Michele Alboreto

Michele Alboreto (December 23, 1956 - April 25, 2001): An Italian racing driver from Milan, Alboreto became the last Italian driver to win a Formula One race for Ferrari and the closest Italian driver to winning the World Championship in the modern era. He competed in Formula One from 1981 to 1994, winning five Grands Prix across 14 seasons with Tyrrell, Ferrari, Larrousse, Footwork/Arrows, Scuderia Italia, and Minardi, and finished runner-up in the 1985 World Drivers' Championship. After winning the 1980 European Formula Three Championship, Alboreto made his Formula One debut with Tyrrell in 1981, securing his first victory in the final round of 1982 at Las Vegas and a second victory at Detroit in 1983.

Ferrari signed him for 1984, making him the first Italian driver to race for the Scuderia since Arturo Merzario in 1973. In his debut Ferrari season, Alboreto won at Zolder, becoming the first Italian to win a Formula One Grand Prix for Ferrari since Ludovico Scarfiotti's victory at the 1966 Italian Grand Prix. His championship challenge came in 1985 when he won in Canada and Germany, leading the championship for much of the season before reliability issues and the superior McLaren of Alain Prost denied him the title. Alboreto finished runner-up, 20 points behind Prost.

His final victory came at the 1985 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, making him the last Italian driver to win a Formula One race for Ferrari, a distinction he still holds. Alboreto remained at Ferrari until 1988 but struggled with increasingly uncompetitive machinery. He returned briefly to Tyrrell in 1988 before joining Larrousse mid-1989, then spent three years with Footwork/Arrows (1990-1992), followed by seasons with Scuderia Italia (1993) and Minardi (1994), his final Formula One season. He achieved five race wins, two pole positions, five fastest laps, and 23 podiums across 194 race starts.

Beyond Formula One, Alboreto found success in endurance racing, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1997 with Porsche and the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2001 with Audi. Tragically, Alboreto died on April 25, 2001, at age 44, during testing for Audi at Lausitzring, Germany, when a tire failure at 190 mph caused his Audi R8 to become airborne and land inverted. He left behind a wife and two daughters. In 2021, Monza's legendary Parabolica corner was renamed 'Curva Alboreto' in his honor.

Known for his smooth driving style, technical ability, and status as Italy's last great hope for a Ferrari World Champion, Alboreto remains beloved in Italian motorsport history.