Ludovico Scarfiotti

Ludovico Scarfiotti (1933 – 1968) was an Italian racing driver who spent the most if his career driving for Scuderia Ferrari, both in sports car racing and single-seater racing.

He won the Sebring 12 Hours and Le Mans 24 Hours in 1963, before making a debut in Formula 1 World Championship in the same year. He recorded ten starts in F1 championship races, winning one time, in the 1966 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. More than fifty years after that victory, Scarfiotti is still the last Italian driver to win the Italian Grand Prix.

Scarfiotti died after an accident during a hillclimb event in Germany, where he was driving Porsche 910.

Ludovico Scarfiotti

Ludovico's grandfather was one of FIAT founders

Ludovico Scarfiotti was born in October 1933 in Turin, a city most known as a headquarters of FIAT. His grandfather was one of nine founders of FIAT and the first president of a company.

Ludovico started a racing career in 1956, driving a Fiat 1100 at Mille Miglia. In a small and not so quick car, he finished 57th overall but won the T/GT1.1 class. His next car was a Fiat 8V Zagato and then he switched to Osca S1100 in 1958, winning several races in Italy. With that car, he participated at 1958 Targa Florio, not finishing the race.

First race in a Ferrari in 1959

In 1959, Scarfiotti continued to win races in an Osca S1500 but also participated for the first time in some race in a Ferrari. In September 1959, he was driving a Ferrari Dino 196 S in the Tourist Trophy at Goodwood. The race was a part of the World Sportscar Championship. He and Giorgio Scarlatti didn't finish the race.

In January 1960, Scarfiotti joined Jose Froilan Gonzalez at 1000 km of Buenos Aires, not finishing the race. Scarfiotti finally reached a finish line in a Ferrari at 1960 Targa Florio, finishing in the fourth place.

Scarfiotti was a regular Le Mans participant between 1960 and 1967

Le Mans debut with Ferrari in 1960

During 1960, Scarfiotti continued to compete with Ferrari in sports car races, making a debut at 24 hours of Le Mans in June 1960. He was sharing the #12 Ferrari 250 TRI with Pedro Rodriguez. They retired after 22 laps, running out of fuel.

It's interesting that another Ferrari crew, Phil Hill and Wolfgang von Trips, also retired on the same lap because of the same reason. However, Ferrari succeeds to win the race, with Olivier Gendebien and Paul Frere in the #11 Ferrari 250 TR.

1961 - Le Mans attempt with Maserati

In 1961, Scarfiotti participated in the World Sportscar Championship with Osca and Maserati.  In June, he and Nino Vaccarella were driving the #9 Maserati Tipo 63 for Scuderia Serenissima at Le Mans 24 Hours.  They retired after 53 laps.

In 1962, Scarfiotti was combining different manufacturers again, driving Osca at Targa Florio, Alfa Romeo at Nurburgring 1000 km and Ferrari at Le Mans. He recorded his third consecutive DNF at Le Mans, sharing the #27 Ferrari Dino 268 SP with Giancarlo Baghetti. Scarfiotti's best result in 1962 was the third place at Paris 1000 km, where he was sharing a Ferrari 250 GT SWB with Colin Davis.

European Hillclimb champion in 1962 and 1965

Besides sports car races, Scarfiotti was active in the hillclimb racing, winning the European Hillclimb Championship in 1962, driving a Ferrari Dino 196SP.

He repeated that triumph a few years later, in 1965, becoming a champion in a Ferrari Dino 206P.

In 1963, Scarfiotti won Le Mans 24 Hours in the #21 Ferrari

Winning Sebring and Le Mans in the same year

In 1963, Scarfiotti was again a member of Ferrari factory team. He started a season with an overall victory at Sebring 12 Hours, sharing the #30 Ferrari 250 P with John Surtees. In May, he finished second at Targa Florio and then finally reached the finish line at Le Mans for the first time.

He and Lorenzo Bandini won the race in the #21 Ferrari 250 P, beating the second-placed crew for 16 laps. It was the fourth consecutive win for Ferrari at Le Mans.

Formula One debut in the 1963 Dutch Grand Prix

A week after his Le Mans victory, Scarfiotti made a Formula One debut with Scuderia Ferrari. He was driving the Ferrari 156 at Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. He started eleventh on the grid, finished in the sixth place, three positions behind his teammate John Surtees. Jim Clark (Lotus) won the race.

It was Scarfiotti's single appearance in 1963 Formula One Championship. One point from Zandvoort placed him 15th in the final standings.

Ludovico Scarfiotti in his F1 debut at 1963 Dutch Grand Prix

Sebring podium and Nurburgring victory in 1964

Sports car racing remained Scarfiotti's main occupation in 1964. In March, he and Nino Vaccarella finished second at Sebring 12 Hours, driving the #23 Ferrari 275 P. In May, they won Nurburgring 1000 km race in the same car.

At Le Mans 24 Hours, Scarfiotti was sharing the #21 Ferrari 275 P with Mike Parkes. They retired after 71 laps with the broken oil pump. Scarfiotti and Parkes were more successful at Reims 12 Hours, finishing third overall and the first in the GT3.0 class with Ferrari 250 GTO.

Second F1 attempt at 1964 Italian Grand Prix

Scarfiotti's second Formula One attempt came in September 1964 at Monza. He was driving the #6 Ferrari 156 in the Italian Grand Prix, being a 16th-fastest qualifier and finishing 9th in the race. The race winner was his teammate John Surtees.

In 1965, Scarfiotti supposed to race in the Mexican Grand Prix, but his car was handed over to Pedro Rodriguez.

WSC victories at Nurburgring and Spa

In 1965, Scarfiotti participated in hillclimb races, winning the European championship, and continued to drive for Ferrari in the World Sportscar Championship. He and John Surtees finished second at Monza 1000 km in a Ferrari 330 P2 and then won the Nurburgring 1000 km. At Le Mans, Surtees and Scarfiotti started second on the grid but retired after 225 laps with a broken gearbox. Scarfiotti participated in two non-championship F1 races with BRM P578, at Race of Champions and Syracuse Grand Prix.

In 1966, Scarfiotti and Mike Parkes won the Spa 1000 km in May. A month later, Scarfiotti again had no luck at Le Mans, retiring in the #20 Ferrari 330 P3 after an accident.

Ludovico Scarfiotti (#6) and Jim Clark (#22) in the 1966 Italian Grand Prix

1966 - victory in the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix

Scarfiotti returned into a cockpit of Formula 1 car in August, driving the #11 Ferrari 246 at Nurburgring Nordschleife. He retired after nine laps with electrical problems.

In the next race, in September, Scarfiotti sensationally won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Driving the #6 Ferrari 312, he set the fastest lap and beat teammate Mike Parkes. Scarfiotti is still the last Italian driver to win the Italian Grand Prix.

Daytona and Le Mans podiums in 1967

In 1967, Scarfiotti started a season at Daytona 24 Hours, finishing in the second place together with Mike Parkes. They were driving a Ferrari 330 P4. They were second again at Monza 1000 km and fifth at Spa.

In June, Scarfiotti and Parkes finished second in the #21 Ferrari 330 P4, behind Dan Gurney and AJ Foyt in a Ford GT40.

Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1967

Five Formula 1 starts in 1967

In 1967, Scarfiotti made five Formula 1 starts. In March, he was fifth in the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch and then, in May, he won the Syracuse Grand Prix, sharing a top podium spot with Mike Parkes. In June 1967, Scarfiotti returned to Zandvoort, where he made a Formula 1 debut four years earlier, to compete in the Dutch Grand Prix with Ferrari. Same as in 1953, Scarfiotti finished in the sixth place, driving the #22 Ferrari 312.

In June, Scarfiotti participated in the Belgian Grand Prix and it was his last F1 race with Ferrari. In September, at Monza, he was driving the #10 Eagle-Weslake for Anglo American Racers, not finishing the race.

Three Formula One starts with Cooper

For the 1968 Formula 1 season, Scarfiotti joined Cooper. In the season-opening race, the South African Grand Prix, he was driving a Maserati-powered Cooper T86. He retired after just two laps.

Fro the second round, the team switched to BRM V12 engines. Scarfiotti finished fourth in the Spanish Grand Prix, one place behind teammate Brian Redman. In the next race, the Monaco Grand Prix, Scarfiotti was fourth again. This time, his teammate Lucien Bianchi was ahead of him.

Unfortunately, it was Scarfiotti's last race, as he was killed two weeks later. It was a horrible year for Grand Prix racers, as Jim Clark, Mike Spence and Jo Schlesser also lost their lives in 1968.

1968 - racing and losing a life in a Porsche

Scarfiotti left Ferrari in the sports car races too, joining Porsche for the 1968 championship season. He made a debut with Porsche at Sebring 12 Hours, not finishing the race. After that, he and Gerhard Mitter finished second at Brands Hatch 6 Hours in a Porsche 907. He recorded three more DNFs at Monza, Targa Florio and Nurburgring.

On June 8, 1968, Scarfiotti lost his life in an accident at hillclimb race near Berchtesgaden in Germany. He was driving a Porsche 910, crashing out into a wood.

Photos: Sutton Images, Getty Images, lemans.org,