“Remembering Ignazio Giunti, who tragically lost his life by the absurd accident on this day 51 years ago” from 2023

Ignazio Giunti, as known as “reuccio di Vallelunga: little king of Vallelunga”

(30 August 1941 – 10 January 1971: Aged 29)

‘The cover of Autosprint on Monday 11 January 1971’

Ferrari 312PB (*officially designated the 312P) chassis #0874 -Ferrari tipo 001 (based on the flat-12 engine from the 312B F1) naturally aspirated 2991cc Flat (180° V)-12, P3.0 Class (originally introduced as a Group 6 Prototype-Sports Car in 1971, but predesignated as a Group 5 Sports Car for 1972)

Designed by Mauro Forghieri

#24 Ignazio Giunti/ Arturo Merzario, SpA Ferrari SEFAC, Grid: 2nd (1:52.740), Result: DNF (Fatal accident on lap 38)

Sponsors: YPF S.A., Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (in English: Fiscal Oilfields) state-owned Argentine energy company. (It was bought by the Spanish firm Repsol in 1999; the resulting merged company was called Repsol YPF.)

At the Buenos Aires circuit No.15, Argentina, 1971 Buenos Aires 1000 Kilometers, Rd.1 1971 International Championship for Makes, on 10 January, 1971

Ignazio Giunti was an Italian racing driver, born in 1941, scion of an aristocratic Roman family with roots in Calabria, region in Southern Italy. Despite coming from a noble family, Giunti was a discreet boy who did not like to live in the spotlight. In Rome, however, he was treated as a “little king”.

Baron Ignazio Giunti had an interests and passion for automobiles since he was a boy and he had talent for racing. He mainly participated and won numerous sports car and saloon races since the late 1960s. Above all, he was a true gentleman, beyond any formal coat of arms.

At the age of 20, Giunti started with the hill climbs. The first car was a rented Alfa Romeo Giulietta TI. The results were appreciable, the following year he switched to more powerful cars and made his debut in track competitions in Vallelunga, the legendary racetrack, Campagnano di Roma, Italy.

2 years of apprenticeship passed and, in 1964, Ignazio placed second in the Italian Championship. He took part in several races in Europe with the Fiat-Abarth 850TC of the Squadra Piloti Bardahl, continuing to be unbeatable on the Roman circuit. He got a nickname “reuccio di Vallelunga” (little king of Vallelunga) in that time.

After having shined in minor races he turned professional in 1966, when Alfa Romeo entrusted him with the spectacular Giulia GTA, at the wheel of which he achieved multiple victories, including the 1967 European Mountain Champion title in the Grand Touring category. In 1968, driving for Alfa Romeo, Giunti finished 2nd in the Targa Florio and 4th in the Le Mans 24 Hours race co-driving with Nanni Galli. His reputation became even greater when, at the end of 1969, by virtue of the performances put on showing with the Alfa Romeo 33 in the Makes World Championship, the 28-year-old Roman was called as an official driver by Enzo Ferrari.

In 1970, Giunti was signed by Scuderia Ferrari primarily for their sports-car team, and won the 12 Hours of Sebring (with Nino Vaccarella/ Mario Andretti) and took 3rd the Targa Florio (with Nino Vaccarella) in a Ferrari Ferrari 512S. He as well as achieved several other high placings.

Commendatore appreciated him, so much so that, surprisingly, they offered Giunti his debut in Formula One on the tricky Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in June, despite having little experience in a single-seater. He competed and shared a seat with the Swiss Clay Regazzoni, who was also on trialling by Ferrari at the time (the regular seat was held by Jacky Ickx).

Giunti finished the attention in 4th place, the first points for the 312B with the new 12-cylinder Boxer (actually 180°V) engine at Spa in the Belgian Grand Prix, which was his debut race. However, he was outperformed by Regazzoni during the remaining races, his regular Formula One seat was taken away by Regazzoni.

As a result, Gunti’s participation in Formula One in the 1970 season was ended only ‘4 races (Belgium, France, Austria and Italy GP)’. Giunti and Arturo Merzario were the great Italian hopes, but in Formula One who stood out the most from the new recruits was Regazzoni with remarkable victory in Monza, Italian GP. However, in the year Giunti had showed the strong performance as a sports car racing driver so he was re-signed by Ferrari for the following season.

Gianti’s first race of the 1971 season was that Buenos Aires 1000 Kilometers. It was the opening round of the 1971 International Championship for Makes season, and took place at the Buenos Aires circuit No.15, Argentina, on January 10, 1971. The Buenos Aires Autodrome had been revamped, with its alternative 6.1 km circuit being used. This was the first World Championship race to have been held in Argentina since Bruce McLaren had won the 1960 Grand Prix there for Cooper. However, this day at the races had become a tragic curtain-raiser for the final 5-litre vs 3-litre World Championship season…

Giunti was paired with Merzario, at the wheel of the Ferrari 312PB. The new 3-litre Ferrari was a successful two-seater from its debut, which was very strong. In fact, Giunti had led the race by a wide margin until the last moment of his life. They took magnificent 2nd grid ahead of Siffert / Bell very powerful 4.9 liter Porsche 917 in the qualifying.

They led briefly from the rolling start in the nimble new 3-litre flat-12 312PB prototype. By lap 30 Vic Elford’s newly-liveried Martini-Porsche 917 had taken command but its fuel pump faltered. The big 4.9 litre Porsches and 5 liter Ferrari 512S made their first fuel stops, leaving Giunti had been leading by a wide margin in the dazzlingly quick new flat-12.

His fate was fulfilled when the Matra 660 driven by Jean Pierre Beltoise ran out of petrol a few hundred meters from the pits, on the 36th lap of the race on 165 laps. He coasted to a halt just before the fast, blind left-hand curve entering the pit straight. He set about pushing his stricken car across the road camber towards the pits, forgetting this would disqualify him. His act caused a dangerous situation in which the following vehicles suddenly had to brake and avoid it. Many cars had to pass him. However, legendary 5 time world champion between 1951 and 1957, Juan Manuel Fangio who was the race director, and the commissioners didn’t prevented him.

On the next lap 37, Beltoise realized what a folly he was committing and tried to pull over towards the guard-rail, when Giunti’s lap leader Ferrari hurtled into the curve behind Mike Parkes’ just-refueled Filipinetti 512M. Parkes managed to avoid the impact by miraculously slipping into the space between the Matra and the internal curb but for Giunti there was in his slipstream, covered in sight and apparently thinking Parkes was giving him room ducked right.

However, Giunti had no escape. Desperately he then swerved left but his Ferrari still struck the Matra’s left-rear corner with his Ferrari’s right front. The Matra was kicked into touch on the right-side verge, Beltoise having leapt back unhurt. Giunti’s Ferrari, however, spun wildly and rolled along the straight of the pits for over 150 m. Gianti was packed at just right-front of grandstands and crushed, its right-side fuel cell burst and erupting into a furious fire with the driver inside.

Arturo Merzario, Giunti’s teammate, waiting in the pits, sprinted across to assist the marshals (Even at the time of the Niki Lauda’s horrific accident at the Nurburgring in 1976, the brave Merzario fearlessly stepped into the fire to save his life). Red flags waved and cars stopped, some drivers climbed out. However, it was too late by the time they could pull Giunti clear. The Ferrari was engulfed in flames and Giunti had severe trauma and burns and there was no salvation when he was pulled out of the rubble.

As a result of the third degree burns suffered, at 2:40 PM on that Sunday, Ignazio Giunti is officially declared dead at 29 years old. (Actually Gianti had already been killed instantly with a broken neck, although officially it was declared ‘death in ambulance’ and then ‘death in hospital’.) The consternation and despair in the Ferrari and Alfa Romeo pits (Giunti was also an Alfa Romeo’s “offspring”) turned into revolt and threat of aggression at the French Matra Simca pit which was quickly closed.

However, the race continued although the accident took place in the middle of the pit straight in front of the public, teams and widely filmed for TV. As the fire subsided and the smoke cleared, one Porsche 917 crept past and other machines followed, with the wrecked Ferrari dragged clear, racing resumed. The motor racing was sometimes too crazy at the time…

As the result, Porsche won with the Gulf team, Siffert/Bell in 1st and Rodriguez/Oliver in 2nd. This horrific accident was attributed to Beltwards’ reckless act of pushing the car towards the pits and Marshall’s missteps. Beltoise was suspended for a few months by the FIA.

The accident in which Giunti lost his life on the Buenos Aires circuit had enormous resonance, both for the popularity of the driver and for the absurd dynamics with which this happened, relaunching the debate on the safety of motor racing. Many people faced with the fatal accidents of that period, even asked to abolish.

Ignazio Giunti

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