Anthony Frank Settember was an American racing driver, engineer, and constructor whose career embodied the independent spirit of 1960s motorsport. Equally comfortable in the workshop and behind the wheel, Settember became best known for his involvement with the ambitious but short-lived Scirocco project, while also building a long and varied racing life across sports cars, touring cars, and stock cars.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | American |
| Birthplace | Manila, Philippines |
| Born | 10 July 1926 |
| Died | 4 May 2014 |
| First Grand Prix | 1962 British Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1963 Italian Grand Prix |
| Current/Last Team | Scirocco |
Though American by nationality, Settember was born in Manila on 10 July 1926, giving him one of the more unusual birthplaces among Formula One drivers. His path into motorsport was far from conventional, and like many privateers of his generation, he forged opportunities through mechanical skill and persistence rather than factory backing.
Formula One career
Scirocco and Grand Prix ambitions
Settember participated in seven Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, making his debut on 21 July 1962. He scored no championship points, but those numbers tell only part of the story. His Formula One years were spent trying to make an independent project succeed in an era when the sport was becoming increasingly professional and expensive.
He was the nominal head of the Scirocco team, a small operation that sought to challenge established European constructors with its own car. Such efforts were incredibly difficult in the early 1960s, when even experienced manufacturers struggled to remain competitive.
The Scirocco machine showed flashes of promise but suffered from the common ailments of underfunded newcomers: limited development, reliability concerns, and scarce resources. Settember nonetheless persisted, driving and helping guide the programme with the hands-on determination typical of the privateer era.
Sports cars and later racing
Away from Formula One, Settember was widely regarded as an efficient and capable sports car racer. Endurance and sports car events rewarded consistency, mechanical sympathy, and race intelligence—all qualities that suited him well.
He also competed in the Trans-Am Series, a fiercely contested arena featuring powerful production-based machinery and some of North America’s best road racers.
Even later in life, Settember’s appetite for competition remained intact. He attempted to qualify for the 1983 Winston Western 500 in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, demonstrating remarkable longevity and willingness to tackle new disciplines decades after his Formula One debut.
Lifelong racer
Settember’s final known participation in motorsport came on his 70th birthday—a wonderfully fitting detail for a man who never seemed interested in retiring quietly. Racing was not just a profession for him; it was a lifelong habit.
Death
Settember died on 4 May 2014 after a short illness at a hospice in Reno. He was 87 years old.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 7 |
| Race Starts | 6 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 18th |
| Best Race Finish | 8th |
| Retirements | – |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | – |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | – |
| Reached Q3 | – |
| Q2 Eliminations | – |
| Q1 Eliminations | – |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
