Giuseppe Farina


Emilio Giuseppe Farina, also known as Giuseppe Antonio "Nino" Farina, was an Italian racing driver and first official Formula One World Champion. He gained the title in 1950. He was the Italian Champion in 1937, 1938 and 1939.

Early years

Born in Turin, Farina was the son of Giovanni Carlo Farina who founded the Stabilimenti Farina coachbuilder. He began driving a two-cylinder Temperino, at the age of just nine. Farina became a Doctor of Political Science ; he also excelled at skiing, football and athletics. He cut short a career as a cavalry officer with the Italian army to fulfil a different ambition: motor racing.
While still at university Farina purchased his first car, a second-hand Alfa Romeo, and ran it in the 1925 Aosta-Gran San Bernardo Hillclimb. While trying to beat his father, he crashed, breaking his shoulder and receiving facial cuts, establishing a trend that continued throughout his crash-prone career. His father finished fourth.
During the 1933 and 1934 seasons Farina returned to the sport, racing Maseratis and Alfa Romeos for Gino Rovere and Scuderia Subalpina, and began a friendship with Italian racing legend Tazio Nuvolari. It was Nuvolari who to some extent, guided Farina's early career. In 1935, he raced for the factory Maserati team, showing enough promise to impress Enzo Ferrari, who recruited him to drive for Scuderia Ferrari, the team that ran the works-supported Alfa Romeos. It was in an Alfa Romeo 8C that he finished second in the Mille Miglia, after driving through the night without lights. He became a Grand Prix winner when he won the 1937 Grand Prix of Naples.
Although he was noted for his driving style and intelligence, he had a petulant streak and disregard for his fellow competitors whilst on the race track. He was involved in two fatal accidents. The first was during the 1936 Grand Prix de Deauville, when he tried to pass Marcel Lehoux for second. Farina's Alfa Romeo 8C collided with Lehoux's ERA, causing the ERA to overturn and catch fire. Lehoux was thrown out, received a fractured skull and died in hospital, while Farina escaped with minor injuries. Two seasons later, during the 1938 Gran Premio di Tripoli, László Hartmann's Maserati 4CM cut a corner in front of Farina. The cars collided and overturned. Farina survived without major injuries, but Hartmann died the following day.
In 1938, the official Alfa Romeo team, Alfa Corse, returned to motor sport and Farina was a member. Driving the new Alfa Romeo 158 Voiturette in 1939, he won the Grand Prix d'Anvers, Coppa Ciano and the Prix de Berne, to become the Italian Champion for the third year in succession. The following year, he won the Tripoli Grand Prix and finished second in the Mille Miglia for the third time.

Post-World War II career

After World War II, Farina returned to Alfa Corse to drive their 158. He won the 1946 Grand Prix des Nations. However, he left Alfa Corse after a disagreement over team leadership and sat out the whole of the 1947 season. He came back to the sport in 1948 with a privately entered Maserati and a works Ferrari. During this period, he also married Elsa Giaretto. In her opinion motor sport was a silly and dangerous activity, and she tried to persuade Farina to stop. Three days after their high society wedding, Farina flew to Argentina where he drove his Maserati 8CL to victory in the Gran Premio Internacional del General San Martín. On his return to Europe, he won the Grand Prix des Nations and 1948 Monaco Grand Prix. Using Ferrari's first Grand Prix car, the Ferrari 125, he won the Circuito di Garda before giving the Temporada another visit. This resulted in victory in the Copa Acción San Lorenzo in February 1949. The rest of the year he raced Maseratis for Scuderia Milano and Scuderia Ambrosiana, and at times in his own 4CLT/48. He won the Lausanne Grand Prix and then was re-signed by Alfa Corse.

1950 World Champion

In 1950, Farina returned to Alfa Romeo for the inaugural FIA World Championship of Drivers. The opening race of the season was held at Silverstone Circuit, in front of 150,000 spectators. Farina won, with teammates Luigi Fagioli and Reg Parnell, completing an Alfa Romeo 1-2-3 finish. At Monaco eight days later, a multiple pile-up on the first lap saw Farina spin out of a race that Juan Manuel Fangio went on to win. In the 1950 Swiss Grand Prix, Farina beat his teammate Fagioli into second. The next race, at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, saw Fangio beat Fagioli, with Farina finishing in fourth with transmission problems. At this stage, Farina still led the championship on points: Farina 22; Fagioli 18; Fangio 17.
When Fangio won the 1950 French Grand Prix, Farina finished outside of the points in seventh. By the season finale on 3 September, the 1950 Italian Grand Prix, Farina was trailing his teammate by two points. For Alfa, Monza was home territory and so they fielded an additional car for Piero Taruffi and Consalvo Sanesi. It was the Ferrari of Alberto Ascari who put pressure on the Alfas during the early stages of the race, lying in second, in the knowledge that his car only needed one fuel stop to the Alfas' two, but he retired with engine problems. Soon after, Fangio's gearbox failed and Taruffi handed over his car, only for it to drop a valve and retire. Instead, first position and therefore the championship went to Farina.
He continued with Alfa Romeo for the 1951 season, but was beaten by Fangio, who secured the title for the Milanese marque. Farina finished the season in fourth place, with his only world championship victory coming in the 1951 Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps. Farina switched back to Ferrari for 1952, when Grand Prix racing switched to Formula 2 specification, but had to take second place to team leader Ascari. He won the non-championship Gran Premio di Napoli and Monza Grand Prix. Ascari's total domination of the championship had been a bitter blow to Farina's self-image. He also drove Tony Vandervell's Thinwall Special – a modified Ferrari 375 F1 car to second place in the end-of-season Woodcote Cup at Goodwood.
He remained at Ferrari for the 1953 season. He was involved in a large accident at the first race of the season, the Argentine Grand Prix: President Juan Perón had allowed free access to the race, which meant that the drivers had to race with hordes of spectators lining the circuit, and a young boy ran across the track while Farina was committed to a fast corner, the Curva Nor Este. Farina was forced to take evasive action and swerved into the spectators standing on the exit of the corner, killing seven and injuring many others.
Farina's best result of the season was victory in the 1953 German Grand Prix. He took up the challenge against the works Maserati of Fangio and Mike Hawthorn when Ascari's car lost a wheel. Other non-Championship Formula One victories came in the Gran Premio di Napoli and Grand Prix de Rouen-les-Essarts. By now he had accepted that Ascari and Fangio were faster drivers than him. He nevertheless took a string of podium finishes, gaining third place in the World Championship. This year saw the introduction of the World Sportscar Championship, and as part of the Scuderia Ferrari squad of drivers, Farina made a number of appearances, winning twice. The first came in the 24 Heures de Spa-Francorchamps, when he and Hawthorn had a winning margin of 18 laps, which amounted to about an advantage of close to 90 minutes. The second victory came in the next race, the 1953 1000km of Nürburgring, this time partnered by Ascari, with a smaller margin of just over 15 minutes. He also triumphed in the Daily Express Trophy race at Silverstone in another one-off race in the Thinwall Special.
Although he was now 47, a golden opportunity arose at Ferrari when Ascari left the team, leaving Farina the team leader. After early season results including victories in the 1000 km Buenos Aires sports car race, co-driven by the young Italian Umberto Maglioli, and Syracuse Grand Prix, he crashed heavily in the Mille Miglia whilst leading in his Ferrari 375 Plus. Just seven weeks later, and with his right arm still in plaster, Farina raced in the 1954 Belgian Grand Prix. He was leading before the end of the first lap, dicing with Fangio's Maserati, until the ignition failed on his Ferrari. Later in the season he was badly injured in the Supercortemaggiore Grand Prix, a sports car race at Monza, as a consequence of which he spent 20 days in hospital.
He was back with Ferrari for the start of the 1955 season in Argentina, taking morphine injections to ease the pain. But the heat took its toll on all of the drivers. Farina pitted due to exhaustion, with his Ferrari 625 being taken over by the team's spare driver, Maglioli. When José Froilán González pitted, a revived Farina was sent out in his place. Later in the race, González – who was back in his car – crashed but rejoined and handed the car back to Farina, who brought it home in second. Third place in the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix went to Farina's original car which had been drivern by Maglioli and Maurice Trintignant. After a third place in Belgium, Farina retired mid-season, owing to the continued pain and the death of Ascari. He returned for the 1955 Italian Grand Prix, but his Scuderia Ferrari-entered Lancia D50 suffered a tyre failure at 170 mph during a practice session, whilst on the Monza's new banking. The car spun, but Farina stepped out unhurt. Ferrari withdrew the car from the event, and Farina did not start his final Grand Prix.
Farina entered the 1956 Indianapolis 500, with a six-cylinder Ferrari engine installed in a Kurtis Kraft chassis. The car, sponsored by Bardahl, was listed on the entry as a Bardahl-Ferrari. Qualifying for the race was scheduled for four days during May. The second weekend saw heavy rain that cancelled the third day and left only a small amount of time for drivers to contest the remaining spaces of the grid. This meant a few drivers did not get a chance to qualify on the fourth day, and Farina was one of them. Farina elected to race a conventional Indy car in 1957, but he had difficulty getting the car up to speed and experienced some handling problems. His teammate, Keith Andrews, stepped into the car for a test run, but crashed on the front stretch. The car backed into the inside wall and Andrews was crushed to death between the cowl and fuel tank. Farina withdrew from the event and never returned.

Death

Following his retirement, Farina became involved in Alfa Romeo and Jaguar distributorships and later assisted at the Pininfarina factory.
On his way to the 1966 French Grand Prix, Farina lost control of his Lotus Cortina in the Savoy Alps, near Aiguebelle, hit a telegraph pole and was killed instantly. He had been on his way to both watch the race and to take part in filming as the adviser and driving double of the French actor Yves Montand, who played an ex-World Champion in the film Grand Prix.

Racing record

Career highlights

SeasonSeriesPositionTeamCar
1933Coppa Principessa di Piemonte3rdAlfa Romeo 2300
1934Masarykuv Okruh1stScuderia SubalpinaMaserati 4CM
1934Giro d'Italia2ndLancia Astura V8
1934Gran Premio de Biella3rdScuderia SubalpinaMaserati 4CM
1935Bergamo GP2ndScuderia SubalpinaMaserati 4CM
1935Gran Premio de Biella3rdScuderia SubalpinaMaserati 4CM
1935AIACR European Championship21stGino RovereMaserati 6C-34
1936Mille Miglia2ndScuderia FerrariAlfa Romeo 8C 2900 A
1936Penya Rhin Grand Prix3rdScuderia FerrariAlfa Romeo 8C-35
1936Circuito di Milano3rdScuderia FerrariAlfa Romeo 8C-35
1936Gran Premio di Modena3rdScuderia FerrariAlfa Romeo 8C-35
1936AIACR European Championship14thScuderia FerrariAlfa Romeo 8C-35
1937Italian Championship1stScuderia FerrariAlfa Romeo 12C-36
1937Gran Premio di Napoli1stScuderia FerrariAlfa Romeo 12C-36
1937Mille Miglia2ndScuderia FerrariAlfa Romeo 8C 2900 A
1937Turin Grand Prix2ndScuderia FerrariAlfa Romeo 12C-36
1937Circuito di Milano2ndScuderia FerrariAlfa Romeo 12C-36
1937AIACR European Championship7thScuderia FerrariAlfa Romeo 8C-35
1937AAA National Championship7thScuderia FerrariAlfa Romeo 8C-35
1938Italian Championship1stAlfa CorseAlfa Romeo Tipo 316
1938Pontedecimo-Giovi1stAlfa CorseAlfa Romeo 2900B MM
1938Coppa Ciano2ndAlfa CorseAlfa Romeo Tipo 316
1938Coppa Acerbo2ndAlfa CorseAlfa Romeo Tipo 316
1938Gran Premio d'Italia2ndAlfa CorseAlfa Romeo Tipo 316
1938AIACR European Championship8thAlfa CorseAlfa Romeo Tipo 312
Alfa Romeo Tipo 316
1939Italian Championship1stAlfa CorseAlfa Romeo 158
1939GP d'Anvers1stAlfa CorseAlfa Romeo 8C 2900B/412S
1939Coppa Ciano1stAlfa CorseAlfa Romeo 158
1939Prix de Berne1stAlfa CorseAlfa Romeo 158
1939Coppa Acerbo3rdAlfa CorseAlfa Romeo 158
1939AIACR European Championship13thAlfa CorseAlfa Romeo 158
1940Gran Premio di Tripoli1stAlfa CorseAlfa Romeo 158
1940Mille Miglia2ndAlfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Spider Touring
1946Grand Prix des Nations1stAlfa Romeo 158
1948Gran Premio Internacional del General San Martín1stScuderia MilanoMaserati 8CL
1948Grand Prix des Nations1stMaserati 4CLT
1948Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco1stMaserati 4CLT
1948Circuito di Garda1stFerrari 125
1949Copa Acción de San Lorenzo1stScuderia FerrariFerrari 125C
1949Lausanne Grand Prix1stMaserati 4CLT/48
1949Grande Prêmio da Cidade de Rio de Janeiro2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 125C
1949Daily Express BRDC International Trophy2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 125
1950FIA Formula World Championship1stAlfa Romeo SpA Alfa Romeo 158
Alfa Romeo 159
1950RAC British Grand Prix1stAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 158
1950Großer Preis der Schweiz1stAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 158
1950Gran Premio di Bari1stAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 158
1950Daily Express BRDC International Trophy1stAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 158
1950Gran Premo d'Italia1stAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 159
1950Gran Premio Internacional del General San Martín2ndDott G. FarinaMaserati 4CLT
1950Copa Acción de San Lorenzo3rdDott G. FarinaMaserati 4CLT
1951Grand Prix de Paris1stScuderia MilanoMaserati 4CLT
1951Ulster Trophy1stAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 159A
1951Grote Prijs van Belgie1stAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 159A
1951Woodcote Cup1stAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 159
1951Festival of Britain Trophy2ndScuderia MilanoMaserati 4CLT
1951Grand Prix de Pau3rdScuderia MilanoMaserati 4CLT
1951Großer Preis der Schweiz3rdAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 159A
1951Gran Premio d'Italia3rdAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 159M
1951Gran Premio de España3rdAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 159M
1951FIA Formula One World Championship4thAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 159A
Alfa Romeo 159M
1952Gran Premio di Napoli1stScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1952Gran Premio dell'Autodromo di Monza1stScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1952FIA Formula One World Championship2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1952Grands Prix de France2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1952Grand Prix de Paris2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1952Grote Prijs van Belgie2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1952Grand Prix de la Marine2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1952Grand Prix de l'ACF2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1952Großer Preis von Deutschland2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1952Grand Prix de la Comminges2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1952Grote Prijs van Nederland2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1952Woodcote Cup2ndG.A. VandervellFerrari 375 Thinwall
1952Gran Premio di Siracusa3rdScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1953Gran Premio Ciudad de Buenos Aires1stScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1953Gran Premio di Napoli1stScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1953Grand Prix de Rouen-les-Essarts1stScuderia FerrariFerrari 625
1953Daily Express Trophy1stG.A. VandervellFerrari Thinwall
195324 Heures de Spa Francorchamps1stScuderia FerrariFerrari 375 MM Pinin Farina Berlinetta
1953Großer Preis von Deutschland1stScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1953Internationales ADAC-1000 km Rennen Weltmeisterchaftslauf Nürburgring1stAutomobili FerrariFerrari 375 MM Vignale Spyder
195312 Hours of Casablanca1stScuderia FerrariFerrari 375 MM Berlinetta
1953Grote Prijs van Nederland2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1953Großer Preis der Schweiz2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1953Gran Premio d'Italia2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1953FIA Formula One World Championship3rdScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1953RAC British Grand Prix3rdScuderia FerrariFerrari 500
1953Gran Premio di Monza3rdScuderia FerrariFerrari 250 MM Vignale Spyder
19541000 km Buenos Aires1stScuderia FerrariFerrari 375 MM
1954Gran Premio di Siracusa1stScuderia FerrariFerrari 625
1954Grand Prix d'Agadir1stScuderia FerrariFerrari 375 Plus
1954Gran Premio de la Republic Argentina2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 625
1954Gran Premio Ciudad de Buenos Aires3rdScuderia FerrariFerrari 625
1954FIA Formula One World Championship8thScuderia FerrariFerrari 625
1955Gran Premio de la Republic Argentina2ndScuderia FerrariFerrari 625
1955Grote Prijs van Belgie3rdScuderia FerrariFerrari 625
1955FIA Formula One World Championship5thScuderia FerrariFerrari 625

Complete European Championship results

Post-WWII Grandes Épreuves results

Complete Formula One World Championship results

YearEntrantChassisEngine123456789Pts
1950Alfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 158Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8sGBR
1		MON
Ret		500SUI
1		BEL
4		FRA
7		1st30
1950Alfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 159Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8sITA
1		1st30
1951Alfa Romeo SpAAlfa Romeo 159Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8sSUI
3		500BEL
1		FRA
5		GBR
Ret		GER
Ret		ITA
3*		ESP
3		4th19
1952Scuderia FerrariFerrari 500Ferrari 500 2.0 L4SUI
Ret		500BEL
2		FRA
2		GBR
6		GER
2		NED
2		ITA
4		2nd24
1953Scuderia FerrariFerrari 500Ferrari 500 2.0 L4ARG
Ret		500NED
2		BEL
Ret		FRA
5		GBR
3		GER
1		SUI
2		ITA
2		3rd26
1954Scuderia FerrariFerrari 625Ferrari 625 2.5 L4ARG
2		5008th6
1954Scuderia FerrariFerrari 553Ferrari 554 2.5 L4BEL
Ret		FRAGBRGERSUIITAESP
DNA		8th6
1955Scuderia FerrariFerrari 625Ferrari 555 2.5 L4ARG
2+3†		5th10
1955Scuderia FerrariFerrari 625Ferrari 555 2.5 L4MON
4		5005th10
1955Scuderia FerrariFerrari 555Ferrari 555 2.5 L4BEL
3		NEDGBR5th10
1955Scuderia FerrariLancia D50Lancia DS50 2.5 V8ITA
DNS		5th10
Bardahl-FerrariKurtis Kraft 500DFerrari 446 4.5 L6ARGMON500
DNQ		BELFRAGBRGERITANC0

Non-Championship Formula One results

* Indicates Shared Drive with André Simon

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete 24 Hours of Spa results

Complete Mille Miglia results

Complete Carrera Panamericana results

Complete 12 Hours of Casablanca results

Indianapolis 500 results