Piero Taruffi was one of Italy’s most versatile and intellectually driven racers. A champion on two wheels, a Grand Prix winner in Formula One, and an engineer of record-breaking machines, Taruffi carved a unique niche in motorsport and F1 history. Known for his technical mind as much as his driving, he was a rare figure who combined speed with engineering, both behind the wheel and behind the scenes.
| Nationality | Italian |
|---|---|
| Born | Pierino Antonio Alberto Taruffi 12 October 1906 Albano Laziale, Rome, Kingdom of Italy |
| Died | 12 January 1988 (aged 81) Rome, Italy |
Born in Rome, Taruffi launched his racing career on motorcycles, with immediate success. In 1932, riding for Norton, he claimed the 500cc European Championship—then the pinnacle of motorcycle road racing. His talent on two wheels extended beyond competition. In 1937, he briefly held the motorcycle land speed record, clocking 274.18 km/h on a 492cc Gilera along the Autostrada Serenissima.
After World War II, Taruffi turned increasingly to automobile racing. Between 1950 and 1956, he competed in 18 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, driving for elite teams such as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes, Maserati, and Vanwall. His crowning achievement came in 1952 at the 1952 Swiss Grand Prix, where he drove his Ferrari to a dominant win, leading the race from start to finish. The win made him the fourth-oldest Grand Prix winner in F1 history at 45 years, 219 days old.
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That season, he finished third overall in the World Drivers’ Championship, behind Giuseppe Farina and the dominant Alberto Ascari.
Across his six-year F1 career, Taruffi scored 41 World Championship points and competed in numerous non-championship race.
Outside of Formula One, Taruffi was a formidable presence in endurance racing. His crowning moment came in 1957 when he won the final edition of the Mille Miglia, one of the most dangerous and revered road races in the world. Driving a Ferrari 315 S, Taruffi completed the treacherous 1,000-mile course. At age 50, he retired from racing immediately after the victory, going out at the very top.
Taruffi was not just a racer; he was also an accomplished engineer and motorsport executive. He managed the Gilera motorcycle racing team. Among his most innovative creations was the Cisitalia Tarf, a futuristic record car featuring twin torpedo-like bodies. He also worked on the Gilera Rondine, one of the most advanced motorcycles of its time.
Piero Taruffi Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1950–1952, 1954–1956 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes, Maserati, Vanwall |
| Entries | 18 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 5 |
| Career points | 41 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| First entry | 1950 Italian Grand Prix |
| First win | 1952 Swiss Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1952 Swiss Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1956 Italian Grand Prix |
Piero Taruffi Teammates
| 19 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giuseppe Farina | 9 | 1950 | 1955 |
| Juan Manuel Fangio | 3 | 1950 | 1955 |
| Luigi Fagioli | 1 | 1950 | |
| Consalvo Sanesi | 1 | 1950 | |
| Luigi Villoresi | 8 | 1951 | 1952 |
| Alberto Ascari | 12 | 1951 | 1954 |
| Jose-Froilan Gonzalez | 6 | 1951 | 1954 |
| Gianni Marzotto | 1 | 1951 | |
| André Simon | 2 | 1952 | |
| Maurice Trintignant | 5 | 1954 | 1956 |
| Mike Hawthorn | 2 | 1954 | |
| Umberto Maglioli | 1 | 1954 | |
| Harry Schell | 2 | 1955 | 1956 |
| Paul Frere | 2 | 1955 | |
| Karl Kling | 2 | 1955 | |
| Stirling Moss | 3 | 1955 | 1956 |
| Jean Behra | 1 | 1956 | |
| Francisco Godia-Sales | 1 | 1956 | |
| Cesare Perdisa | 1 | 1956 |
Race Wins
| Win Number | Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1952 Swiss Grand Prix |
Piero Taruffi Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Alfa Romeo SpA | Alfa Romeo 158 | Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8 s | GBR | MON | 500 | SUI | BEL | FRA | ITA Ret* | NC | 0 | ||
| 1951 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 375 F1 | Ferrari V12 | SUI 2 | 500 | BEL Ret | FRA | GBR | GER 5 | ITA 5 | ESP Ret | 6th | 10 | |
| 1952 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 500 | Ferrari Straight-4 | SUI 1 | 500 | BEL Ret | FRA 3 | GBR 2 | GER 4 | NED | ITA 7 | 3rd | 22 | |
| 1954 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 625 | Ferrari Straight-4 | ARG | 500 | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER 6 | SUI | ITA DNA | ESP | NC | 0 |
| 1955 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 555 | Ferrari Straight-4 | ARG | MON 8 † | 500 | BEL DNA | NED | 6th | 9 | ||||
| Daimler-Benz AG | Mercedes-Benz W196 | Mercedes-Benz Straight-8 | GBR 4 | ITA 2 | ||||||||||
| 1956 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati 250F | Maserati Straight-6 | ARG | MON | 500 | BEL | FRA Ret | GBR | GER | NC | 0 | ||
| Vandervell Products Ltd. | Vanwall | Vanwall Straight-4 | ITA Ret |
† Indicates shared drive with Paul Frère
