Franco Cortese (10 February 1903 in Oggebbio, Piedmont – 13 November 1986 in Milan)[1][2] was an Italian racing driver. He entered 156 races between 1927 and 1958, of which one was a Formula 1 Grand Prix and three were Formula 2 Grands Prix. Cortese holds the record of most finishes in a Mille Miglia race: fourteen.

Cortese celebrates a victory in Varese on 29 June 1947
Cortese with Maserati 4CL at Targa Florio on 23 May 1940

Besides having entered many races in an Alfa Romeo, Cortese became most famous for his affiliation with Ferrari between 1947 and 1949, driving the first race car built by Ferrari in 1947,[3] the Ferrari 125 S, which brought victories at four races in 1947. In 1950 he co-founded the Formula One team Scuderia Ambrosiana with Giovanni Lurani, Luigi Villoresi and Eugenio Minetti.

Complete results

edit
No. Year Date Race Entrant Car Teammate(s) Result
1 1927 27 March Mille Miglia - Itala 61 M.Baroncini 8th
2 1928 1 April Mille Miglia - Itala 61 Cucchia DNF
3 1928 26 August Coppa Ciano - Itala - 3rd
4 1929 14 April Mille Miglia - Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS Angelo Guatta 9th
5 1930 13 April Mille Miglia - Alfa Romeo 6C 1750GS Pietro Ghersi 4th
6 1930 6 July 24 Hours of Spa - Alfa Romeo 6C 1750GS Boris Ivanowski 2nd
7 1931 12 April Mille Miglia - Alfa Romeo 6C 1750GT G. Balestrieri 12th
8 1932 8 May XXIII° Targa Florio Franco Cortese Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 none DNS
9 1932 10 April Mille Miglia - Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GTC Attilio Marinoni DNF
10 1932 19 June 1932 24 Hours of Le Mans Automobili Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 LM Giovanni Battista Guidotti 2nd
11 1933 9 April Mille Miglia - Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Carlo Castelbarco 2nd
12 1933 18 June 1933 24 Hours of Le Mans Capt. G.E.T. Eyston Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Mille Miglia Louis Chiron
Tazio Nuvolari
DNF
13 1933 30 July VII° Coppa Ciano Franco Cortese Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza none 7th
14 1934 13–14 August Targa Abruzzo - Alfa Romeo 6C 2300A Francesco Severi 1st
15 1935 14 April Mille Miglia Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Pescara Francesco Severi 8th
16 1935 11–12 August Targa Abruzzo - Alfa Romeo 6C 2300A Francesco Severi 1st
17 1936 5 April Mille Miglia - Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Giuseppe Salvi der Pero DNF
18 1936 10 May X° Gran Premio di Tripoli Franco Cortese Alfa Romeo Tipo B a.k.a.
Alfa Romeo P3 (Monoposto)
none DNF
19 1937 4 April Mille Miglia - Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Pescara Angelo Guatta 6th
20 1937 18 April II° Gran Premio del Valentino Scuderia Ambrosiana Maserati 6CM none DNF
21 1937 25 April III° Coppa Principessa di Piemonte Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 6CM none DNF
22 1937 9 May XI° Gran Premio di Tripoli Scuderia Ambrosiana Maserati 6CM none 16th
23 1937 16 May Tunis Grand Prix - Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Pescara - 7th
24 1937 30 May VI Internationales AVUS Rennen - Maserati 6CM - DNF
25 1937 6 June 3 Hours of Marseille Franco Cortese Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Pescara none -
26 1937 13 June Gran Premio di Firenze Scuderia Maremmana Maserati 6CM Francesco Severi
Ferdinando Barbieri
4th
27 1937 13 June XI ADAC Eifelrennen Scuderia Maremmana Maserati 6CM Francesco Severi 3rd
28 1937 20 June II° Circuito di Milano Scuderia Maremmana Maserati 6CM Francesco Severi 3rd
29 1937 18 July Susa-Moncenisio (hillclimb) - Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B - -
30 1937 25 July X Großer Preis von Deutschland Scuderia Maremmana Maserati 6CM Francesco Severi
Renato Balestrero
DNF
31 1937 13 August Targa Abruzzo - Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B - 1st
32 1937 15 August XIII° Coppa Acerbo - Maserati 6CM - 3rd
33 1937 22 August IV Grand Prix de Berne Scuderia Ambrosiana Maserati 6CM none 4th
34 1937 19 September III° Coppa Ciano - Maserati 6CM - DNF
35 1937 26 September Circuit of Campione d'Italia Scuderia Torino Maserati none DNS
36 1937 - XII° Gran Premio di Tripoli Scuderia Ambrosiana Maserati 6CM Luigi Villoresi 2nd
37 1938 3 April Mille Miglia - Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B MM C. Fumagalli 9th
38 1938 24 April Coppa dei Colli Torinesi (hillclimb) - Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B - -
39 1938 15 May XII° Gran Premio di Tripoli Scuderia Ambrosiana Maserati 6CM Giovanni Lurani
Luigi Villoresi
Manuel de Teffé
Ferdinando Righetti
DNF
40 1938 22 May XXIX° Targa Florio Scuderia Ambrosiana Maserati 6CM Manuel de Teffé
Ferdinando Righetti
Luigi Villoresi
DNS
41 1938 29 May Parma-Poggio di Berceto - Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B - -
42 1938 19 June Coppa Ascoli - Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B - 2nd
43 1938 3 July Trofeo Val d'Intelvi (hillclimb) - Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B - 1st
44 1938 10 July Pontedecimo-Giovi (hillclimb) - Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B - -
45 1938 17 July Circuito Varese Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 6CM Aldo Marazza
Giovanni Rocco
1st
46 1938 24 July XI Großer Preis von Deutschland Scuderia Ambrosiana Maserati 6CM none 9th
47 1938 7 August Coppa Ciano Scuderia Ambrosiana Maserati 6CM none 4th
48 1938 15 August Targa Abruzzo - Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Pietro Ghersi 1st
49 1938 3 September Tourist Trophy - Alfa Romeo - DNS
50 1938 4 September IV° Coppa Ciano Scuderia Ambrosiana Maserati 6CM Luigi Villoresi 2nd
51 1938 11 September Gran Premio di Milano Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 6CM Aldo Marazza
Luigi Villoresi
Paul Pietsch
4th
52 1938 18 September Circuito di Modena Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 6CM none 1st
53 1939 2 January V South African Grand Prix Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 6CM Luigi Villoresi
Piero Taruffi
2nd
54 1939 14 January III Grosvenor Grand Prix Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 6CM Luigi Villoresi
Piero Taruffi
1st
55 1939 7 May XIII° Gran Premio di Tripoli Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 6CM Carlo Felice Trossi
Luigi Villoresi
DNF
56 1939 14 May XXX° Targa Florio Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 6CM Luigi Villoresi DNF
57 1939 28 May V° Coppa Principessa di Piemonte Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 4CL Giovanni Rocco
Luigi Villoresi
Luigi Belucci
Carlo Felice Trossi
3rd
58 1939 11 June Circuito dell'Impero Scuderia Ambrosiana Alfa Romeo none 3rd
59 1939 9 July I Circuito del Carnaro Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 4CL Luigi Villoresi
Giovanni Rocco
2nd
60 1939 30 July XIX Coppa Ciano Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 4CL Luigi Villoresi
Giovanni Rocco
Carlo Felice Trossi
2nd
61 1939 13 August XV° Coppa Acerbo Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 4CL Luigi Villoresi
Giovanni Rocco
Carlo Felice Trossi
2nd
62 1940 28 April Mille Miglia - BMW 328 Giovanni Lurani DNF
63 1940 12 May XIV° Gran Premio di Tripoli Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 4CL Luigi Villoresi 5th
64 1940 23 May XXXI° Targa Florio Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 4CL Luigi Villoresi 2nd
65 1946 23 June Circuito di Campione d'Italia - - - -
66 1946 30 June Modena (handicap) Scuderia Ambrosiana Lancia Astura none 1st
67 1946 30 June Modena (S+1.5) Scuderia Ambrosiana Lancia Astura none 1st
68 1946 4 August Circuito di Luino - Lancia Astura - 1st
69 1947 11 May Piacenza Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 125 Spyder none DNF
70 1947 25 May Rome Grand Prix Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 125 Spyder none 1st
71 1947 1 June Vercelli Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 125 Spyder none 1st
72 1947 15 June Vigevano Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 125 Spyder Corsa Adelmo Marchetti DNF
73 1947 29 June Varese Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 125 Spyder Corsa none 1st
74 1947 13 July Parma Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 125 Spyder none 2nd
75 1947 20 July Florence Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 125 Spyder Corsa none DNF
76 1947 15 August Circuito di Pescara Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 159 Spyder none 2nd
77 1947 24 August Livorno - Ferrari 125 Spyder - DNS
78 1947 28 September Modena Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 159 C none DNF
79 1947 - Sehab Almaz Bey Trophy - Cisitalia D46 - 1st
80 1948 4 April Targa Florio - Ferrari 125 S Ferdinando Righetti DNF
81 1948 2 May Mille Miglia Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 166 S Adelmo Marchetti DNF
82 1948 11 July 24 Hours of Spa Scuderia Ambrosiana Fiat 1100 S Diego Capelli DNF
83 1948 1 August Aosta-Gran San Bernando - Ferrari 166 SC - 5th
84 1948 15 August Circuito di Pescara Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 166 S none 5th
85 1949 20 March Targa Florio Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 166 MM none DNF
86 1949 24 April Mille Miglia Gabriele Besana Ferrari 166 SC Gabriele Besana DNF
87 1949 2 June X Formula 2 Gran Premio di Roma Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 166 SC Luigi Villoresi
Piero Taruffi
3rd
88 1949 31 July Coppa della Toscana - Bristol Giovanni Lurani 8th
89 1949 - II Formula 2 Gran Premio dell'Autodromo di Monza - Ferrari 166 F2 - 5th
90 1950 2 April Targa Florio Conte Giovanni Lurani Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica Carlo Facetti 19th
91 1950 23 April Mille Miglia Conte Giovanni Lurani Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica Z. Teravazzi 6th
92 1950 4 June Coppa della Toscana - Abarth 1100 Luigi Maggio 10th
93 1950 11 June 3 Hours of Rome - Cisitalia - 3rd
94 1950 9 July IV Formula 1 Gran Premio di Bari Franco Cortese Ferrari 166 S none 5th
95 1950 8 October Modena - Stanugellini S1100 - 5th
96 1951 1 April Giro di Sicilia Conte Giovanni Lurani Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica L. Tagni 4th
97 1951 1 April Mille Miglia Conte Giovanni Lurani Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica L. Tagni 9th
98 1951 13 May IV Formula 2 Gran Premio dell'Autodromo di Monza Scuderia Ambrosiana Ferrari 166 F2 none DNF
99 1951 3 June Eifelrennen Nürburgring - Frazer Nash - DNS
100 1951 5 August Schauinsland (hillclimb) Scuderia Ambrosiana Frazer Nash none 5th
101 1951 19 August Pergusa Grand Prix - Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica - 1st
102 1951 9 September Targa Florio Scuderia Ambrosiana Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica none 1st
103 1952 9 March Giro di Sicilia - Alfa Romeo 1900 Giulio Sala 9th
104 1952 4 May Mille Miglia - Alfa Romeo 1900 Sprint A. de Giuseppe DNF
105 1952 15 June 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM Juan Manuel Fangio
Froilan Gonzalez
DNS
106 1952 22 June Circuito di Caserta - Frazer Nash - 2nd
107 1952 29 June Targa Florio Conte Giovanni Lurani Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica none DNF
108 1953 12 April Giro di Sicilia - Alfa Romeo 1900 TI - DNF
109 1953 26 April Mille Miglia - Fiat 8V P. Feroldi 14th
110 1953 26 April Mille Miglia Mario Tadini Jaguar C-Type Mario Tadini
Pietro Cagnana
DNS
111 1953 14 May Targa Florio Automobiles Frazer Nash Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica none DNF
112 1953 26 July 10 Hours of Messina - Ferrari 250 MM Bruno Sterzi 8th
113 1953 9 August Circuito di Senigallia - Ferrari 166 MM/53 - 1st
114 1953 15 August 12 Hours of Pescara Enrico Sterzi Ferrari 166 MM/53 Enrico Sterzi 3rd
115 1953 23 August Trullo d'Oro - Ferrari - 2nd
116 1953 9 September I Gran Premio Supercortemaggiore - Ferrari 166 MM/53 - DNF
117 1954 4 April Giro di Sicilia - Ferrari 500 Mondial - DNF
118 1954 11 April Coppa della Toscana - Ferrari E. Perucchini 19th
119 1954 2 May Mille Miglia - Ferrari 500 Mondial E. Perucchini 14th
120 1954 16 May VII Gran Premio di Napoli - Ferrari - DNF
121 1954 22 May 3 Hours of Bari - Ferrari 500 Mondial - 3rd
122 1954 30 May Targa Florio - Ferrari 166 MM/53 - DNF
123 1954 13 June Circuito di Caserta - Ferrari 166 MM/53 - 3rd
124 1954 20 June Gran Premio d'Imola - Ferrari 166 MM/53 - 8th
125 1954 4 July Cidonio Grand Prix a.k.a.
Circuito di Collemaggio in L'Aquila
- Ferrari 166 MM/53 - 2nd
126 1954 25 July 10 Hours of Messina - Ferrari 166 MM/53 Giulio Musitelli 6th
127 1954 8 August Circuito di Senigallia - Ferrari - 5th
128 1955 1 May Mille Miglia - Fiat 8V Achille Stazzi
R. Pasqualino
46th
129 1955 29 May Supercortemaggiore - Ferrari 500 Mondial Luigi Piotti 5th
130 1955 27 August Oulton Park International Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 Mondial none DNF
131 1955 16 October Targa Florio - Ferrari 500 Mondial Antonio Pucci DNF
132 1956 29 April Mille Miglia - Fiat 8V - 97th
133 1956 10 June Opatija Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 TR none 1st
134 1956 10 June Targa Florio - - - -
135 1956 17 June Circuito di Caserta Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 TR none 1st
136 1956 24 June IV Gran Premio Supercortemaggiore Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 TR Enzo Pinzero 11th
137 1956 15 July Circuito di Reggio Calabria (Handicap) Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 TR none DNS
138 1956 15 July Circuito di Reggio Calabria (S2.0) Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 TR none 2nd
139 1956 22 July Bari Grand Prix Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 TR none 6th
140 1956 29 July Giro delle Calabria Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 TR none 7th
141 1956 18 August Pescara Grand Prix Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 TR none 4th
142 1956 26 August 5 Hours of Messina Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 TR none 4th
143 1956 30 September Circuito di Sassari Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 TR none 1st
144 1956 21 October Rome Grand Prix Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 TR none 6th
145 1956 4 November II Gran Premio Internacional de Venezuela Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 TR none 11th
146 1957 14 April Giro di Sicilia Wolfgang Seidel Ferrari 250 GT Bruno Gavazzoli -
147 1957 9 June Monsanto - Ferrari 500 TR - 9th
148 1957 11 August Sverige Grand Prix Adrian Conan Doyle Ferrari 500 TRC Adrian Conan Doyle DNS
149 1957 1 December Esso Vallelunga - Ferrari 500 TR - 15th
150 1958 13 April Coppa Shell Monza Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 TR none 5th
151 1958 27 April XI Gran Premio di Napoli - Ferrari 500 TR - 6th
152 1958 11 May Targa Florio - Ferrari 500 TRC Gaetano Starrabba 7th
153 1958 15 May Aspern Franco Cortese Ferrari 500 TRC none 2nd
154 1958 6 July Circuito di Sassari - Ferrari 500 TR - 4th
155 1958 20 July 10 Hours of Messina - Ferrari 500 TRC Gaetano Starrabba -
156 1958 5 October Innsbruck Franco Cortese Ferrari none 7th

[4][5][6]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Franco Cortese | Racing career profile | Driver Database".
  2. ^ "The Golden Era of Gp Racing 1934-40 – Drivers (C)". Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  3. ^ (in Italian) Franco Cortese, il primo pilota Ferrari Archived 13 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Franco Cortese | Racing career profile | Driver Database".
  5. ^ "Franco Cortese (I) - Racing Sports Cars".
  6. ^ "The Golden Era of Gp Racing 1934-40 – Drivers (C)". Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2013.