Lorenzo Bandini (31) died three days after crashing his Ferrari 312/67 during the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo


Wednesday 10th May 1967

Lorenzo Bandini (31) died three days after crashing his Ferrari 312/67 during the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo. A calm character, almost ‘unitalian’, Lorenzo Bandini’s debut in F1 came in 1961 with Scuderia Centro Sudís old Cooper-Maserati and moving on to the Ferrari works-team in 1962. Despite a 3rd place at the Monaco-Grand Prix Enzo Ferrari hired Willy Mairesse for 1963 instead. Back at Centro Sud, Bandini now had BRM works-machinery and scored three 5th place finishes. Bandini won the 24 hours of Le Mans sharing a Ferrari 250LM with Ludovico Scarfiotti and when Mairesse was badly injured in the German Grand Prix, Enzo called him back to the Scuderia. In 1964 Bandini scored his only victory in F1 at the Austrian Grand Prix. Until then John Surtees’s loyal lieutenant, Lorenzo suddenly found himself as team leader after the Brit’s fall-out with Enzo early in 1966. After coming in 2nd for the last two editions of the Monaco GP, the Italian was determined to win it in 1967. But when Denny Hulme went past in the final stages, Lorenzo risked too much trying to chase the New-Zealander. He clipped the chicane and rolled his Ferrari 312, suffering appalling burns as the car erupted in flames. This accident marked a significant turning point in attitudes towards improving motor racing safety. Lorenzo passed away three days later as a consequence, shortly before his wife suffered a miscarriage in the same hospital. 100,000 people attended his funeral.


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