Gianfranco Brancatelli


Gianfranco Brancatelli is a former racing driver from Italy.

Career

His racing career began in 1973, in the Formula Abarth series. In 1975, he advanced to Italian Formula 3 racing. Brancatelli entered 3 Formula One Grands Prix in 1979 with Kauhsen and Merzario.
After his departure from Formula 1, Brancatelli went on to race in several Touring Car series, with some success. He would finish 4th in the 1984 European Touring Car Championship driving a BMW 635 CSi for Eggenberger Motorsport. For the 1985 ETCC, Eggenberger switched to the turbocharged Volvo 240T, and along with Swedish driver Thomas Lindström, Brancatelli became the European Touring Car Champion, winning six out of fourteen races, along with three 2nd places and two 3rd places.
In 1986, Brancatelli switched to Tom Walkinshaw Racing where he drove a Rover Vitesse in the 1986 FIA International Touring Car Championship, but dropped to 12th in the standings winning only once at Andestorp. In 1987 the Italian driver would again switch teams, driving a BMW M3 for Italian outfit CiBiemme Sport in the 1987 World Touring Car Championship where he partnered another former Formula One driver Johnny Cecotto to win the 500 km de Bourgogne at Dijon-Prenois. He finished 8th in the WTCC while finishing 5th in the 1987 ETCC, also for CiBiemme, winning twice at Estoril and Zolder.
The 1988 ETCC saw Brancatelli on the move again, this time going back to Eggenberger Motorsport where he would serve as a driver in the team's 3rd Texaco Ford Sierra RS500 in a number of rounds. Brancatelli would also win the 1988 Italian Touring Car Championship driving a privately entered Alfa Romeo 75.
Other than his success in the 1985 ETCC, arguably Brancatelli's biggest wins in touring car racing were the 1985 Guia Race of Macau driving a Volvo 240T, and the 1989 Spa 24 Hours driving an Eggenberger Ford Sierra RS500 along with Bernd Schneider and Win Percy. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Brancatelli also travelled to Australia to drive in the Bathurst 1000 touring car race, though success would generally elude him. His best finish was in the 1987 WTCC round, the 1987 James Hardie 1000 where he and Johnny Cecotto would finish 7th outright and 3rd in class, though as they were the first registered WTCC drivers to finish the race they would receive top points for the round. His three other races at Bathurst in 1989, 1990 and 1991 would result in two failed to finish and one disqualification due to a technical infringement.
Brancatelli also raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on five occasions. His best finish was second place in the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a Sauber C9 for Team Sauber Mercedes, co-driving with ex-Formula One drivers Mauro Baldi and Kenny Acheson. His four other races at Le Mans all saw him fail to finish the race.
Brancatelli would continue racing until his retirement in the late 1990s.

Racing record

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

YearEntrantChassisEngine12345678910111213Pts
Scuderia EverestMarch 752BMWHOCTHRVALSALPAUHOCROUMUG
12		PERESTNOGHOCNC0
Scuderia EverestRalt RT1FerrariSIL
DNS		THR
DNS		HOCNÜRVAL
13		PAU
12		MUG
8		ROU
4		NOG
Ret		PER
Ret		MIS
Ret		EST
DNQ		DON17th3
Everest Racing TeamChevron B40BMWTHRHOC
DNQ		NÜRPAUMUGVALNC0
Bob Salisbury RacingMarch 782BMWROU
DNQ		DON
8		NOGPER
Ret		MIS
Ret		HOCNC0
Racing Team EverestMarch 792BMWSILHOCTHRNÜRVALMUGPAUHOCZAN
10		PER
7		MISDON
Ret		NC0

Complete British Formula One Championship results

YearEntrantChassisEngine123456789101112131415Pts
1979Willi Kauhsen Racing TeamKauhsen WKFord Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ZOL
Ret		OULBRHMALNC0
1979Dicksons of PerthMarch 772PHart 420R 2.0 L4SNE
Ret		THRZANDONOULNOGMALBRHTHRSNESILNC0
1980Colin Bennett RacingLotus 78Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8OULBRHSILMALTHRMNZ
Ret		MALSNEBRHTHROULSILNC0

Complete Formula One results

Complete European Touring Car Championship results

YearTeamCar1234567891011121314Pts
1980BMW 3.0 CSiMNZ
DNQ		VAL
16		BRH
Ret		SALBRN
DNQ		PERNÜRSILZOLNC0
1981Dieter SchmidBMW 635 CSiMNZVALDON
5		SALBRNPERSILZOL8
1982Luigi TeamAlfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6MNZ
6		VAL
6		DON
Ret		PER
DNS		MUG
7		BRN
7		SAL
6		NÜR
Ret		SPA
Ret		SIL
Ret		ZOL
7		30
1983Jolly Club MilanoAlfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6MNZ
?		VAL
24		DON
Ret		PER
6		MUG
Ret		BRN
Ret		ZEL
14		NÜR
Ret		SAL
8		SPA
6		SIL
23		ZOL
Ret
1984BMW ItaliaBMW 635 CSiMNZ
2		VAL
4		DON
Ret		PER
4		BRN
5		ZEL
6		SAL
3		NÜR
1		SPA
Ret		SIL
1		ZOL
Ret		MUG
4		4th151
1985Eggenberger MotorsportVolvo 240TMNZ
Ret		VAL
2		DON
4		AND
1		BRN
2		ZEL
1		SAL
1		NÜR
1		SPA
3		SIL
3		NOG
6		ZOL
1		EST
1		JAR
2		1st240
1986TWR – Bastos Texaco Racing TeamRover VitesseMNZDON
4		HOC
Ret		MISAND
1		BRN
4		ZEL
DNS		NÜR
3		SPASIL
Ret		NOG
Ret		ZOLJAR
4		EST
4		12th123
1987CiBiEmme SportBMW M3DON
Ret		EST
1		AND
2		ZOL
Ret		ZEL
1		IMO
2		NOG
Ret		5th150
1988Jolly ClubFord Sierra RS500MNZDONESTJAR
Ret		26th80
1988Eggenberger MotorsportFord Sierra RS500DIJ
2		VAL
Ret		NÜR
2		SPA
Ret		ZOLSIL
4		NOG26th80

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

YearTeamCar1234567891011DCPts
1987CiBiEmme SportBMW M3MNZJAR
ovr:8
cls:6		DIJ
ovr:1
cls:1		NÜR
Ret		SPA
Ret		BRN
ovr:5
cls:3		SIL
Ret		BAT
ovr:7
cls:3		CLD
ovr:4
cls:2		WEL
Ret		FUJ
ovr:6
cls:3		8th158

† Despite finishing 7th outright at Bathurst, as the highest placed registered WTCC car Brancatelli was awarded 1st place points for the round.

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft results

YearTeamCar12345678910111213141516171819202122Pts
1989Ford Motorsport EggenbergerFord Sierra RS 500 CosworthZOL
1
23		ZOL
2
Ret		HOC
1
14		HOC
2
8		NÜR
1
10		NÜR
2
10		MFA
1
11		MFA
2
13		AVU
1
DNS		AVU
2
DNS		NÜR
1
13		NÜR
2
11		NOR
1
11		NOR
2
Ret		HOC
1
9		HOC
2
11		DIE
1
5		DIE
2
2		NÜR
1
11		NÜR
2
10		HOC
1
4		HOC
2
9		9th162

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete Bathurst 1000 results