A quick question

[Minardi fan]

I think you'll find it's Minardi who give most drivers their debut...

Nicola Larini??? Anyone know if he drove for another team before Ferrari??? I don't think he did.

[TimD]

Sorry folks, it's not Larini.

He drove for Coloni in 1987.

I've spent a few minutes in my files, and I'm coming to the horrid conclusion that I can only find one.

Giancarlo Baghetti, who was entered as a third Ferrari entry for his first race in the 1961 French GP.

He won.

Surely there must have been someone since, but I haven't spotted them yet.

[Ed-f1]

I was just wondering who was the last driver to start their F1 career with Ferrari? I was thinking about which teams bring new drivers into F1. Williams and Jordan do all the time. Benetton's last effort was Wurz (out of necessity rather than taking a risk but still). Mclaren haven't brought a new driver into F1 since Andretti I don't think (Maybe that's the reason. The only person I can think of in recent years who might have started his career with Ferrari is Nicola Larini but I've got a feeling he raced for some other team first.

Anyone?

[Schume]

Here is a list of the 70 drivers who have driven for Ferrari according to the History Section on the Tifosi Club site.
I'll check them out later and see if TimD was right. He usually is!!!!!

Some interesting people on this list....

A
Michele Alboreto
Jean Alesi
Cliff Allison
Chirs Amon
Mario Andretti
Rene Arnoux
Alberto Ascari
B
Giancarlo Baghetti
Lorenzo Bandini
Rubens Barrichello
Jean Behra
Derek Bell
Gerhard Berger
Ernesto Brambilla
Tony Brooks
C
Ivan Capelli
Piero Carini
Eugenio Castellotti
Peter Collins
D
Andrea de Adamich
Alfonso de Portago
F
Juan-Manuel Fangio
Giuseppe Farina
Paul Frere
G
Olivier Gendebien
Richie Ginther
Ignazio Giunti
Jose Froilan Gonzalez
Don Gurney
H
Mike Hawthorn
Phil Hill
I
Jacky Ickx
Eddie Irvine
J
Stefan Johansson
L
Nicola Larini
Niki Lauda
M
Umberto Maglioli
Willy Mairesse
Nigel Mansell
Robert Mazon
Arturo Merzario
Gianni Morbidelli
Luigi Musso
P
Mike Parks
Cesare Perdisa
Andre Pilette
Didier Pironi
Alain Prost
R
Gianclaudio Regazzoni
Carlos Reutemann
Pedro Rodriguez
Ricardo Rodriguez
S
Mika Salo
Ludovico Scarfiotti
Jody Scheckter
Harry Schell
Michael Schumacher
Dorino Serafini
Andre Simon
Raymond Sommer
John Surtees
T
Patrick Tambay
Piero Taruffi
Maurice Trintignant
V
Nino Vaccarella
Luigi Villaresi
Gilles Villeneuve
Wolfgang Von Trips
W
Jonathan Williams
Peter Whitehead

[marcus]

Im pretty sure TimD has got it right and to be honest ive never eally thought about Ferrari bringing in new blood but it would be interesting to see wouldnt it ???

I know it wasnt Larini.

1987 he drove for Coloni towards the end of the year.
1988-1989 he drove for Osella
1990 he drove for Ligier
1991 he drove for Modena Lamborghini
1992 he drove 1 race for Ferrari at Adelaide
1994 he drove 2 races for Ferrari Aida and Imola
1997 he drove for Sauber before being dumped

total of 40 Gp starts best place of third at Imola 1994 his best day one of the wordt for the sport .

[TimD]

Thanks for the vote of confidence folks. In this case, however, it is misplaced.

I was wrong.

With the help of Schume's excellent list, I checked out some names I had forgotten, and I found 5 Ferrari rookies since Baghetti.

The answer to the puzzle is Arturo Merzario, who started the 1972 British GP in a Ferrari 312B, his first GP start.

Others are Clay Regazzoni, Ignacio Giunti (1970), Jonathan Williams and Derek Bell (1968) Strange, I could have sworn Derek had a non-works McLaren drive before that. But not according to my records.

Others who had their first GP start in a Ferrari were de Adamich, de Portago, Gendebien, Gurney, Phil Hill, Maglioli, Mairesse, Parkes, Ricardo Rodriguez, Scarfiotti, Serafini, Von Trips.

Carini and Peter Whitehead were privateers in non-works Ferraris, Ascari and Villoresi were already established drivers when the World Championship was inaugurated.

Phew!

[This message has been edited by TimD (edited 16 May 2000).]

[Minardi fan]

What about Luca Badoer? As test driver he counts as a Ferrari driver, non?

[Liz]

I was going to say "What about Gilles" but he started in a McLaren, didn't he? Well, he did all his REAL racing for Ferrari!

[Schume]

Nice one TimD...you're too modest.

I checked through the list that I posted and got the same result as you.

What info do you have on Richie Ginther?? Looks like he started at Ferrari in 1960??

Does Raymond Sommer qualify amongst the list of pre-1950 drivers??

Liz:
GV did start with McLaren.
British GP 1977, after that it was Ferrari all the way.

[Schume]

Ok...LB is an "Honorary Ferrari Driver"

[Ed-f1]

I did think of Minardi when I posted this topic but I couldn't be bothered to work out how many new drivers had started for every team and let's face it, the only reason Minardi keep bringing new blood into F1 is because they can't afford anyone who's already there.

Let's see, where did the current drivers start their F1 careers

Hakkinen Lotus
Coulthard Williams
M Schumacher Jordan
Barrichello Jordan
Frentzen Sauber
Trulli Minardi
Herbert Benetton
Irvine Jordan
R Schumacher Jordan
Button Williams
Wurz Benetton
Fisichella Minardi
Salo Tyrrell
Diniz Forti
Alesi Tyrrell
Heidfeld Prost
Verstappen Benetton
De la Rosa Arrows
Gene Minardi
Mazzacane Minardi
Villeneuve Williams
Zonta BAR

I think this is right but if anyone has a better memory (or book ) than me feel free to correct me.

Jordan 4, Minardi 4, Williams 3, Benetton 3, Tyrell 2, Lotus, Sauber, Forti, Prost, Arrows, BAR 1 each

So Jordan and Minardi are the current leaders of the pack (in this race anyway )

[marcus]

not bad Ed..but Mika Salo actually started for Lotus in 1994 at Japan and then adelaide before moving to Tyrrell full time in 95.

[Ed-f1]

Who needs reference books when I've got ten-tenths?