Alessandro
Nannini

Alessandro Nannini was born in Siena on 7 July 1959. He started out rallying a Lancia Stratos before moving into single-seater racing in 1981, winning the Formula Italia title in his first year. From 1982 to 1984 he drove for Minardi in Formula Two, with seventh place overall in 1983 his best result. From 1984 he also raced in the World Sportscar Championship, and that year he won the 1000 km of Kyalami alongside Riccardo Patrese.

Minardi wanted him to drive its new Formula One car in 1985, but the governing body refused him a Super Licence and Pierluigi Martini took the drive instead. Nannini was granted the licence for 1986 and made his debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix with Minardi. The car was uncompetitive and fragile, and across two seasons with the team he was classified only four times. In 1987 he also won the Mille Miglia with Giorgio Marin.

Nannini joined Benetton in 1988 as team-mate to Thierry Boutsen, took two third places and finished tenth in the championship. With Boutsen leaving for Williams, he became the team's leading driver in 1989. At the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka he inherited victory after Ayrton Senna was disqualified, which remained his only win. A second place in Adelaide completed a season that ended with sixth in the championship, his best championship finish in Formula One. In 1990 he raced alongside Nelson Piquet, finishing second in Germany and third in Spain, and ended the year eighth overall.

A helicopter accident in Siena in October 1990 ended his Formula One career after 76 starts, one win and nine podiums. In 1992 he tested a Ferrari at Fiorano, and in 1996 he tested a Benetton at Estoril. From 1993 he drove for Alfa Romeo in the German touring car championship (DTM), finishing fourth in 1994, and he took third in the 1996 International Touring Car Championship. In 1997 he competed for Mercedes in the FIA GT Championship, finished sixth overall, won a race at Suzuka and then retired from racing. In 2007 he returned to the track for Grand Prix Masters, a series for former Formula One drivers.

Source: Wikipedia, “Alessandro Nannini”. Text licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.