Piero Taruffi

Piero Taruffi, an Italian driver born in 1906, raced in the Formula 1 World Championship from its inaugural 1950 season through 1956, making eighteen starts and driving for four teams: Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes and Vanwall. He was already in his mid-forties when the championship began, having debuted at forty-three.

After a first appearance with Alfa Romeo in 1950, Taruffi joined Ferrari, and it was with the Scuderia that he did his best work. He finished sixth in the 1951 championship with ten points, then enjoyed his finest season in 1952, taking his only Grand Prix victory on the way to third in the World Championship with twenty-two points.

He remained associated with Ferrari through the mid-1950s, adding another sixth-place championship finish in 1955, before closing his career with Vanwall in 1956. In all he collected forty-one points, one win and five podiums.

Competing against the dominant works teams of the early World Championship years, Taruffi's third place in the 1952 standings marked him as one of the leading Italian drivers of the period.