Formula 1 drive with Ferrari and
relationship with Delia Scala
made Castellotti a starhe went in a Lancia-Ferrari, and within a few minutes he was receiving the
Last Rites. After going out of control at the S-bend after the pit straight,
the car had somersaulted to destruction against a stone grandstand. Behra,
watching, insisted it had been a gearbox problem, that Castellotti had
arrived at the corner in neutral.
Delia Scala, informed of the tragedy early that evening, somehow kept
faith with theatrical tradition, and ‘went on’, as ever.
The Modena autodromo is long gone, but, now a leafy park dedicated
to Enzo Ferrari, its soul abides, with sundry pathways named for drivers
down the ages. There are memorials, too, including one for the man
they called ‘Il Bello’.
As I stood by it, I thought of something Peter Ustinov once told me:
“Peter Collins was a friend, and he told me the most terrifying story about
the Commendatore. Peter was with him at Maranello when the phone
rang. Ferrari said, ‘Pronto! Ferrari!’ Then he went pale. ‘Non e possibile...
Castellotti morto...’ A pause. ‘E la macchina?’”
When I mentioned this to Phil Hill, he responded with a knowing smile:
“We all knew who we were working for...”