver who raced for the Ferrari, Automobili Turismo e Sport, BRM, Brabham and Lotus teams.
Baghetti is one of only three drivers to have won his first World Championship race, the other two being Nino Farina, who won the first World Championship race and Johnnie Parsons, who won the 1950 Indianapolis 500, just 17 days after Farina.

Formula One career

Baghetti was born in Milan. His father was a wealthy Milan industrialist.He began racing in 1955 in production cars, moving up to Formula Junior in 1958. In 1961 he was selected by the Federazione Italiana Scuderie Automobilistiche, a coalition of independent Italian team owners who had agreed a loan deal with Ferrari for a 156 Formula Two car to run in non-Championship Grand Prix, giving experience to promising Italian drivers. Despite not showing spectacular form in lower categories, Baghetti was chosen over Albino Buttichi and Lucien de Sanctis for the seat. The car was first entered for the Syracuse Grand Prix, the first major event run under the new 1.5-litre championship regulations, and against a strong field Baghetti qualified second and won in the only Ferrari, with the British teams and Porsche 718 flat 4 unable to compete with the Dino's V6. He then drove the same car to win at the Napoli Grand Prix a few weeks later.
Team FISA entered an original 60-degree V6 Ferrari 156, at least 10 hp down on power, for Baghetti in the 1961 French Grand Prix at Reims-Gueux, for this World Championship event. Once Wolfgang von Trips, Richie Ginther and Phil Hill had all retired their works 156s, Baghetti was left to uphold Ferrari honour. He overcame Dan Gurney's Porsche 718 to take victory, giving him a hat trick of wins from his first three Grands Prix. Gurney was leading with to go as the cars raced to the finish line at. The victory meant Baghetti became the first Italian since 1956 to win a Formula One World Championship event. It also ensured that he became the first, and only driver ever to win on their World Championship Grand Prix debut against a field that did not consist entirely of other debutant drivers.
He entered two more Championship races, retiring from the 1961 British Grand Prix and 1961 Italian Grand Prix, though he posted fastest lap in the latter. He also won the poorly attended Prima Coppa Italia race at Vallelunga in a Porsche 718.
He was promoted to the works Ferrari line-up for 1962, but took just two Championship placings – fourth at the Dutch Grand Prix, and fifth at the Italian Grand Prix, as Ferrari was outclassed by the British teams. Baghetti took second in the non-Championship Mediterranean Grand Prix. He was offered a full Ferrari F1 drive for 1963, but had already signed with a rival team. Enzo Ferrari rated Baghetti highly, calling him, 'a lesser Varzi'. Baghetti was involved in 1963 in the disastrous ATS effort in 1963, joining up with Phil Hill for Carlo Chiti's breakaway team, but failed to register a finish from five starts. For 1964 he switched to Scuderia Centro Sud's outdated BRM P57 cars, peaking with seventh at the Austrian Grand Prix. His Grand Prix career was then virtually over, though he had three more one-off drives, all at the Italian Grand Prix – a works Brabham in 1965, a Reg Parnell-semiworks Dino Ferrari 2.4 V6 in which he ran strongly ahead of Arundell's Lotus V8 Climax and Anderson's 2.7 litre Brabham, running 5th in 1966 and a similarly competent drive in a works Lotus 49 in 1967, running in midfield and passing Amon and Ickx and would have scored a point but for a blown engine.

Post Formula One racing

He achieved some success in the European Touring Car Championship with Alfa Romeo and FIAT Abarth, winning the 1966 1000cc Class Championship in an Abarth 1000. After dabbling in Formula Three, he retired after a huge accident at the 1967 "Monza Lottery". Boley Pittard of England was burned severely when his Lola burst into flames at the start of the final qualifying heat. Baghetti won the event in a Branca with an average speed over thirty-five laps of In June 1968 Baghetti was in a huge pile-up on the 23rd lap of a Formula Two race at Monza. He was driving a Dino.
He later became a journalist and photographer in motorsport and fashion.

Death and legacy

Baghetti died of cancer in 1995.
Baghetti's Championship debut win has secured him a footnote in Formula One history, as he became the only driver to have won his first three Formula One races, starting with two non-championship Grand Prix races in Italy.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011WDCPoints
1961FISAFerrari 156Ferrari V6MONNEDBELFRA
1		9th9
1961Scuderia Sant AmbroeusFerrari 156Ferrari V6GBR
Ret		GERITA
Ret		USA9th9
1962Scuderia FerrariFerrari 156Ferrari V6NED
4		MONBEL
Ret		FRAGBRGER
10		ITA
5		USARSA11th5
1963Automobili Turismo e SportATS 100ATS V8MONBEL
Ret		NED
Ret		FRAGBRGERITA
15		USA
Ret		MEX
Ret		RSANC0
1964Scuderia Centro SudBRM P57BRM V8MON
DNA		NED
10		BEL
8		FRAGBR
12		GER
Ret		AUT
7		ITA
8		USAMEXNC0
1965Brabham Racing OrganisationBrabham BT7Climax V8RSAMONBELFRAGBRNEDGERITA
Ret		USAMEXNC0
1966Reg Parnell Racing LtdFerrari 246Ferrari V6MONBELFRAGBRNEDGERITA
NC		USAMEXNC0
1967Team LotusLotus 49Cosworth V8RSAMONNEDBELFRAGBRGERCANITA
Ret		USAMEXNC0

Non-championship

YearEntrantChassisEngine123456789101112131415161718192021
1961FISAFerrari 156Ferrari V6LOMGLVPAUBRXVIEAINSYR
1		NAP
1		LONSILSOLKANDANMODFLGOULLEW
1961Scuderia Sant AmbroeusPorsche 718Porsche Flat-4VAL
1		RANNATRSA
1962Scuderia FerrariFerrari 156Ferrari V6CAPBRXLOMLAVGLVPAUAIN
4		INTNAPMALCLPRMS
DNA		SOLKANMED
2		DANOULMEXRANNAT
1963Ecurie FilipinettiLotus 21Climax Straight-4LOMGLVPAUIMO
DNQ		SYRAININTROMSOLKANMEDAUTOULRAN
1964Scuderia Centro SudBRM P57BRM V8DMT
DNS		NWT
9		SYR
Ret		AIN
9		INT
8		SOLMEDRAN
1965Scuderia Centro SudBRM P57BRM V8ROCSYRSMTINTMED
Ret		RAN
1966Anglo-Suisse Racing TeamLotus 33Climax V8RSASYR
DNS		INTOUL