Vittorio Brambilla remains one of Formula 1’s numerous unsung heroes, a true motorsport enthusiast who enjoyed every aspect of the sport, from the engineering to the driving. He began at the bottom and via a mix of sheer determination and natural talent, rose to the highest level in the sport.
Born in 1937 he began racing motorcycles as well acting as a mechanic for his older brother. He was soon offered drives in karts, saloons, and sports cars prior to graduating to Formula 3 and Formula 2 before the Formula 1 hierarchy trusted him sufficiently to join their ranks. Despite his reputation for ‘spirited’ driving and crashing (for which he always had a creative excuse) Vittorio frequently proved his ability especially in the wet when he was as quick as anyone thanks to his natural car control. His orange Beta Tools sponsored March grand prix car was a fixture for four seasons. He achieved his ambition to win a grand prix in 1976 when he crossed the line first in Austria during a downpour that caused the race to be red-flagged. True to form, he crashed after the finish line when he threw both arms into the air in celebration and promptly made contact with the armco. Due to the shortened race, he was only awarded half points. However, he had more success in sports cars, driving for Alfa Romeo with the Tipo 33. He was fortunate to survive the start-line crash during the 1978 Italian grand prix at Monza where a wheel struck his head and it was a year before he could race again. He returned briefly for a few final races before retiring in 1980 to open an engineering workshop in Monza. The photograph shows Vittorio’s March 761 passing the Brabham-Alfa of Carlos Pace during the 1976 British grand prix at Brands Hatch where he was one of 16 retirements.
From the book ‘Moments in Motorsport’ by Trevor Legate
