The Most Famous

RACING DRIVERS from Italy

This page contains a list of the greatest Italian Racing Drivers. The pantheon dataset contains 1,080 Racing Drivers, 122 of which were born in Italy. This makes Italy the birth place of the 2nd most number of Racing Drivers.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Italian Racing Drivers of all time. This list of famous Italian Racing Drivers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Italian Racing Drivers.

1. Enzo Ferrari (1898 - 1988)

With an HPI of 75.55, Enzo Ferrari is the most famous Italian Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 66 different languages on wikipedia.

Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari (Italian: [ˈɛntso anˈsɛlmo ferˈraːri]; 18 February 1898 – 14 August 1988) was an Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque. Under his leadership, Scuderia Ferrari won nine drivers' world championships and eight constructors' world championships in Formula 1 during his lifetime. He was widely known as il Commendatore or il Drake, a nickname given by British opponents in reference to the English privateer Francis Drake, due to Ferrari's demonstrated ability and determination in achieving significant sports results with his small company. In his final years, he was often referred to as l'Ingegnere ("the Engineer"), il Grande Vecchio ("the Grand Old Man"), il Cavaliere ("the Knight"), il Mago ("the Wizard"), and il Patriarca ("the Patriarch").

2. Alberto Ascari (1918 - 1955)

With an HPI of 68.40, Alberto Ascari is the 2nd most famous Italian Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 57 different languages.

Alberto Ascari (13 July 1918 – 26 May 1955) was an Italian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1950 to 1955. Ascari won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in 1952 and 1953 with Ferrari, and won 13 Grands Prix across six seasons. In endurance racing, Ascari won the Mille Miglia in 1954 with Lancia. Noted for careful precision and finely-judged accuracy, Ascari was a multitalented racer who competed in motorcycle racing before switching to cars. He won consecutive Formula One world titles in 1952 and 1953 for Scuderia Ferrari, becoming the first Ferrari-powered World Champion and breaking several records across both seasons. He remains the last Italian to win the World Drivers' Championship, as of 2024. This was sandwiched by an appearance in the 1952 Indianapolis 500, and winning the 1954 Mille Miglia. As of 2024, Ascari and Michael Schumacher are Ferrari's only back-to-back World Champions, and Ascari remains Ferrari's sole Italian champion. As the first driver to win multiple World Championship titles, he held the record for most World Championship titles from 1952 to 1954, becoming one of four drivers to have held the record for most World Championship titles. Juan Manuel Fangio held the record from 1954 to 2002 (jointly with Ascari in 1954) and Schumacher has held the record since 2002, although Schumacher also shares that record with Lewis Hamilton since 2020. When Ascari was a young child, his father Antonio Ascari, also a famous racing driver, died in an accident at the 1925 French Grand Prix. Ascari himself was later killed during a test session for Ferrari at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in 1955.

3. Giuseppe Farina (1906 - 1966)

With an HPI of 67.52, Giuseppe Farina is the 3rd most famous Italian Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 54 different languages.

Emilio Giuseppe "Nino" Farina (Italian pronunciation: [dʒuˈzɛppe ˈniːno faˈriːna]; 30 October 1906 – 30 June 1966) was an Italian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1950 to 1956. Farina won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in its inaugural 1950 season with Alfa Romeo, and won five Grands Prix across seven seasons. Born in Turin, Farina was the son of Giovanni Farina, founder of Stabilimenti Farina. Aged nine, he started driving a two-cylinder Temperino, eventually progressing to hillclimbing in 1925. A protégé of Tazio Nuvolari, Farina attracted the attention of Enzo Ferrari in his early career, who signed him to Ferrari in 1936. He immediately impressed, finishing runner-up at the Mille Miglia driving an Alfa Romeo 8C. Farina took his maiden Grand Prix win at the Naples Grand Prix in 1937, winning three consecutive Italian Championships until 1939, the latter two with Alfa Corse. He earned notoriety for his involvement in the fatal accidents of Marcel Lehoux and László Hartmann in 1936 and 1938, respectively. Farina won the Tripoli Grand Prix in 1939, his last victory before World War II. After the war, Farina returned to Alfa Corse, winning the Nations Grand Prix in 1946. Amongst four major victories in 1948, Farina won the Monaco Grand Prix. He signed for Alfa Romeo in 1950, making his Formula One debut at the series-opening British Grand Prix, which he won ahead of Luigi Fagioli. Amidst a title charge by teammate Juan Manuel Fangio, Farina took further wins at the Swiss and Italian Grands Prix, becoming the first World Drivers' Champion. Although winning the Belgian Grand Prix in 1951, Farina was unable to halt the ascent of Fangio and Alberto Ascari. He joined Ascari at Ferrari in 1952, but was unable to hinder his dominance over the next two seasons. Farina took his final victory in Formula One at the German Grand Prix in 1953. After a string of injuries during 1954, Farina retired from Formula One after Ascari's fatal accident in 1955. Amongst five race wins, five pole positions, five fastest laps and 20 podiums, Farina also won 11 non-championship races in Formula One. Aged 49, he returned for the Indianapolis 500 in 1956 with Kurtis Kraft, but was unable to qualify. Farina withdrew from the 1957 Indianapolis 500, after the death of teammate Keith Andrews during practice. In sportscar racing, Farina won the Nürburgring 1000 km, the 24 Hours of Spa and the 12 Hours of Casablanca, all in 1953 with Ferrari and the former two as part of the inaugural World Sportscar Championship. On his way to spectate the 1966 French Grand Prix, Farina died after he lost control of his Lotus Cortina in the French Alps.

4. Giacomo Agostini (b. 1942)

With an HPI of 63.29, Giacomo Agostini is the 4th most famous Italian Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Giacomo Agostini (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒaːkomo aɡoˈstiːni]; born 16 June 1942) is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer and racing team manager. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1963 to 1977, most prominently as a member of the MV Agusta factory racing team. Nicknamed Ago, he amassed 122 Grand Prix wins and 15 World Championship titles. Of these, 68 wins and 8 titles came in the 500 cc class, the rest in the 350 cc class. For these achievements obtained over the course of a career spanning 17 years, the AMA described him as "...perhaps the greatest Grand Prix rider of all time". In 2000, Agostini was inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame as a MotoGP Legend, while in 2010, he was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.

5. Valentino Rossi (b. 1979)

With an HPI of 60.30, Valentino Rossi is the 5th most famous Italian Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 59 different languages.

Valentino Rossi ( ROSS-ee, Italian: [valenˈtiːno ˈrossi]; born 16 February 1979) is an Italian racing driver, former professional motorcycle road racer and nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. Nicknamed The Doctor, Rossi is widely considered one of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time. He is also the only road racer to have competed in 400 or more Grands Prix. Of Rossi's nine Grand Prix World Championships, seven were in the premier 500cc/MotoGP class. He holds the record for most premier class victories and podiums, with 89 victories and 199 podiums to his name. He won premier class World Championships with both Honda and Yamaha. He rode with the number 46 for his entire career. After graduating to the premier class in 2000, Rossi won the final 500cc World Championship (becoming the last satellite rider to win the top-class title until Jorge Martín in 2024) and the 8 Hours of Suzuka with Honda in 2001. He also won MotoGP World Championships with the factory Repsol Honda team in 2002 and 2003 and continued his run of back-to-back championships by winning the 2004 and 2005 titles after leaving Honda to join Yamaha. He lost the 2006 title with a crash in the final round at Valencia. In 2007, he ultimately finished third overall, before regaining the title in 2008 and retaining it in 2009. After a 2010 season marred by a broken leg and no title defence, he left Yamaha to join the Ducati factory team, replacing Casey Stoner for the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and endured two winless seasons with the Italian marque. Rossi returned to Yamaha in 2013 and finished fourth in the standings followed by three successive runner-up positions in 2014, 2015 and 2016. His best chance of winning a tenth title came in 2015, where he led the standings for most of the season, finishing five points behind team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, the eventual champion. 2017 was the final season in which he achieved over 200 championship points, and he won his final race victory in the 2017 Dutch TT at the age of 38. After three winless seasons with the Yamaha factory team, he moved to Petronas SRT for 2021, retiring after only one season with the satellite Yamaha team and failing to achieve a podium for the first time in a career spanning 26 seasons in Grands Prix. The dominant force in MotoGP in the 2000s, all of Rossi's seven premier class titles came in this decade, including 77 race wins and 48 pole positions. In the ensuing 12 seasons, he managed 12 race wins and seven pole positions. During this period, Rossi was the 6th most successful rider in terms of total race victories. Rossi was inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame as an official Legend by the FIM at the awards ceremony after the conclusion of the 2021 season. His #46 bike number was retired at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix. Rossi owns and manages the Racing Team VR46, which competes in MotoGP as of 2024. In addition to his team management role, Rossi competes full-time in the FIA World Endurance Championship, driving for Team WRT, in a BMW M4 GT3, which also bears the now iconic number 46.

6. Alfredo Ferrari (1932 - 1956)

With an HPI of 60.15, Alfredo Ferrari is the 6th most famous Italian Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Alfredo Ferrari (nicknamed Alfredino or Dino; 19 January 1932 – 30 June 1956) was an Italian automotive engineer and the first son of automaker Enzo Ferrari. He was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and died aged 24. After his death, Ferrari named the car fitted with the engine that Alfredo was working on at the time of his death "Dino" in his honour.

7. Tazio Nuvolari (1892 - 1953)

With an HPI of 59.99, Tazio Nuvolari is the 7th most famous Italian Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.

Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari (Italian: [ˈtattsjo ˈdʒordʒo nuvoˈlaːri]; 16 November 1892 – 11 August 1953) was an Italian racing driver. He first raced motorcycles and then concentrated on sports cars and Grand Prix racing. Originally of Mantua, he was nicknamed il Mantovano Volante ("the Flying Mantuan") and Nuvola ("Cloud"). His victories—72 major races, 150 in all—included 24 Grands Prix, five Coppa Cianos, two Mille Miglias, two Targa Florios, two RAC Tourist Trophies, a Le Mans 24-hour race, and a European Championship in Grand Prix racing. Ferdinand Porsche called him "the greatest driver of the past, the present, and the future".

8. Lella Lombardi (1941 - 1992)

With an HPI of 59.77, Lella Lombardi is the 8th most famous Italian Racing Driver. Her biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi (26 March 1941 – 3 March 1992) was an Italian racing driver who participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix. Lombardi is one of two female drivers to qualify for Formula One and is the only female driver who scored points in Formula One. Lombardi grew up in Italy and developed an interest in racing by driving a delivery van for her family. Starting in karting and moving to Formula Monza and Formula Three, Lombardi advanced through racing until she reached Formula One. She is the only woman to win points in Formula One, winning half a point in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. Lombardi was also the first woman to qualify and compete in the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch and raced in sports cars. She won the 6 Hours of Pergusa and the 6 Hours of Vallelunga. Lombardi's story has impacted generations of racers. Her experience has shaped the involvement of women in racing and how people perceive women in the racing industry.

9. Riccardo Patrese (b. 1954)

With an HPI of 58.83, Riccardo Patrese is the 9th most famous Italian Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 36 different languages.

Riccardo Gabriele Patrese (born 17 April 1954) is an Italian former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1977 to 1993. Patrese was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1992 with Williams, and won six Grands Prix across 17 seasons. He became the first Formula One driver to achieve 200 Grand Prix starts when he appeared at the 1990 British Grand Prix, and then became the first to achieve 250 starts at the 1993 German Grand Prix. For 19 years, he held the record for the most Formula One Grand Prix starts, with 256 races from 257 entries. As of the end of the 2023 season he is the tenth-most experienced F1 driver in history. At the age of 38 he was runner-up to Nigel Mansell in the 1992 Formula One World Championship, and third in 1989 and 1991. He won six Formula One races, with a record gap of over six years between two of these – the 1983 South African Grand Prix and 1990 San Marino Grand Prix. Patrese also competed at the World Sportscar Championship for the Lancia factory team, finishing runner-up in 1982 and collecting eight wins.

10. Maria Teresa de Filippis (1926 - 2016)

With an HPI of 58.72, Maria Teresa de Filippis is the 10th most famous Italian Racing Driver. Her biography has been translated into 31 different languages.

Maria Teresa de Filippis (11 November 1926 – 8 January 2016) was an Italian racing driver, and the first woman to race in Formula One. She participated in five World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 May 1958, but scored no championship points. Though her Formula One racing career was brief, she won races in other series and is remembered as a pioneer in the sport.

People

Pantheon has 129 people classified as Italian racing drivers born between 1892 and 2002. Of these 129, 72 (55.81%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Italian racing drivers include Giacomo Agostini, Valentino Rossi, and Riccardo Patrese. The most famous deceased Italian racing drivers include Enzo Ferrari, Alberto Ascari, and Giuseppe Farina. As of April 2024, 7 new Italian racing drivers have been added to Pantheon including Alfredo Ferrari, Ernesto Prinoth, and Eugenio Lazzarini.