Luigi Villoresi

This is another of the Kodak Brownie 127 photographs taken by my brother at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July 1956.

It's the Italian racing driver Luigi Villoresi photographed in the paddock on practice day. Luigi Villoresi started his racing career in 1931 and after driving an Alfa Romeo for Scuderia Ferrari in 1937 he joined the Maserati racing team the following season. When racing recommenced after the Second World War he rejoined the Maserati team and remained with them until 1949 when he signed for Scuderia Ferrari, driving for them in F1 World Championship and sportscar races from 1950 to 1953, his team mate Alberto Ascari winning the World Championship title in 1952 and 1953. In 1954 both he and Ascari joined the Lancia team to drive the new Lancia D50, but Villoresi was loaned to Maserati for the first part of the 1954 season until the new car was ready. During the 1955 season Lancia's financial problems were gradually mounting, and the death of Ascari in an accident at Monza precipitated the team's withdrawal from racing, handing over the assets of Scuderia Lancia to Ferrari at the end of the season. Luigi Villoresi went back to racing Maseratis, first with Scuderia Centro Sud then in Luigi Piotti's 250F, and his final F1 race was for the Maserati works team at the 1956 Italian Grand Prix. He didn't win any major Grand Prix races, but was successful in several minor Grands Prix and sportscar races, but his major success was in winning the 1951 Mille Miglia race with Piero Cassani for Scuderia Ferrari in a Ferrari 340 America Berlinetta Vignale. Luigi Villoresi drove Luigi Piotti's Maserati 250F in the 1956 British Grand Prix, qualifying in nineteenth place on the grid but finishing the race in sixth place.