Pierluigi Martini

Pierluigi Martini (born 23 April 1961) is an Italian former racing driver. He won the 1999 24 hours of Le Mans and participated in 124 Formula One Grands Prix (with 119 starts) between 1984 and 1995.

Pierluigi Martini
Pierluigi Martini in 2016
Born (1961-04-23) 23 April 1961
Lugo, Italy
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality Italian
Active years1984–1985, 1988–1995
TeamsToleman, Minardi, Scuderia Italia
Entries124 (118 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points18
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1984 Italian Grand Prix
Last entry1995 German Grand Prix

Early life

Martini's uncle, Giancarlo Martini, raced during the 1970s, including some non-championship races in a Ferrari 312T entered by Scuderia Everest, a team owned by Giancarlo Minardi. Pierluigi's younger brother, Oliver, is also a racing driver.[1]

Formula One

Martini participated in 124 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 9 September 1984, driving for Toleman in place of suspended Ayrton Senna at the 1984 Italian Grand Prix. He scored a total of 18 championship points and was synonymous with the Minardi team (run by the same Giancarlo Minardi who had previously owned Scuderia Everest).

Martini driving a Minardi M194 at the 1994 British Grand Prix
Martini driving a Minardi M195 at the 1995 British Grand Prix
Martini and a Minardi M189 at the 2016 Adelaide Motorsport Festival

Indeed, aside from a single outing with Toleman and a one-season dalliance with Scuderia Italia in 1992, Martini's entire Formula One career was spent with the Italian outfit. He raced with the minnow team in three different stints, drove for them on their debut in 1985, scored their first point in the 1988 Detroit Grand Prix, and their only front-row start at the 1990 United States Grand Prix (where unexpected rain on Saturday meant that the grid was decided entirely by times from Friday's session. Pirelli's soft qualifying tyres caught Goodyear off guard, and the Italian manufacturer put five of its teams in the top ten positions). Both Martini and Minardi led a race for a single lap at the 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix, and their joint-best finish was 4th at the 1991 San Marino Grand Prix and 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix, the latter being Martini's single finish on the lead lap.[2] Initially out of a drive for 1993, he was recalled back to the little Italian team midway through the season in place of Fabrizio Barbazza, Martini impressed by outpacing his young team mate Christian Fittipaldi.

Martini was also one of the drivers with a reputation for ignoring blue flags. Examples given are the 1991 Monaco Grand Prix when he held up Emanuele Pirro in the Dallara, Stefano Modena in the Tyrrell, and Riccardo Patrese in the Williams for several laps despite running towards the back of the field, and the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix where he blocked Gerhard Berger in the Ferrari when the Austrian tried to lap him. On both occasions Martini was called in for a 10-second stop and go penalty for ignoring blue flags. Quizzed about this attitude on the occasion of the 1995 San Marino Grand Prix, where he held up winner Damon Hill, Martini replied: 'What should I exactly apologise for? My trajectories are always clean. Should I just park the car on the grass? I'm here to do my race like anybody else. I've always been correct. Those who complain about my conduct should explain why they cannot overtake me when their car has at least 150 hp more than mine'.[3]

Sportscars

Prior to commencing his Formula One career, Martini drove a Lancia LC2 in the 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans. After leaving Formula One, he began a successful career in sportscar racing. He contested the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Porsche run by Joest Racing. 1997 brought a fourth-place finish in a Porsche 911 GT1 which he also raced in the FIA GT Championship that year. In 1998, he joined the brand new Le Mans program of BMW Motorsports.

In 1999, Martini, Yannick Dalmas and Joachim Winkelhock won the Le Mans 24 Hours. The trio drove for BMW. The team had to fight both Toyota and Mercedes works cars and won the race by a lap from the runner-up Toyota.

Martini returned to motorsports in 2006, competing in the Grand Prix Masters series for retired Formula One drivers.

Racing record

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos. Pts
1983 Minardi Team Srl Minardi M283 BMW SIL THR HOC NÜR VAL PAU JAR DON MIS
2		 PER ZOL MUG 11th 6

Complete International Formula 3000 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pos. Pts
1986 Pavesi Corse Ralt RB20 Cosworth SIL
19		 VAL
10		 PAU
DNQ		 SPA
11		 2nd 36
Ralt RT20 IMO
1		 MUG
1		 PER
2		 ÖST
7		 BIR
2		 BUG
Ret		 JAR
1
1987 Pavesi Racing Ralt RT21 Cosworth SIL
5		 VAL
Ret		 SPA
Ret		 PAU
7		 DON
8		 BRH
20		 BIR
Ret		 IMO
Ret		 BUG
7		 11th 8
Ralt RT20 PER
2		 JAR
9
1988 First Racing March 88B Judd JER
8		 VAL
11		 PAU
3		 SIL
10		 MNZ
Ret		 PER
1		 BRH
2		 BIR
3		 BUG ZOL
Ret		 DIJ
10		 4th 23

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 WDC Points
1984 Toleman Group Motorsport Toleman TG184 Hart Straight-4 BRA RSA BEL SMR FRA MON CAN DET DAL GBR GER AUT NED ITA
DNQ		 EUR POR NC 0
1985 Minardi Team Minardi M185 Cosworth V8 BRA
Ret		 POR
Ret		 NC 0
MM V6 SMR
Ret		 MON
DNQ		 CAN
Ret		 DET
Ret		 FRA
Ret		 GBR
Ret		 GER
11		 AUT
Ret		 NED
Ret		 ITA
Ret		 BEL
12		 EUR
Ret		 RSA
Ret		 AUS
8
1988 Lois Minardi Team Minardi M188 Cosworth V8 BRA SMR MON MEX CAN DET
6		 FRA
15		 GBR
15		 GER
DNQ		 HUN
Ret		 BEL
DNQ		 ITA
Ret		 POR
Ret		 ESP
Ret		 JPN
13		 AUS
7		 17th 1
1989 Minardi Team SpA Minardi M188B Cosworth V8 BRA
Ret		 SMR
Ret		 MON
Ret		 15th 5
Minardi M189 MEX
Ret		 USA
Ret		 CAN
Ret		 FRA
Ret		 GBR
5		 GER
9		 HUN
Ret		 BEL
9		 ITA
7		 POR
5		 ESP
Ret		 JPN AUS
6
1990 SCM Minardi Team Minardi M189 Cosworth V8 USA
7		 BRA
9		 NC 0
Minardi M190 SMR
DNS		 MON
Ret		 CAN
Ret		 MEX
12		 FRA
Ret		 GBR
Ret		 GER
Ret		 HUN
Ret		 BEL
15		 ITA
Ret		 POR
11		 ESP
Ret		 JPN
8		 AUS
9
1991 Minardi Team Minardi M191 Ferrari V12 USA
9		 BRA
Ret		 SMR
4		 MON
12		 CAN
7		 MEX
Ret		 FRA
9		 GBR
9		 GER
Ret		 HUN
Ret		 BEL
12		 ITA
Ret		 POR
4		 ESP
13		 JPN
Ret		 AUS
Ret		 11th 6
1992 Scuderia Italia SpA BMS Dallara 192 Ferrari V12 RSA
Ret		 MEX
Ret		 BRA
Ret		 ESP
6		 SMR
6		 MON
Ret		 CAN
8		 FRA
10		 GBR
15		 GER
11		 HUN
Ret		 BEL
Ret		 ITA
8		 POR
Ret		 JPN
10		 AUS
Ret		 16th 2
1993 Minardi Team Minardi M193 Ford V8 RSA BRA EUR SMR ESP MON CAN FRA GBR
Ret		 GER
14		 HUN
Ret		 BEL
Ret		 ITA
7		 POR
8		 JPN
10		 AUS
Ret		 NC 0
1994 Minardi Scuderia Italia Minardi M193B Ford V8 BRA
8		 PAC
Ret		 SMR
Ret		 MON
Ret		 ESP
5		 21st 4
Minardi M194 CAN
9		 FRA
5		 GBR
10		 GER
Ret		 HUN
Ret		 BEL
8		 ITA
Ret		 POR
12		 EUR
15		 JPN
Ret		 AUS
9
1995 Minardi Scuderia Italia Minardi M195 Ford V8 BRA
DNS		 ARG
Ret		 SMR
12		 ESP
14		 MON
7		 CAN
Ret		 FRA
Ret		 GBR
7		 GER
Ret		 HUN BEL ITA POR EUR PAC JPN AUS NC 0

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1984 BP Résidences Malardeau
Scuderia Jolly Club		 Xavier Lapeyre
Beppe Gabbiani		 Lancia LC2 C1 117 DNF DNF
1996 Joest Racing Michele Alboreto
Didier Theys		 TWR Porsche WSC-95 LMP1 300 DNF DNF
1997 BMS Scuderia Italia Christian Pescatori
Antônio Hermann de Azevedo		 Porsche 911 GT1 GT1 317 8th 4th
1998 Team BMW Motorsport Joachim Winkelhock
Johnny Cecotto		 BMW V12 LM LMP1 43 DNF DNF
1999 BMW Motorsport Joachim Winkelhock
Yannick Dalmas		 BMW V12 LMR LMP 365 1st 1st

Sources
  1. Nyberg, Rainer; Diepraam, Mattijs (2001). "Minardi's F1 debut was with a Ferrari!". 8w.forix.com. Autosport/FORIX. Retrieved 2011-02-02.
  2. Celebrating Winless Wonders: 20 F1 Drivers with the Most Starts without a Win - Mike Pryson, Autoweek, 9 June 2020
  3. "' COM' E' SCORRETTO QUEL COULTHARD'". repubblica.it (in Italian). Retrieved 16 October 2018.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Oscar Larrauri		 European Formula 3 Championship
Champion
1983		 Succeeded by
Ivan Capelli
Preceded by
Laurent Aïello
Allan McNish
Stéphane Ortelli		 Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
1999
With: Yannick Dalmas & Joachim Winkelhock		 Succeeded by
Frank Biela
Tom Kristensen
Emanuele Pirro
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