Eugenio Castellotti

Eugenio Castellotti was one of Italy’s brightest racing talents of the 1950s, a man who combined film-star looks with ferocious speed behind the wheel. Nicknamed “il Bello” (“the Handsome One”), Castellotti raced in 14 F1 Grand Prix between 1955 and 1957, making three podiums and becoming, at just 24, the youngest polesitter in F1 history at the time. Away from the Grand Prix circuits, he captured major sports car victories for Ferrari, including the legendary Mille Miglia and 12 Hours of Sebring in 1956.

Nationality	Italian
Born	10 October 1930 Lodi, Lombardy, Italy
Died	14 March 1957 (aged 26) Aerautodromo di Modena, Modena, Italy

Born in the Lombard town of Lodi, Castellotti grew up with both refinement and restlessness, qualities that would define his racing career. At 20, backed by a local patron, he purchased a Ferrari 166 MM (Touring Barchetta, chassis 0058M) and threw himself into the booming world of post-war sports car racing.

His natural speed was obvious from the outset. By 1952, Castellotti was winning internationally, taking the Portuguese Grand Prix and scoring podiums at Bari and Monaco (the latter then run for sports cars). The following year brought more success: victory in the 10 Hours of Messina and a third-place finish in the gruelling Carrera Panamericana across Mexico.

In 1954, Lancia signed him to its sports-car squad, and when the marque prepared its long-awaited Formula One car, Castellotti was waiting, and ready.

Formula One and Ferrari Years

Castellotti made his Grand Prix debut at Buenos Aires on 16 January 1955 for Lancia. His first outing ended in a crash amid the Argentine heat, but redemption came swiftly. At Monaco, he finished second, and at Spa-Francorchamps, he claimed pole position, becoming the youngest driver ever to do so, a record that stood for 13 years until Jacky Ickx took pole at the 1968 German Grand Prix.

When Lancia merged with Scuderia Ferrari later that year, Castellotti continued his career under the Prancing Horse banner. He closed the 1955 season with a podium at Monza and third place in the 1955 Drivers’ Championship, an impressive accomplishment for a driver in only his first full F1 campaign.

The 1956 season brought another Grand Prix podium, in France, and an even richer haul in endurance racing. Partnered with the great Juan Manuel Fangio, Castellotti triumphed at the 12 Hours of Sebring, then conquered the Mille Miglia in a Ferrari 290 MM, storming through the Italian countryside to national acclaim. He added victories at Rouen and a runner-up finish at the Nürburgring 1000 km, again with Fangio.

In 1957, still racing for Ferrari, Castellotti opened the year with a win at the 1000 km of Buenos Aires, but tragedy was waiting just weeks away.

The Final Test

On 14 March 1957, during a private Ferrari test session at the Modena Autodrome, Castellotti was instructed by Enzo Ferrari himself to chase a lap record recently set by Maserati’s Jean Behra. Pushing hard in the new Ferrari 801, he struck a high kerb at a chicane; the car somersaulted, throwing him clear. He was killed instantly at the age of 26. No one else was injured.

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Italy mourned not only a national hero but a symbol of its post-war racing renaissance, a young man whose style, charm, and courage embodied an era.

Private Life and Persona

Castellotti was as famous off the track as on it. Elegant, immaculately dressed, and unfailingly polite, he became a darling of the Italian press. His high-profile romance with ballerina and actress Delia Scala was headline material; the pair were engaged at the time of his death.

Legacy

In the years following his passing, Castellotti was celebrated as the finest Italian driver since Alberto Ascari, a compliment of the highest order. His hometown of Lodi kept his memory alive: in 1958, his friend Giuseppe Corsi founded Scuderia Castellotti in his honour. The team raced modified Ferrari Tipo 553 engines rebadged as “Castellotti” and even bore Eugenio’s name on their cam covers.

The team took a notable fourth-place finish at the 1960 Italian Grand Prix with Giulio Cabianca before tragedy struck again. Cabianca lost his life at Modena, at the same circuit where Castellotti had died. Scuderia Castellotti closed the following year, but its name lives on through the Club Auto Moto Storiche Castellotti in Lodi, dedicated to preserving its racing legacy.

Major Career Wins (Sports Cars)

1957: 1000 km Buenos Aires
1952: Coppa d’Oro di Sicilia
1952: Portuguese Grand Prix
1953: 10 Hours of Messina
1953: Circuito di Senigallia
1956: Mille Miglia
1956: 12 Hours of Sebring