Giorgio Scarlatti (2 October 1921 – 26 July 1990) was an Italian racing driver who competed in Formula One during the 1950s. He made 15 Formula One World Championship appearances, debuting on 13 May 1956, and also enjoyed success in sports car racing with some of the era’s most prestigious manufacturers.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | Italian |
| Birthplace | Rome, Italy |
| Born | 2 October 1921 |
| Died | 26 July 1990 |
| First Grand Prix | 1956 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1961 French Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1956–1961 |
| Current/Last Team | De Tomaso |
Scarlatti was born in Rome and developed a passion for motor racing shortly after the end of the Second World War. He began his competitive career behind the wheel of a Maserati A6 before attracting wider attention in 1955, when he finished fourth in the Naples Grand Prix driving a Ferrari 500 F2.
His performances earned him a place with Maserati for the 1957 Formula One season, where he raced the legendary Maserati 250F. One of his strongest drives came at the Pescara Grand Prix, where he spent much of the race on course for a points finish before being passed by Stuart Lewis-Evans in the closing stages. Later that season, Scarlatti recorded his best World Championship result at the Italian Grand Prix, finishing fifth after sharing his Maserati with Harry Schell under the regulations of the time.
Sports car racing
Alongside his Formula One commitments, Scarlatti built an impressive record in endurance and sports car racing. He competed in the 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Joakim Bonnier in a Maserati, although the pair’s challenge ended early after seven hours when a clutch failure forced their retirement.
He continued to enjoy strong results in sports cars over the following years. In 1958, Scarlatti partnered with Jean Behra to finish second in the legendary Targa Florio aboard a Porsche 718, one of the finest performances of his endurance racing career.
Another major success followed in 1961, when Scarlatti teamed up with fellow Italian Lorenzo Bandini to win the 4 Hours of Pescara in a Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, adding a prestigious endurance victory to a career that spanned Formula One and sports car racing alike.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Giorgio Scarlatti | Ferrari 500 | Ferrari Straight-4 | ARG | MON DNQ | 500 | BEL | FRA | GBR | NC | 0 | |||||
| Scuderia Centro Sud | GER Ret | ITA | ||||||||||||||
| 1957 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati 250F | Maserati Straight-6 | ARG | MON Ret* | 500 | FRA | GBR | GER 10 | PES 6 | ITA 5* | 20th | 1 | |||
| 1958 | Giorgio Scarlatti | Maserati 250F | Maserati Straight-6 | ARG | MON Ret | NED Ret | 500 | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | POR | ITA | MOR | NC | 0 |
| 1959 | Scuderia Ugolini | Maserati 250F | Maserati Straight-6 | MON DNQ | 500 | NED | FRA 8 | GBR | GER | POR | NC | 0 | ||||
| Cooper Car Company | Cooper T51 | Climax Straight-4 | ITA 12 | USA | ||||||||||||
| 1960 | Giorgio Scarlatti | Maserati 250F | Maserati Straight-6 | ARG Ret | NC | 0 | ||||||||||
| Scuderia Castellotti | Cooper T51 | Ferrari Straight-4 | MON DNQ | 500 | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | POR | |||||||
| Scuderia Centro Sud | Maserati Straight-4 | ITA Ret | USA | |||||||||||||
| 1961 | Scuderia Serenissima | De TomasoDe Tomaso F1 | O.S.C.A. Straight-4 | MON | NED | BEL | FRA Ret | GBR | NC | 0 | ||||||
| Alfa Romeo Straight-4 | GER DNA | ITA | USA |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Schell | 1956, 1957 | 4 | – |
| Hans Herrmann | 1957 | 1 | – |
| Carlos Menditeguy | 1957 | 1 | – |
| Jean Behra | 1957 | 3 | – |
| Juan Manuel Fangio | 1957 | 4 | – |
| Francisco Godia | 1957 | 3 | – |
| Carel Godin de Beaufort | 1959 | 1 | – |
| Bruce McLaren | 1959 | 1 | – |
| Jack Brabham | 1959 | 1 | – |
| Gino Munaron | 1960 | 1 | – |
| Giulio Cabianca | 1960 | 1 | – |
| Maurice Trintignant | 1961 | 1 | – |
