F1 Racing Australia - May 2018

: LAT ARCHIVE

NIGEL ROEBUCK’S

GRAND

PRIX

GREATS

FRANCESCO CASTELLOTTI was a

wealthy man, a lawyer who wished his son

to take up the same profession, but from

childhood Eugenio thought only of motor

racing. Taught to drive by the family’s

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after his father’s death.

This was not in some minor event, but the Giro di Sicilia, and

Castellotti – just 20 – drove his own, black, Ferrari. From the outset

he was overly brave: “After going off the road six times, I had to retire –

I had no racing experience...”

Eugenio’s second race was even more exalted, the Mille Miglia, and the

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There followed, though, a huge accident at Vila Real. “I was leading,”

Castellotti related, “but missed a gear going into a corner, and hit a tree. I

was lying in the road, but couldn’t get up – my leg and pelvis were broken

• and I thought I’d had it. Then two lads carried me to the side of the track,
  and cars went over where I’d been lying...” Five weeks later, he raced again.
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  Mountain Championships, and when the company announced its plan to
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  being followed by second place at Monaco – where Ascari took his
  celebrated plunge into the harbour.
  Four days later Castellotti was at Monza, testing a Ferrari sports
  car, and telephoned his mentor, suggesting he come out to the track.
  Ascari – resting after the shunt – agreed, and once there unexpectedly
  asked for a run in the car. On his third lap he crashed at the corner
  now named for him.
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  suspended his company’s racing activities,
  but Castellotti implored him to make a car
  available for the next race, Spa.
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  was much like today: if you didn’t have
  a Mercedes, you didn’t have a prayer.
  Invariably Juan Manuel Fangio and
  Stirling Moss were out on their own,
  but at Spa Castellotti was on a mission,

and beat Fangio to pole position. It was

a staggering performance, but unsettling

to those who watched, not least Denis

Jenkinson. “You saw what he’d taken out of

himself,” Jenks told me, “and couldn’t help

but fear for him in the race...”

Next day the Mercs predictably

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hard men, Giuseppe Farina: in the pits there was some relief when the

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Soon afterwards the company’s racing department was handed over to

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a winner, but in sports cars there were several victories, notably in Italy’s

blue riband event, the Mille Miglia.

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and a half hours, trouncing team mates Collins, Musso and Fangio.

By now Eugenio was a hero in his homeland, and in other ways, too, his

life was changing. “He was,” Moss said, “everyone’s idea of a racing driver

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succinct: “Castellotti made the girls gnaw at the back of their hands...”

Rich, charismatic, always elegant, Eugenio indeed never lacked for

female companionship, but when he met Delia Scala everything changed.

A leading actress, she was famous in her own right, and swiftly they were

anointed as Italy’s gilded couple.

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and Castellotti was shortly due to cross the Atlantic again for the Sebring

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an unwelcome call from Ferrari, demanding that he return immediately

to Modena. Testing at the city’s track, Jean

Behra’s Maserati had just set the lap record,

and it was vital that a Ferrari should beat it.

Quite why this should have mattered so

much was unclear, but some – including

Villoresi – suggested that Enzo acted as he

did after accepting a lunchtime wager at

Modena’s Biella Club.

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arriving at the track in late afternoon. Out

EUGENIO

CASTELLOTTI

La Dolce Vita

RETRO

RACING