Giorgio Ascanelli (born 23 February 1959) is an Italian automotive engineer who has worked for several years in

Formula 1 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 ...

. He is currently the technical head of

Brembo Brembo N.V. is an Italian manufacturer of automotive parts that most notably produces braking systems, for high-performance cars and for the sim racing series Gran Turismo. Its operational head office is in Curno, Bergamo, Italy, while Amst ...

, a supplier of Formula 1 brakes.

Career

Ascanelli began his sporting career in 1985, as a calculation technician at

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 ...

. In 1987, after two years of processing numerical data, he moved to

Abarth Abarth & C. S.p.A. () is an Italian racing- and road-car maker and performance division founded by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949. Abarth & C. S.p.A. is owned by Stellantis through its Italian subsidiary. Abarth's logo is a shield with a ...

, through the

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...

meeting program, working as an engineer, but at the end of the year he returned to Ferrari and started working as a track engineer for

Gerhard Berger Gerhard Berger (; born 27 August 1959) is an Austrian former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Berger won 10 Formula One Grands Prix across 14 seasons. Berger competed in Formula One for 14 seasons, ...

. This relationship lasted three seasons, when Berger left Ferrari to race with

McLaren McLaren Racing Limited ( ) is a British auto racing, motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known a ...

. Ascanelli joined Benetton in 1990, under the orders of his former Ferrari superior,

John Barnard John Edward Barnard, (born 4 May 1946) is an English engineer and racing car designer. Barnard is credited with the introduction of two new designs into Formula One: the carbon fibre composite chassis first seen in with McLaren, and the sem ...

. Ascanelli was

Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Souto Maior (, born 17 August 1952) is a Brazilian former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to . Piquet won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in , , and , and won 23 ...

's track engineer for two seasons, but after Barnard's departure, followed by Piquet's decision to retire from Formula 1, Ascanelli signed to McLaren for the 1992 season as Gerhard Berger's track engineer. After Berger, he became

Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna da Silva (; 21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Senna won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles with McLaren, and—at the time of his death—held ...

's track engineer in the 1993 season, during which the partnership resulted in some of the three-time Brazilian champion's most famous victories. When Senna was hired by

Williams Williams may refer to: People * Williams (surname), a surname English in origin, but popular in Wales, 3rd most common in the United Kingdom * Williams Nwaneri, American football player Places Astronomy * Williams (lunar crater) * Williams ...

in 1994, Ascanelli left McLaren and returned to Italy in 1995 to work again with Berger and Barnard at Ferrari. Specifically, Ascanelli became director of engineers, overseeing both Berger and the other driver,

Jean Alesi Jean Robert Alesi (; born Giovanni Roberto Alesi, 11 June 1964) is a French former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Alesi won the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix with Ferrari. Born and raised in Avignon, Alesi started karting a ...

. Ascanelli remained in that position until early 1998, when it was announced that he had no plans to travel to that year's races, as his duties had been taken over by

Ross Brawn Ross James Brawn (born 23 November 1954) is a British Formula One managing director, motor sports and technical director. He is a former motorsport engineer and Formula One team principal, and has worked for a number of Formula One teams. Teams ...

. Despite this, Ascanelli remained at Ferrari dealing with research and development, also being involved in the technical connection between Ferrari and

Prost Grand Prix Prost Grand Prix was a Formula One racing team owned and managed by four-time Formula One world champion Alain Prost. The team participated in five seasons from 1997 to 2001. The team was the last France, French Formula One team based in France, ...

, for the supply of the Ferrari engine. In 2002 he moved to

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 ...

, where he headed the technical department, until 2006, giving life to the MC12 in the GT. In April 2007, Ascanelli returned to F1 with

Scuderia Toro Rosso Scuderia Toro Rosso SpA (; ), commonly known as Toro Rosso or by its abbreviation STR, was an Italian Formula One constructor. It was one of two Formula One constructors owned by Austrian conglomerate company Red Bull, the other being Red B ...

, where he was appointed technical director of the Faenza team. The team achieved its first victory in the

2008 Italian Grand Prix The 2008 Italian Grand Prix (formally the Formula 1 Gran Premio Santander D'Italia 2008) was a Formula One motor race held on 14 September 2008 at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza, Italy. It was the 14th race of the 2008 Formula One ...

with

Sebastian Vettel Sebastian Vettel (; born 3 July 1987) is a German racing driver who most recently competed in Formula One from to . Vettel won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won consecutively from to with Red Bull, and rema ...

. In mid-2012, his absence from the Grands Prix was the subject of much speculation, until, in September 2012, Toro Rosso confirmed that Ascanelli had left the team. In February 2013, Ascanelli joined Formula 1 brake supplier

as the company's new technical chief.

References

External links

Profile at grandprix.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ascanelli, Giorgio 1959 births Living people Formula One engineers Scuderia Toro Rosso