Consalvo Sanesi (28 March 1911, in Terranuova Bracciolini, Arezzo – 28 July 1998, in Milan) was best known as the Alfa Romeo works' test driver in the period following World War II, but he also competed in races with the Alfa Romeo Tipo 158/159 cars in the period before the Formula One World Championship came into being.[1] He competed in five Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 3 September 1950. Although, on his day, his experience with the cars meant that he was often one of the fastest men on the racetrack, somehow this rarely translated into good results. He scored only 3 championship points. He found some success driving in sports car racing, continuing into the mid-1960s.
On the 1953 Mille Miglia he posted the fastest stage average speed, 112.8 mph (181.5 km/h), beating greats such as Nino Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio, but on this occasion his car let him down and he failed to finish.[2] A year later he won his class in the Carrera Panamericana.
Sanesi entered an Alfa Romeo in the November 1954 Pan American race in Mexico. In the European touring car class of the event he led at one juncture with a total time of 8 hours, 29 minutes, and 24 seconds. He was overtaken by fellow Italian and Alfa Romeo drivers, Sergio Mantovani and Mario Della Favera.[3] A couple of days later Sanesi established a 17-minute lead in his car, with the Alfa Romeo marque sweeping the first five positions of the European touring car division.[4]
He gave up front line racing following a near-death accident during the 1964 12 Hours of Sebring race, when following a crash his Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ burst into flames. Only the prompt and courageous actions of Jocko Maggiacomo, a fellow driver watching at the trackside who dived into the flames and pulled Sanesi clear, saved his life. Sanesi was paired with driver Roberto Bussinello in the event.[5]
Maggiacomo received a Gentleman of the Road award in November 1964 for his effort in rescuing Sanesi. The commendation was presented by the Milan Automobile Club.[6]
^Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 332. ISBN 0851127029.
^"Public Proving Ground". Time. 4 May 1953. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2007.
^"Hill Pacing Mexican Auto Race By 39 Seconds After 657 Miles", The New York Times, 21 November 1954, Page S1.
^"Co-Pilot Is Killed In Mexican Event", The New York Times, 23 November 1954, Page 31.
^"Race Drivers Picked", The New York Times, 18 March 1964, Page 51.
^"Italians Honor U.S. Mechanic", The New York Times, 9 November 1964, Page 10.
ConsalvoSanesi (28 March 1911, in Terranuova Bracciolini, Arezzo – 28 July 1998, in Milan) was best known as the Alfa Romeo works' test driver in the...
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Ascari qualified second for Ferrari. Farina started from third, while ConsalvoSanesi completed the front row in an additional Alfa Romeo. Fagioli could...
podium in just his second championship race. The remaining Alfa drivers—ConsalvoSanesi and Toulo de Graffenried—completed the points paying positions, ahead...
Manuel Fangio Giuseppe Farina Luigi Fagioli Reg Parnell Piero Taruffi ConsalvoSanesi — 1951 Alfa Romeo S.p.A. 159 158 1.5 L8 s P — Juan Manuel Fangio Giuseppe...
passed him on the straight on lap 10, and slowly began to draw away. ConsalvoSanesi then pulled into the pits for fuel and new tyres. The Maserati of John...
winning from pole position. Carlo Felice Trossi and ConsalvoSanesi were second and third, Sanesi having set fastest lap. Piero Taruffi completed the...
the Alfa team was expected to win, and after Farina, Karl Kling and ConsalvoSanesi all crashed, Fangio was leading when he reached Rome, pushing very...
who also started from pole and set fastest lap. Varzi's team mate ConsalvoSanesi finished second, and Renato Balestrero and Enrico Ziegler shared third...
1964) 1910 – Ingrid of Sweden, Queen of Denmark (d. 2000) 1911 – ConsalvoSanesi, Italian race car driver (d. 1998) 1912 – A. Bertram Chandler, English-Australian...
(developing 270 bhp and 245 km/h) for Fangio and Onofre Marimón and ConsalvoSanesi and Piero Carini. The third car was driven by Mercedes-Benz works-drivers...
territory and so they fielded an additional car for Piero Taruffi and ConsalvoSanesi. It was the Ferrari of Alberto Ascari who put pressure on the Alfas...
Alfa Romeo Report 7 September Italian Grand Prix Fiera Campionaria ConsalvoSanesi Carlo Felice Trossi Carlo Felice Trossi Alfa Romeo Report 21 September...
near the back of the grid, quickly moved up into third place ahead of ConsalvoSanesi in the third of the Alfas. Villoresi was starting to challenge Ascari...
1940, the Tipo 512 was first tested, by Alfa Romeo chief test driver ConsalvoSanesi; despite being very powerful its handling was not thought to be good...
de Graffenried qualified and drove the race in the #36 Alfa Romeo. ConsalvoSanesi was also entered in the car, but injury prevented his participation...
Distance 100 laps, 344.728 km (214.204 miles) Pole position Driver ConsalvoSanesi Alfa Romeo Time 1:44.0 Fastest lap Driver Carlo Felice Trossi Alfa...
which went into different classes at the start. Juan Manuel Fangio and ConsalvoSanesi piloted an Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM in the sports car category. Max Thirion...
Richard M. Barancik 14 July 2023 (aged 99) Last of the Monuments Men ConsalvoSanesi 28 July 1998(1998-07-28) (aged 87) Last participant of the 1946 Turin...
Carlo Felice Trossi ConsalvoSanesi Alfa Romeo 158 53 Supercharger 2 Ret Giuseppe Farina Ferrari 125 51 Accident 6 Ret ConsalvoSanesi Alfa Romeo 158 42...
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