The F1 veterans: Michele Alboreto, the unfinished work

The debut of the Milanese driver in high-level competition is dazzling. Only 3 years will pass between his FIAt-Abarth formula title and his arrival in F1 in 1981, including a European F3 championship title. It is at the San Marino Grand Prix that Alboreto makes his debut in the premier category, thanks to the cash-strapped talent spotter, the British Ken Tyrrell, whose cars bear his name. The team no longer has the splendor of the past, but Michele impresses with his naturally aspirated Ford engine against the powerful turbos. He manages to secure two victories in the United States; in Las Vegas in 1982 and in Detroit in 1983, the team’s last victory.

The Italian Dream

Alboreto is the revelation, the rising star. His talent prompts Enzo Ferrari to sign him alongside René Arnoux starting in 1984. The unattainable dream becomes reality. It had been 17 years since an Italian had held a permanent driver position within Scuderia Ferrari, following the fatal accident of Lorenzo Bandini in Monaco.

After a promising first season, the 1985 championship cup seems destined for Michele Alboreto. He leads the standings mid-season, but then the performance of his car collapses. Inexorably, Alain Prost’s McLaren takes the lead. The Ferrari driver just manages to secure a bitter vice-champion spot. In the rivalry of Formula 1 races, Alboreto makes a friend in the newly crowned world champion Frenchman: *Michele was someone I considered a true gentleman on and off the track.*

But something broke in him. The Italian is stagnating in performance as much as his car. He doesn’t know it yet, but he has signed off on his last victories. Bad luck and Ferrari’s reliability issues won’t allow him to shine. Yet in 1988, during his last season with the Reds, Michele scored points in every race he managed to finish. With 80 races, he became the Italian driver with the record for the most Grand Prix contested with Ferrari, and just as many times wearing the famous number 27, made iconic by Gilles Villeneuve.

The slow descent, then the dazzling renewal

While some expected him at Williams, Michele returned to Tyrrell in 1989 and then moved on to drive for the most modest teams on the grid: Larousse, Footwork, BMS. Some drivers would consider it a slow agony, but the Italian’s passion outweighs such considerations.

1994 will mark the end of his career in Formula 1, a final season with Minardi and only one point scored. He is one of the last “old-timers” of the Prost, Mansell generation. He advocates for more safety, especially in the pits, at a time when speed is not limited and drivers take off with full throttle just meters away from mechanics. And it is precisely him who experiences the mishap he had anticipated during that dark Imola weekend. During the race, he loses a wheel while leaving his pit stop. The wheel hits and injures several members of the Ferrari and Lotus teams. It is following this incident that a speed limitation will be imposed during F1 races. This tragedy affects him deeply. In addition to the deaths of Senna and Ratzenberger, Alboreto decides not to compete against the young guns waiting for a seat in the top category. It is time for him to move on.

In terms of performance, observers think he is finished. Michele persists in the highly competitive DTM, without convincing, then makes honorable debuts in IndyCar.

The Joest Racing endurance team knew what they were doing and hired him in 1996 to drive the Porsche WSC-95. The following year, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Tom Kristensen (record holder for victories) and one of his former teammates at Ferrari: Stefan Johansson. His second career was launched. He would follow Joest in the Audi adventure and collect numerous podium finishes.

Destiny, an Unfinished Work

In March 2001, at 44 years old, the Italian gentleman won the 12 Hours of Sebring. The following month, during a private test of the Audi R8 LMP1, he suffered a high-speed tire blowout. The off-track incident was violent. The driver died instantly.

It’s a hard blow for the tifosi. Michele is the last Italian driver to have won at the wheel of a Ferrari. Tributes pour in, including one from Alain Prost, a rival since F3. Everyone is unanimous in highlighting the man’s kindness. A few years later, on the Monza podium in 2005, it’s Giancarlo Fisichella who pays tribute to his compatriot: « Alboreto was the last Italian on the Monza podium [in 1988]. I was lucky enough to race alongside him in touring car, he was a great person, truly special. I want to dedicate this result to his memory. »

Michele Alboreto participated in 194 Grand Prix. He will be remembered mainly as a smiling man, with natural talent, the last Italian on Ferrari to fight for the Formula 1 world championship.