KEEPING THE SPIRIT ALIVE SINCE 1999
Michele Alboreto
23/12/1956 - 25/4/2001
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Michele Alboreto was born in Milan, Italy on December 23, 1956. At the age of 44, Alboreto had lead a long and storied racing career. Michele began his professional racing career in 1977 racing European Formula 3. Two years later he won the European F3. In 1981 Michele got his big break into Formula 1 when Tyrrell brought him aboard. It did not take him long to win his first Grand Prix the following year at Las Vegas, and a second the next year at Detroit, he was well on his way to making a name for himself. In 1984 he moved to Ferrari and showed the world he had what it takes to win races. Michele logged 3 wins while racing with Ferrari. Belgium ('84), Canada ('85) and Germany ('85). He finished second in the World Drivers Championship to Alain Prost in '85.
Upon learning of Alboreto's death, Ferrari president Luca Montezemolo said, "Michele Alboreto played an important role as a driver in the history of Ferrari. He was intelligent, and paid a great deal of attention to the technical problems involved in the development of the car. His death has been a hard blow to take, and has filled me with a deep sadness. Michele continued to race, driven on by an irrepressible passion, proving that in our sport, which is totally involving, risk is always around the corner."
After racing with such teams as Tyrrell, Larousse, Lola, Arrows, Footwork and Minardi Michele decided it was time to hang up his Formua 1 shoes.
In 1995 he decided to try his hand at touring cars with Alfa Romeo and the Indy Racing League before finding a very comfortable and successful career in sports car racing. In 1997 he won Le Mans with Stefan Johansson and current Audi teammate Tom Kristensen driving the Joest Racing Porsche WSC95.
Michele became a staple driver for Audi Sport's factory works team, piloting the R8 to victories throughout its development. Just one month before his death, Alboreto won the 12 Hours of Sebring and had been one of the favorits to win Le Mans again this year.
He was killed testing an Audi R8 sportscar when he suffered a high-speed tire failure at the Lausitzring in eastern Germany.
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Claudio Langes 1960
Moderatley successful in junior formulae and F3000, in 1990 he drove for EuroBrun in F1 failing to pre-qualify for all 14 of the Grands Prix they entered. -
Andrea Montermini 1964
Andrea Montermini finished 2nd in the 1992 Formula 3000 series before he participated in 28 Grands Prix, debuting on May 29, 1994 for Simtek, replacing Roland Ratzenberger who had been killed during practice for the San Marino Grand Prix. He competed in the American Champ Cars in 1993, 1994 and 1999, finishing 6th at Detroit in his first season. He then raced in the FIA GT Championship, mostly in Ferrari. -
Marco Apicella 1965
Marco Apicella had one of the shortest career in F1. He joined the Jordan team for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in September 1993, qualified 23rd and at the first corner got caught up in someone else's accident and retired! -
Beppe Gabbiani 1957
Giuseppe "Beppe" Gabbiani is a former Formula One driver from Italy. He participated in 17 Grands Prix. In Formula 2, he won the 1983 Eifelrennen. He also raced touring cars and sport cars, finishing 3rd in the 2003 1000km Spa. Still racing, he entered the 2006 Le Mans 24 Hourace. -
Gabriele Tarquini 1962
Tarquini drove in 78 grands prix. He holds the unfortunate record for the most failed attempts to pre-qualify, mainly because of the cars he drove. Now better know as one of the world's top touring car drivers, winning the BTCC title in 1994.