One wet afternoon in Austria

Vittorio Brambilla, the man from Monza, won the rain shortened 1975 Austrian Grand Prix for March, the single podium of his Formula 1 career.

Vittorio Brambilla was born in Monza, Italy, on November 11, 1937. He raced motorcycles from 1957 and won an Italian national title in 1958, also racing karts and working as a mechanic. He came back to competition in Formula 3 in 1968, won the Italian championship in 1972, and by then was also racing in Formula Two and sports cars.

March brought him into Formula 1 at the 1974 South African Grand Prix. In 1975 he led the Belgian Grand Prix until brake trouble intervened and took pole position in Sweden, the only pole of his career. Then came the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix, run in heavy rain at the Österreichring. Brambilla won by 27 seconds from James Hunt in a race stopped after 29 laps, and he spun and damaged the nose of his car just as he took the chequered flag. Because the race was cut short, only half points were awarded.

He moved to Surtees for 1977 and 1978, and in 1977 he also helped Alfa Romeo win the sports car World Championship. On the opening lap of the 1978 Italian Grand Prix at Monza he suffered serious head injuries when a wheel struck him in the multiple car accident. He recovered and returned at the same race a year later, driving occasionally for Alfa Romeo through 1980.

His final start was the 1980 Italian Grand Prix. Our record shows 74 starts, 1 win, 1 pole position, 1 fastest lap and 1 podium across seven seasons, with March, Surtees and Alfa Romeo. He later ran a memorabilia shop in Milan, and died in 2001.

0 world titles, 1 wins, 1 pole positions, 74 starts.

Teams

• Alfa Romeo Racing

Victories

• Austrian Grand Prix 1975