Luigi Fagioli

The oldest winner in F1 history and a Mercedes Silver Arrow champion.

Luigi Cristiano Fagioli (9 June 1898 – 20 June 1952) was an Italian racing driver who competed in Grand Prix motor racing from 1928 to 1949 and Formula One from 1950 to 1951. Nicknamed 'the Abruzzi Robber,' he remains the oldest driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix, taking victory at the 1951 French Grand Prix with Alfa Romeo at age 53. He was runner-up in the European Drivers' Championship in 1935 while driving for Mercedes. Fagioli holds the unique distinction of being the only Formula One winner born in the 19th century and the only driver to win a championship race in both the AIACR European Championship and the World Drivers' Championship.

In 1934, Mercedes hired him to drive their Silver Arrows; Hermann Lang did not join as a full driver until 1935. He won his second consecutive Coppa Acerbo that year, driving solo, and later shared victory at the Italian Grand Prix with Rudolf Caracciola in a Mercedes W25A, followed by a win at the Spanish Grand Prix. For 1935, he drove an upgraded W25B model, winning the Monaco Grand Prix, AVUS, and Penya Rhin Grand Prix.

Quick Facts

Birth name: Luigi Cristiano Fagioli
Born: 9 June 1898
Birthplace: Osimo, Ancona, Kingdom of Italy
Died: 20 June 1952
Place of death: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Cause of death: Injuries sustained whilst testing for the 1952 Monaco Grand Prix

Lore & Background

In April 1934, he debuted for the team at Monaco against Louis Chiron; though Chiron won, Fagioli earned universal praise for his skill in a car set up for long stretches on a tight street circuit. His temper occasionally flared; at the 1934 Italian Grand Prix, he abandoned his car after manager Alfred Neubauer ordered him to stay in second place for Manfred von Brauchitsch. Despite this, he secured a solo win at the Coppa Acerbo and shared victory at the Italian Grand Prix with Rudolf Caracciola in a W25A, plus the Spanish Grand Prix. In 1935, driving the upgraded W25B, he won Monaco, AVUS, and Penya Rhin. However, his relationship soured when he ignored team orders to challenge Caracciola repeatedly. By late 1936, crippling rheumatism forced him out of racing after a cane-dependent retirement from the Coppa Acerbo.

Reader's Guide

Fagioli joined Mercedes in 1934, driving Silver Arrows alongside Hermann Lang and Manfred von Brauchitsch. He debuted with a strong second place at Monaco, then won the Autodromo Nazionale Monza shortly after. In 1934, he secured victories at the Coppa Acerbo and Italian Grand Prix sharing drives with Rudolf Caracciola in the W25A, plus the Spanish Grand Prix. The 1935 season saw him pilot the upgraded W25B to wins at Monaco, AVUS, and Penya Rhin. However, his refusal to follow team orders against Caracciola damaged his standing. Health issues, specifically crippling rheumatism, began affecting his performance in late 1936, leading to a cane-assisted exit from the Coppa Acerbo before he left Mercedes entirely at the season's end to join Auto Union.