Clemente Biondetti
Clemente Biondetti (born August 18, 1898 in Budduso, Sardinia; died February 24, 1955 in Florence) was an italian auto racing driver.
Biography
Born into a working class family, Biondetti began racing motorcycles in 1923 but in 1927 turned to automobiles. By 1931 his performance earned him a spot in Grand Prix motor racing with the Maserati factory team.
His success racing on circuits was minimal, but he was one of the best in tough endurance events. Driving an Alfa Romeo, Clemente Biondetti won the 1938 Mille Miglia for sports cars and at the Coppa Ciano finished second in the voiturette class then third in the main event. In 1939, he won the Coppa Acerbo voiturette class and took second place at the Swiss Grand Prix. His racing career came to a halt following the outbreak of World War II in 1940. By the time he was able to resume racing after the war, he was already 49 years old. Nevertheless, he dominated Italian endurance racing, driving to victory in the Mille Miglia for three straight years from 1947 through 1949 and the Targa Florio in 1948 and 1949. He won more Mille Miglias than any other driver in history.
Clemente Biondetti participated in one Formula one event, debuting on September 3, in the 1950 Italian Grand Prix. Engine problems forced him out of the race without earning any championship points. Biondetti loved racing cars and continued to compete in sports car and endurance events, earning a second place finish in a Ferrari at the 12 Hours of Pescara in 1952 against much younger drivers. After suffering from cancer for a number of years, he was forced him to retire in 1954. He died early the following year at 57 years old.
Major victories
- Coppa Acerbo 1939
- Mille Miglia 1938, 1947, 1948, 1949
- Targa Florio 1948, 1949
Complete Formula One results
| Yr | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Ferr | GBR | MON | IND | SWI | BEL | FRA | ITA | Ferr |
Complete European Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Entrant | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | EDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | Officine A Maserati | Maserati | ITA |
FRA 3 |
BEL |
23 | 19 | ||
| 1936 | Scuderia Maremmana | Maserati | MON 1 |
GER Ret |
SUI Ret |
ITA Ret |
25 | 29 | |
| 1937 | Scuderia Maremmana | Maserati | BEL |
GER |
MON Ret |
SUI |
15 | 34 | |
| Private entry | Alfa Romeo | ITA Ret | |||||||
| 1938 | Alfa Corse | Alfa Romeo | FRA |
GER Ret |
SUI |
ITA 4 |
13 | 27 | |
| 1939 | Alfa Corse | Alfa Romeo | BEL |
FRA |
GER |
SUI 9 |
16 | 28 |
External Links
- 8w.forix.com Who, What, Where, When, Why, on the World Wide Web is the Web's Motorsport knowledge site