Felice Bonetto

Felice Bonetto (9 June 1903 - 21 November 1953) was an Italian racing driver who competed in Formula One from 1950 to 1953, achieving two podium finishes, winning the prestigious Targa Florio in 1952, before his tragic death while leading the 1953 Carrera Panamericana. Nicknamed 'il Pirata' (the Pirate), Bonetto became one of the most colorful and respected drivers of Formula One's early era. Born and raised in Manerbio, in Italy's Lombardy region, Bonetto began his motorsport career in motorcycle road racing during the 1920s, competing in the dangerous and demanding sport before transitioning to four wheels. He was almost 28 years old when he made the switch to cars in 1931, making his circuit racing debut in a Bobbio-Penice race driving a Bugatti.

This relatively late start to his car racing career meant that Bonetto was already an experienced and mature competitor by the time Formula One began in 1950. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Bonetto established himself in Italian motorsport, competing in various events and building a reputation for bravery and skill. His greatest pre-Formula One achievement came in 1949 when he finished second in the legendary Mille Miglia, the epic 1,000-mile road race through Italy, finishing behind Clemente Biondetti. Both drivers piloted Ferrari 166 MM Touring cars for Scuderia Ferrari, demonstrating Bonetto's ability to compete at the highest level of sports car racing.

When the Formula One World Championship began in 1950, Bonetto was already 47 years old—ancient by racing standards—but his experience and racecraft made him competitive against much younger rivals. He made his World Championship debut at the 1950 Swiss Grand Prix, beginning a Formula One career that would span four seasons. Bonetto competed for Milano, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati teams, driving exclusively Italian machinery as befitted his nationality and the era's strong national racing identities. During his Formula One career from 1950 to 1953, Bonetto started 16 World Championship Grands Prix, achieving two podium finishes that highlighted his competitiveness.

His first podium came at the 1951 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where he shared third place with Giuseppe Farina, both driving for Alfa Romeo. The shared classification reflected the era's practice of drivers swapping cars during races, a common occurrence when mechanical issues struck. Bonetto's second podium arrived at the 1953 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, where he again finished third, this time sharing the result with José Froilán González, both driving for Maserati. These podium finishes demonstrated that despite his age—he was 50 at the time of his final podium—Bonetto remained capable of running with Formula One's elite drivers.

While his Formula One results were respectable, Bonetto's greatest success came in sports car racing, where he achieved his most celebrated victory. In 1952, driving for Lancia, Bonetto won the Targa Florio, Sicily's legendary and treacherous road race that was considered one of motorsport's greatest tests of driver skill, bravery, and endurance. Victory in the Targa Florio brought Bonetto enormous prestige in Italy and throughout the motorsport world, cementing his reputation as one of Italy's finest drivers. In November 1953, Bonetto traveled to Mexico to compete in the Carrera Panamericana, the notorious open-road race across Mexico that was among the world's most dangerous motorsport events.

Driving a Lancia D24, Bonetto was leading the race and appeared destined for another prestigious victory when tragedy struck. During the race, Bonetto lost control of his Lancia at high speed and crashed into a lamp post, dying from the impact. The accident also claimed the lives of his riding mechanic and a young spectator. The Carrera Panamericana that year proved particularly deadly, with the race also claiming the lives of fellow Italian drivers Antonio Stagnoli and Giuseppe Scotuzzi, as well as several spectators.

Despite Lancia drivers Juan Manuel Fangio, Piero Taruffi, and Eugenio Castellotti finishing in the top three positions, giving Lancia a clean sweep of the podium, the Italian team could not celebrate the success. The loss of Bonetto, a beloved and respected figure, cast a dark shadow over the result. The 1953 Carrera Panamericana's tragic toll contributed to the eventual cancellation of the race after 1954, as the death toll over its five-year history had become unacceptable. Bonetto's funeral in Italy drew thousands of mourners from the motorsport community and beyond, reflecting the esteem in which 'il Pirata' was held.

His death at age 50, while tragic, came after a long and successful motorsport career spanning motorcycles, sports cars, and Formula One. Bonetto's legacy continued through his family, with his son Roberto Bonetto dedicating his career to motorsport journalism, eventually becoming deputy editor of Quattroruote, Italy's leading automotive magazine, ensuring the Bonetto name remained connected to Italian motorsport. Today, Felice Bonetto is remembered as one of Formula One's early characters, a driver who came to Grand Prix racing relatively late in life but competed with distinction against much younger rivals, achieving podium finishes and a legendary Targa Florio victory that secured his place in Italian motorsport history.