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Alessandro Nannini

Alessandro "Sandro" Nannini (born 7 July 1959) is an Italian former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1986 to 1990. Nannini won the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix with Benetton.

Alessandro Nannini
Born (1959-07-07) 7 July 1959 (age 65)
Siena, Italy
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityItaly Italian
Active years1986–1990
TeamsMinardi, Benetton
Entries78 (76 starts)
Championships0
Wins1
Podiums9
Career points65
Pole positions0
Fastest laps2
First entry1986 Brazilian Grand Prix
First win1989 Japanese Grand Prix
Last entry1990 Spanish Grand Prix

Born in Siena, Nannini is the younger brother of musician Gianna Nannini. He began his career rallying in a Lancia Stratos before switching to open-wheel racing in 1981. The following year, he started competing for Minardi in European Formula Two, where he remained for three seasons. Nannini also made appearances in the World Sportscar Championship for Martini, winning the 1000km of Kyalami in 1984 and entering three editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He was granted an FIA Super License in 1986—having been controversially denied one the year prior—and made his Formula One debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix with Minardi. After 26 retirements in 30 starts across two seasons at Minardi, Nannini joined Benetton to partner Thierry Boutsen. He retained his seat in 1989 after scoring podiums at the British and Spanish Grands Prix. Nannini took his only victory in Formula One at the Japanese Grand Prix, inheriting the win from Ayrton Senna following his infamous disqualification. Several podiums followed in 1990 as he was partnered by Nelson Piquet, including a second-placed finish at the German Grand Prix.

In October 1990, Nannini severed his right forearm in a helicopter accident at his vineyard in Siena, ending his Formula One career with one win, two fastest laps and nine podiums. He returned to racing in 1993, competing in four seasons of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft—later known as the International Touring Car Championship—with Alfa Corse, finishing third in the 1996 standings. Nannini became a race-winner in the 1997 FIA GT Championship with Mercedes, before retiring at the end of the year.

Biography

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Nannini was born in Siena on 7 July 1959.[1] He began racing in a Lancia Stratos at national rally events before switching to Formula Italia in 1981. From 1982 to 1984, he raced for Minardi in Formula 2, attracting some attention for his speed in the uncompetitive car. Though his best season saw him only seventh overall in 1983, he was signed by Lancia to drive their fast but fragile LC2 prototype in the World Sportscar Championship, setting fastest lap at the 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans where he finished eighth with Bob Wollek, and later that year winning the 1984 1000 km of Kyalami with Riccardo Patrese. For 1985, Giancarlo Minardi wanted Nannini to drive his new Formula One car, but Nannini was controversially denied an FIA Super Licence with his former F2 teammate Pierluigi Martini taking the drive instead. Nannini continued with Lancia instead, his best result being third in the 1000km Monza.

For 1986, Nannini was finally granted a Super Licence and signed up with Minardi's Grand Prix team, where he stayed until 1987. The car was uncompetitive and unreliable (Nannini was classified only four times from 30 starts with the team), largely due to its disappointing Motori Moderni V6 engine. However, Nannini's speed was noticed by many, especially after he largely outperformed experienced teammate Andrea de Cesaris in 1986. The following year, in his spare time, Nannini paired with veteran road race driver Giorgio Marin to win the 1987 Mille Miglia.[2]

 
The Minardi M187 driven by Nannini for the 1987 season
 
Nannini driving for Benetton at the 1988 Canadian Grand Prix.

Benetton signed Nannini for 1988 to drive alongside Thierry Boutsen. He generally performed very well, often out-pacing the highly regarded Belgian if not matching his consistency. He scored his first point in his second race for the team and took two third places on his way to tenth overall in the championship.

With Boutsen leaving for Williams Nannini was promoted to team leader at Benetton alongside young Englishman Johnny Herbert and delivered a number of strong performances, especially at Suzuka. There he lay third behind the two McLaren cars of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost when they collided, giving Nannini the lead. Prost retired whereas Senna rejoined after being push-started and pitted to replace his front wing, trailing Nannini in the race. Nannini was eventually passed by Senna who went on to cross the finish line first, however, the Brazilian was subsequently disqualified for missing the chicane following his collision with Prost. The disqualification handed Nannini what proved to be his only Formula One win. He rounded off the season with an impressive second place in torrential rain at Adelaide, moving him to sixth overall in the championship.[3]

For 1990, he was joined in the team by Nelson Piquet and reverted to being the number two driver. However, he impressed by largely matching the pace of the three-times World Champion. At Hockenheim he led the race by deciding against stopping for tyres, resisting Senna for 16 laps before fading grip dropped him to second. He also challenged at the following Hungarian Grand Prix, hounding leader Boutsen until being controversially pushed off by the following Senna.

On 12 October 1990, the week after the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix, where he had finished third, Nannini was involved in a helicopter crash over his Siena vineyard, suffering a severed right forearm.[4] The injury healed thanks to microsurgery but it ended his Formula One career. Nannini had been reconfirmed by Benetton for 1991 but Ferrari had a long-standing interest in the driver and were considering him as a replacement for the departing Nigel Mansell.[3]

 
Nannini driving for Alfa Romeo at Donington Park during the 1994 Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft season.

Once sufficiently recovered, Ferrari offered Nannini a test drive on its private Fiorano Circuit in 1992. Nannini completed a total of 38 laps driving Jean Alesi's Ferrari F92A, which featured a specially modified steering wheel. In 1996, Benetton's Flavio Briatore also honoured the promise of a test drive, which took place at Estoril[5] aboard a B196.

Despite only regaining partial use of his right hand, Nannini was able to carve out a career in touring car racing with Alfa Romeo in the 1990s,[3] placing fourth overall in the 1994 DTM championship and third in the 1996 International Touring Car Championship.

Nannini competed for Mercedes in the 1997 FIA GT Championship, finishing sixth overall and winning a race at Suzuka, before hanging up his helmet. He now runs a chain of upmarket cafes bearing his name, with branches as far flung as Indonesia.[6]

2007 saw Nannini's return to the track after a decade in retirement. He agreed to take part in the short-lived Grand Prix Masters championship for Formula One veterans, alongside drivers including his former Benetton teammate Johnny Herbert.

He is a member of the Italy–USA Foundation.

Matteo Nannini, a son of a first cousin of Alessandro, is also a racing driver, and has raced at the Formula 3 level as recently as 2021,[7] as well as having competed in Indy NXT in 2023.

Racing record

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Career summary

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Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
1982 European Formula Two Minardi 12 0 0 0 1 8 10th
World Sportscar Championship Martini Racing 1 0 0 0 1 16 18th
1983 European Formula Two Minardi 12 0 0 0 1 11 7th
World Sportscar Championship Martini Racing 2 0 0 0 1 15 22nd
1984 European Formula Two Minardi 11 0 0 0 1 9 10th
World Sportscar Championship Martini Racing 5 1 1 2 2 35 16th
1985 World Sportscar Championship Martini Racing 7 0 5 0 2 50 8th
1986 Formula One Minardi Team 14 0 0 0 0 0 NC
World Sportscar Championship Martini Racing 2 0 2 1 1 15 34th
Porsche Kremer Racing 1 0 0 0 0
1987 Formula One Minardi Team 16 0 0 0 0 0 NC
World Touring Car Championship Alfa Corse 4 0 0 0 0 59 24th
1988 Formula One Benetton Formula Ltd. 16 0 0 1 2 12 10th
1989 Formula One Benetton Formula Ltd. 16 1 0 0 4 32 6th
1990 Formula One Benetton Formula Ltd. 14 0 0 1 2 21 8th
1993 Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft Alfa Corse 21 2 3 2 5 121 8th
1994 Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft Alfa Corse 24 5 3 3 5 149 4th
1995 Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft Alfa Corse 13 0 0 0 2 44 11th
International Touring Car Championship 8 0 0 0 0 17 15th
1996 International Touring Car Championship Martini Alfa Corse 24 7 6 7 7 180 3rd
1997 FIA GT Championship AMG-Mercedes 5 1 1 0 5 34 5th

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos. Pts
1982 Minardi Team Srl Minardi Fly 281B BMW SIL
5 		HOC
9 		THR
12 		NÜR
8 		MUG
10 		VAL
Ret 		PAU
DNQ 		SPA
Ret 		HOC
Ret 		DON
DSQ 		MAN
Ret 		PER
Ret 		MIS
2 		10th 8
1983 Minardi Team Srl Minardi M283 BMW SIL THR
9 		HOC
5 		NÜR
2 		VAL
7 		PAU
Ret 		JAR
Ret 		DON
Ret 		MIS
Ret 		PER
11 		ZOL
Ret 		MUG
4 		7th 11
1984 Minardi Team Srl Minardi M283 BMW SIL
9 		HOC
Ret 		THR
7 		VAL
Ret 		MUG
Ret 		PAU
Ret 		HOC
4 		MIS
Ret 		PER
3 		DON
10 		BRH
5 		10th 9

24 Hours of Le Mans results

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Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1983   Martini Racing   Paolo Barilla
  Jean-Claude Andruet 		Lancia LC2-Ferrari C 135 DNF DNF
1984   Martini Racing   Bob Wollek Lancia LC2-Ferrari C1 326 8th 8th
1985   Martini Racing   Bob Wollek
  Lucio Cesario 		Lancia LC2-Ferrari C1 360 6th 6th

Complete Formula One results

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(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 WDC Pts
1986 Minardi Team Minardi M185B Motori Moderni Tipo 615–90 1.5 V6t BRA
Ret 		ESP
DNS 		SMR
Ret 		MON
DNQ 		BEL
Ret 		CAN
Ret 		DET
Ret 		FRA
Ret 		GBR
Ret 		GER
Ret 		HUN
Ret 		ITA
Ret 		POR
Ret 		MEX
14 		AUS
Ret 		NC 0
Minardi M186 AUT
Ret
1987 Minardi Team Minardi M187 Motori Moderni Tipo 615–90 1.5 V6t BRA
Ret 		SMR
Ret 		BEL
Ret 		MON
Ret 		DET
Ret 		FRA
Ret 		GBR
Ret 		GER
Ret 		HUN
11 		AUT
Ret 		ITA
16 		POR
11 		ESP
Ret 		MEX
Ret 		JPN
Ret 		AUS
Ret 		NC 0
1988 Benetton Formula Ltd. Benetton B188 Ford Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8 BRA
Ret 		SMR
6 		MON
Ret 		MEX
7 		CAN
Ret 		DET
Ret 		FRA
6 		GBR
3 		GER
18 		HUN
Ret 		BEL
DSQ 		ITA
9 		POR
Ret 		ESP
3 		JPN
5 		AUS
Ret 		10th 12
1989 Benetton Formula Ltd. Benetton B188 Ford Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8 BRA
6 		SMR
3 		MON
8 		MEX
4 		USA
Ret 		CAN
DSQ 		6th 32
Benetton B189 Ford HBA1/4 3.5 V8 FRA
Ret 		GBR
3 		GER
Ret 		HUN
Ret 		BEL
5 		ITA
Ret 		POR
4 		ESP
Ret 		JPN
1 		AUS
2
1990 Benetton Formula Ltd. Benetton B189B Ford HBA4 3.5 V8 USA
11 		BRA
10 		8th 21
Benetton B190 SMR
3 		MON
Ret 		CAN
Ret 		MEX
4 		FRA
16 		GBR
Ret 		GER
2 		HUN
Ret 		BEL
4 		ITA
8 		POR
6 		ESP
3 		JPN AUS

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Pos. Pts
1993 Alfa Corse Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti ZOL
1
Ret 		ZOL
2
3 		HOC
1
13 		HOC
2
8 		NÜR
1
10 		NÜR
2
4 		WUN
1
2 		WUN
2
Ret 		NÜR
1
4 		NÜR
2
4 		NOR
1
Ret 		NOR
2
Ret 		DON
1
Ret 		DON
2
DNS 		DIE
1
Ret 		DIE
2
18 		ALE
1
3 		ALE
2
Ret 		AVU
1
5 		AVU
2
Ret 		HOC
1
1 		HOC
2
1 		8th 121
1994 Alfa Corse Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti ZOL
1
1 		ZOL
2
1 		HOC
1
4 		HOC
2
1 		NÜR
1
7 		NÜR
2
7 		MUG
1
17 		MUG
2
Ret 		NÜR
1
1 		NÜR
2
7 		NOR
1
Ret 		NOR
2
7 		DON
1
1 		DON
2
DSQ 		DIE
1
5 		DIE
2
4 		NÜR
1
8 		NÜR
2
5 		AVU
1
19 		AVU
2
5 		ALE
1
Ret 		ALE
2
12 		HOC
1
6 		HOC
2
Ret 		4th 149
1995 Alfa Corse Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti HOC
1
18 		HOC
2
DNS 		AVU
1
3 		AVU
2
Ret 		NOR
1
3 		NOR
2
9† 		DIE
1
4 		DIE
2
Ret 		NÜR
1
Ret 		NÜR
2
Ret 		ALE
1
11 		ALE
2
Ret 		HOC
1
5 		HOC
2
12 		11th 44
  • † — Retired, but was classified as he completed 90% of the winner's race distance.

Complete International Touring Car Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Pos. Pts
1995 Alfa Corse Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti MUG
1
5 		MUG
2
Ret 		HEL
1
Ret 		HEL
2
Ret 		DON
1
DNS 		DON
2
DNS 		EST
1
8 		EST
2
7 		MAG
1
Ret 		MAG
2
9 		15th 17
1996 Martini Alfa Corse Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti HOC
1
10 		HOC
2
13 		NÜR
1
EX 		NÜR
2
EX 		EST
1
1 		EST
2
1 		HEL
1
14 		HEL
2
4 		NOR
1
Ret 		NOR
2
Ret 		DIE
1
6 		DIE
2
Ret 		SIL
1
17 		SIL
2
11 		NÜR
1
1 		NÜR
2
1 		MAG
1
1 		MAG
2
1 		MUG
1
11 		MUG
2
Ret 		HOC
1
6 		HOC
2
Ret 		INT
1
1 		INT
2
5 		SUZ
1
10 		SUZ
2
5 		3rd 180

Complete FIA GT Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pos. Points
1997 AMG Mercedes GT1 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Mercedes-Benz LS600 6.0L V12 HOC
13 		SIL
13 		HEL
11 		NÜR
2 		SPA
11 		A1R
2 		SUZ
1 		DON
2 		MUG
2 		SEB
Ret 		LAG
8 		5th 34

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Jenkins, Richard. "The World Championship drivers - Where are they now?". OldRacingCars.com. Retrieved 29 July 2007.
  2. ^ "Il pilota Marin «Era il 1987 quando vinsi che emozione»". Tribuna di Treviso (in Italian). 2014-05-18. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  3. ^ a b c Peacock, Anthony (December 2015). "La Dolce Vida". F1 Racing: 72.
  4. ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: AUTO RACING; Chance for Comeback". The New York Times. Associated Press. 22 December 1990. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  5. ^ "Sandro's Benetton test". Grandprix.com. 25 November 1996. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  6. ^ Caffe Nannini website
  7. ^ Allen, Peter (January 8, 2019). "Matteo Nannini among single-seater debutants in UAE F4". FormulaScout. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
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