Unique book: All about Ticino pilots
TIME TRAVEL OVER 111 YEARS Giorgio Keller has written a lavish book about 40 racing drivers from Ticino who competed on two, three or four wheels in Grands Prix, at Le Mans or in the World Karting Championship. International victories, unknown successes, championship titles, painful defeats and cars that stayed in the pit lane: These facts about forty racing drivers who [...]
International victories, unknown successes, championship titles, painful defeats and cars that stayed in the pit lane: Giorgio Keller collected these facts about forty racing drivers who share a common bond with the south side of the Alps in the book "Piloti ticinesi da Grand Prix - 111 anni di emozioni" ("Ticino Grand Prix drivers - 111 years of emotions").
Density of GP pilots
The 400-page book, recently published by Fontana, takes you on a journey through the history of international motorsport in Ticino. This already began at the beginning of the last century.
The fact is that no canton has produced more Grand Prix drivers. In Formula 1 alone (from 1950), a quarter of Swiss drivers come from the Lugano and Locarno regions.
It began already in 1908
Even earlier, however, Ticino racing drivers made a name for themselves. That is why the book bears the subtitle "111 years of emotions". In May 1908, for example, Pierino Primavesi traveled 2600 kilometers of barely paved roads to Russia in his 20-hp Diatto-Clément and then took part in the race from St. Petersburg to Moscow (600 km). After eleven hours at full throttle, he crossed the finish line in sixth place. In the end, he was able to start the long journey home in his race car - imagine that today...
From Mario Lepori to Rudi Caracciola to Silvio Moser and Clay Regazzoni
In 1929, a certain Mario Lepori, a bon vivant from Castagnola near Lugano, started at the very first Monaco GP. Rudolf Caracciola also lived in the same place. Germany's best racing driver between the two world wars was naturalized here afterwards. Carlo Pedrazzini, Ottorino Volonterio, Silvio Moser and Clay Regazzoni, the most successful Swiss Formula 1 driver to date, all came to live here.
Motorcycle GP winner and karting world champion
Ticino was also the home of various motorcycle riders. For example, the excellent sidecar duo Pantellini/Mazzoni or Sergio Pellandini (best privateer in 500cc), Oliver Petrucciani, Claudio Vanzetta, Giancarlo Cavadini to Roberto Rolfo - all of them made it to podiums (Pantellini) or scored world championship points. Rolfo even won four Grands Prix.
The kart drivers from Ticino are not neglected in this book either. After all, the south of Switzerland provided the only Swiss world champion in this category so far, Edgardo Rossi, in 1967.
View to Le Mans
The prestigious 24-hour race of Le Mans represents a separate sector in the book with around twenty Ticino racing drivers. Among them Tommy Spychiger, in whose pub in the "Galleria" of Lugano in the 1960s a group of young daredevils (such as Regazzoni and Moser) philosophized weekly about cars. Or Lilian Bryner, who achieved considerable international success. The book also documents other racing drivers from Ticino who made their mark at Le Mans and other major endurance races.
About 1100 images
Divided chronologically into 50 chapters, the book is alive with anecdotes and background information. All are richly illustrated. Also many illustrations of posters, sketches, dedications and advertising messages testify to past and recent eras of Ticino motorsport history.
Unfortunately only in Italian
The only downside: to understand everything, you should be able to speak Italian. But the many names and photos alone make "Piloti ticinesi da Grand Prix - 111 anni di emozioni" worthwhile.
The price is 58 francs. It is easiest to obtain online under the link Piloti Ticinesi di Gran Prix Or email piloti.ticinesi@bluewin.ch.
