27/10/1913 - 19/4/1971
Record updated 19-Apr-06
A businessman and part-time racer, Piotti achieved minor success in sports cars, including a class win in the 1952 Tour of Sicily in an OSCA, third place in a rather weak Targa Florio with a Lancia in 1954 and a win in the Hyeres 12 Hours the same year in a Ferrari with Trintignant.
He made his Formula 1 debut in 1955, taking seventh place in the Syracuse GP in a works Maserati 250F, before purchasing a car for the 1956 season, in which he proved hopelessly slow, especially in the Argentine GP where he continually balked faster cars, eventually colliding with Collins' Ferrari. Later he caused a furore at the Italian GP by using his car to push Moss' fuel-starved machine into the pits and thus give the Englishman a chance to win the race. Piotti plodded through the 1957 season with the Maserati, and after finding little success in an OSCA in 1958 wisely returned to a more sedate occupation.