Renato Pirocchi (26 March 1933 – 29 July 2002) was an Italian racing driver who competed in Formula Junior and Formula One during the early 1960s. Although his Formula One World Championship career consisted of a single Grand Prix appearance, he also took part in several non-championship Formula One events as he sought to establish himself at the highest level of the sport.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | Italian |
| Birthplace | Notaresco, Italy |
| Born | 26 March 1933 |
| Died | 29 July 2002 |
| First Grand Prix | 1961 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1961 Italian Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1961 |
| Current/Last Team | Privateer: Pescara Racing Club Cooper |
Career
Pirocchi first came to prominence through Formula Junior, where he enjoyed a successful spell at the turn of the 1960s. His performances in the popular junior single-seater category earned him opportunities to step up into Formula One during the 1961 season.
Before making his World Championship debut, Pirocchi entered several non-championship Formula One races, although qualifying for the grid often proved challenging against experienced international opposition. He finished 12th at the Syracuse Grand Prix and later shared a car with Lorenzo Bandini at the Zeltweg Grand Prix, where the pair were classified 11th despite finishing many laps behind the leaders.
Pirocchi’s sole Formula One World Championship appearance came at his home race, the 1961 Italian Grand Prix at Monza on 10 September. He qualified 29th out of 33 starters and finished 12th, five laps behind the winner. Although he did not score any World Championship points, his start secured his place among the Italian drivers to compete in Formula One’s World Championship.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 1 |
| Race Starts | 1 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 29th |
| Best Race Finish | 12th |
| Retirements | 0 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 1 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Privateer: Pescara Racing Club Cooper | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 12 | 0 | 0 | NC |
