Gianfranco Brancatelli
Brancatelli in 1974
Born (1950-01-18) 18 January 1950
Turin, Italy
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityItaly Italian
Active years1979
TeamsKauhsen, Merzario
Entries3 (0 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1979 Spanish Grand Prix
Last entry1979 Monaco Grand Prix

Gianfranco Brancatelli (born 18 January 1950 in Turin, Piedmont) is a former racing driver from Italy.

Career

His racing career began in 1973, in the Formula Abarth series. In 1975, he advanced to Italian Formula 3 racing. Brancatelli entered 3 Formula One Grands Prix in 1979 with Kauhsen (2 failures to qualify) and Merzario (1 failure to pre-qualify).

After his departure from Formula 1, Brancatelli went on to race in several Touring Car series, with some success. He would finish 4th in the 1984 European Touring Car Championship driving a BMW 635 CSi for Eggenberger Motorsport. For the 1985 ETCC, Eggenberger switched to the turbocharged Volvo 240T (while the championship winning Tom Walkinshaw Racing would switch from their powerful V12 Jaguar XJS' to the V8 powered Rover Vitesse), and along with Swedish driver Thomas Lindström, Brancatelli became the European Touring Car Champion, winning six out of fourteen races (Anderstorp, Zeltweg, Salzburgring, Nürburgring, Zolder and Estoril), along with three 2nd places and two 3rd places.

In 1986, Brancatelli switched to Tom Walkinshaw Racing where he drove a Rover Vitesse in the 1986 FIA International Touring Car Championship (essentially a renamed ETCC), but dropped to 12th in the standings winning only once at Andestorp. In 1987 the Italian driver would again switch teams, driving a BMW M3 for Italian outfit CiBiemme Sport in the 1987 World Touring Car Championship where he partnered another former Formula One driver Johnny Cecotto to win the 500 km de Bourgogne at Dijon-Prenois. He finished 8th in the WTCC while finishing 5th in the 1987 ETCC, also for CiBiemme, winning twice at Estoril and Zolder.

The 1988 ETCC saw Brancatelli on the move again, this time going back to Eggenberger Motorsport where he would serve as a driver in the team's 3rd Texaco Ford Sierra RS500 in a number of rounds. Brancatelli would also win the 1988 Italian Touring Car Championship driving a privately entered Alfa Romeo 75.

Other than his success in the 1985 ETCC, arguably Brancatelli's biggest wins in touring car racing were the 1985 Guia Race of Macau driving a Volvo 240T, and the 1989 Spa 24 Hours driving an Eggenberger Ford Sierra RS500 along with Bernd Schneider (yet another F1 driver, this time a current one) and Win Percy. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Brancatelli also travelled to Australia to drive in the Bathurst 1000 touring car race, though success would generally elude him. His best finish was in the 1987 WTCC round, the 1987 James Hardie 1000 where he and Johnny Cecotto would finish 7th outright and 3rd in class, though as they were the first registered WTCC drivers to finish the race they would receive top points for the round. His three other races at Bathurst in 1989, 1990 and 1991 would result in two failed to finish and one disqualification due to a technical infringement.

Brancatelli also raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on five occasions. His best finish was second place in the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a Sauber C9 for Team Sauber Mercedes, co-driving with ex-Formula One drivers Mauro Baldi and Kenny Acheson. His four other races at Le Mans (1979, 1980, 1986 and 1990) all saw him fail to finish the race.

Brancatelli would continue racing until his retirement in the late 1990s.

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 13 Pos. Pts
1976 Scuderia Everest March 752 BMW HOC THR VAL SAL PAU HOC ROU MUG
12
PER EST NOG HOC NC 0
1977 Scuderia Everest Ralt RT1 Ferrari SIL
DNS
THR
DNS
HOC NÜR VAL
13
PAU
12
MUG
8
ROU
4
NOG
Ret
PER
Ret
MIS
Ret
EST
DNQ
DON 17th 3
1978 Everest Racing Team Chevron B40 BMW THR HOC
DNQ
NÜR PAU MUG VAL NC 0
Bob Salisbury Racing March 782 BMW ROU
DNQ
DON
8
NOG PER
Ret
MIS
Ret
HOC
1979 Racing Team Everest March 792 BMW SIL HOC THR NÜR VAL MUG PAU HOC ZAN
10
PER
7
MIS DON
Ret
NC 0

Complete British Formula One Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos. Pts
1979 Willi Kauhsen Racing Team Kauhsen WK Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ZOL
Ret
OUL BRH MAL NC 0
Dicksons of Perth March 772P Hart 420R 2.0 L4 SNE
Ret
THR ZAN DON OUL NOG MAL BRH THR SNE SIL
1980 Colin Bennett Racing Lotus 78 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 OUL BRH SIL MAL THR MNZ
Ret
MAL SNE BRH THR OUL SIL NC 0

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 WDC Pts
1979 Willi Kauhsen Racing Team Kauhsen WK Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA USW ESP
DNQ
BEL
DNQ
NC 0
Team Merzario Merzario A2 MON
DNPQ
FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN
Source:[1]

Complete European Touring Car Championship results

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

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos. Pts
1980 BMW 3.0 CSi MNZ
DNQ
VAL
16
BRH
Ret
SAL BRN
DNQ
PER NÜR SIL ZOL NC 0
1981 Dieter Schmid BMW 635 CSi MNZ VAL DON
5
SAL BRN PER SIL ZOL 8
1982 Luigi Team Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6 MNZ
6
VAL
6
DON
Ret
PER
DNS
MUG
7
BRN
7
SAL
6
NÜR
Ret
SPA
Ret
SIL
Ret
ZOL
7
30
1983 Jolly Club Milano Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6 MNZ
?
VAL
24
DON
Ret
PER
6
MUG
Ret
BRN
Ret
ZEL
14
NÜR
Ret
SAL
8
SPA
6
SIL
23
ZOL
Ret
1984 BMW Italia BMW 635 CSi MNZ
2
VAL
4
DON
Ret
PER
4
BRN
5
ZEL
6
SAL
3
NÜR
1
SPA
Ret
SIL
1
ZOL
Ret
MUG
4
4th 151
1985 Eggenberger Motorsport Volvo 240T MNZ
Ret
VAL
2
DON
4
AND
1
BRN
2
ZEL
1
SAL
1
NÜR
1
SPA
3
SIL
3
NOG
6
ZOL
1
EST
1
JAR
2
1st 240
1986 TWR – Bastos Texaco Racing Team Rover Vitesse MNZ DON
4
HOC
Ret
MIS AND
1
BRN
4
ZEL
DNS
NÜR
3
SPA SIL
Ret
NOG
Ret
ZOL JAR
4
EST
4
12th 123
1987 CiBiEmme Sport BMW M3 DON
Ret
EST
1
AND
2
ZOL
Ret
ZEL
1
IMO
2
NOG
Ret
5th 150
1988 Jolly Club Ford Sierra RS500 MNZ DON EST JAR
Ret
26th 80
Eggenberger Motorsport DIJ
2
VAL
Ret
NÜR
2
SPA
Ret
ZOL SIL
4
NOG

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

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

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 DC Pts
1987 CiBiEmme Sport BMW M3 MNZ JAR
ovr:8
cls:6
DIJ
ovr:1
cls:1
NÜR
Ret
SPA
Ret
BRN
ovr:5
cls:3
SIL
Ret
BAT
ovr:7
cls:3
CLD
ovr:4
cls:2
WEL
Ret
FUJ
ovr:6
cls:3
8th 158

Despite finishing 7th outright at Bathurst, as the highest placed registered WTCC car Brancatelli was awarded 1st place points for the round.

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position in class) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap in class - 1 point awarded all races)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 DC Pts Class
1988 Eggenberger Motorsport Ford Sierra RS500 A SIL OUL THR DON THR SIL SIL BRH SNE BRH BIR DON SIL
1
23rd 10 9th

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft results

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

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Pos. Pts
1989 Ford Motorsport Eggenberger Ford Sierra RS 500 Cosworth ZOL
1

23
ZOL
2

Ret
HOC
1

14
HOC
2

8
NÜR
1

10
NÜR
2

10
MFA
1

11
MFA
2

13
AVU
1

DNS
AVU
2

DNS
NÜR
1

13
NÜR
2

11
NOR
1

11
NOR
2

Ret
HOC
1

9
HOC
2

11
DIE
1

5
DIE
2

2
NÜR
1

11
NÜR
2

10
HOC
1

4
HOC
2

9
9th 162

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1979 Italy Carlo Pietromarchi Italy Carlo Pietromarchi
Italy Maurizio Micangeli
De Tomaso Pantera Gr.5
+2.0
108 NC NC
1980 Italy Scuderia Lancia Corse Italy Piercarlo Ghinzani
Finland Markku Alén
Lancia Beta Monte Carlo Gr.5 26 DNF DNF
1986 United Kingdom Silk Cut Jaguar
United Kingdom Tom Walkinshaw Racing
United Kingdom Win Percy
United States Hurley Haywood
Jaguar XJR-6 C1 154 DNF DNF
1989 West Germany Team Sauber Mercedes Italy Mauro Baldi
United Kingdom Kenny Acheson
Sauber C9 Mercedes-Benz C1 384 2nd 2nd
1990 Japan Nissan Motorsports International United Kingdom Mark Blundell
United Kingdom Julian Bailey
Nissan R90CK C1 142 DNF DNF
Source:[2]

Complete Bathurst 1000 results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1987 Italy CiBiEmme Sport
West Germany BMW Motorsport
Venezuela Johnny Cecotto BMW M3 2 163 7th 3rd
1989 New Zealand Mark Petch Motorsport New Zealand Robbie Francevic Ford Sierra RS500 A 14 DNF DNF
1990 New Zealand Mark Petch Motorsport United Kingdom Robb Gravett Ford Sierra RS500 1 118 DNF DNF
1991 Australia Allan Moffat Enterprises Australia Charlie O'Brien Ford Sierra RS500 1 158 DSQ DSQ

References

  1. Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 409. ISBN 0851127029.
  2. "Gianfranco Brancatelli, Italy". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
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