Clemente Biondetti (18 October 1898 – 24 February 1955) was an Italian

auto racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

driver. Born into a working-class family, Biondetti raced motorcycles before turning to automobiles where he had greater success.

Biography

Born in Buddusò,

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

, into a working-class family, Biondetti began his racing career in motorcycles in 1923 but in 1927 turned to automobiles. He was nicknamed "The Wolf of Tuscany". By 1931 his performance earned him a spot in

Grand Prix motor racing Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition, has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as early as 1894. It quickly evolved from simple road races from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and ...

with the

Maserati Maserati S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914 in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. The company has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. Ma ...

factory team. His success racing on circuits was minimal, but he was one of the best in tough endurance events. Driving an

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian carmaker known for its sports-oriented vehicles, strong auto racing heritage, and iconic design. Headquartered in Turin, Italy, it is a subsidiary of Stellantis Europe and one of 14 brands of mu ...

8C 2900b, Clemente Biondetti won the 1938

Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts :it:Franco Mazzotti, Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi. It took place in Italy 24 times f ...

for

sports car A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as Automobile handling, handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and Auto racing, racing capability. Sports cars originated in ...

s and at the Coppa Ciano finished second in the voiturette class then third in the main event. In 1939, he won the Coppa Acerbo voiturette class and took second place at the Swiss Grand Prix. His racing career came to a halt following the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in 1940. By the time he was able to resume racing after the war, he was already 49 years old. Nevertheless, he dominated Italian endurance racing, driving to victory in the Mille Miglia for three straight years from 1947 through 1949 and the Targa Florio in 1948 and 1949. He won more Mille Miglias than any other driver in history. Clemente Biondetti participated in one

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

World Championship event, the 1950 Italian Grand Prix. Driving a self-built

Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...

hybrid car, engine problems forced him out of the race thus he failed to score any championship points. Biondetti loved racing cars and continued to compete in sports car and endurance events, earning a second-place finish in a Ferrari at the 12 Hours of Pescara in 1952 against much younger drivers. After suffering from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

for a number of years, he was forced to retire in 1954. He succumbed to cancer on 24 February 1955 in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

. As a result, he became the first Formula One World Championship driver to die of natural causes. 1938-04-03 Mille Miglia winner Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B sn412031 Biondetti Stefani.jpg, Biondetti and Stefano wins 1938 Mille Miglia. 1947 Mille Miglia Alfa 8C 2900B Biondetti.jpg, Biondetti wins 1947 Mille Miglia. 1948-04-04 Targa Florio Ferrari 166 001S Biondetti Troubetzkoy.png, Biondetti and Troubetzkoy wins 1948 Targa Florio in Ferrari 166 S. 1948-04-24 Mille Miglia Ferrari 166 sn003S winner Biondetti Navone.jpg, Biondetti and Navone wins 1948 Mille Miglia in Ferrari 166 S. 1949-03-20 Targa Florio WINNER Ferrari 166 006i Biondetti Benedetti.jpg, Biondetti and Benedetti wins 1949 Targa Florio in Ferrari 166 SC. 1949-04-24 Mille Miglia WINNER Ferrari 166 0008M Biondetti boy.jpg, Biondetti wins 1949 Mille Miglia. 1951-06-03 Coppa Toscana Ferrari Jaguar Biondetti Vinci.jpg, Biondetti Ferrari-Jaguar Special driven to a 4th place in 1951 Coppa della Toscana.

Major victories

* Coppa Acerbo 1939 *

1938, 1947, 1948, 1949 * Targa Florio 1948, 1949

Racing record

Complete European Championship results

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

Post WWII Grandes Épreuves results

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

Complete Formula One World Championship results

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

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete Mille Miglia results

Complete Targa Florio results

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biondetti, Clemente 1898 births 1955 deaths Sportspeople from the Province of Sassari Italian racing drivers Italian Formula One drivers Grand Prix drivers 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers World Sportscar Championship drivers European Championship drivers Deaths from cancer in Tuscany