South American South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural ''Grands Prix'') most commonly refers to: * Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition ** List of Formula One Grands Prix, an auto-racing championship *** Monaco Grand Prix, the most prestigious ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French automotive industry, manufacturer of high performance vehicle, high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German Empire, German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

European Hill Climb Championship The FIA European Hill Climb Championship (FIA EHC) is an FIA-run motorsport competition held across Europe on closed public road courses. Unlike circuit racing, each driver competes alone, starting from a point at the base of a mountain and rea ...

World Rally Championship The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is an international rallying series owned and governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA. Inaugurated in 1973, it is the oldest FIA world championship after Formula One. E ...

Antofagasta Antofagasta () is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2015 census, the city has a population of 402,669. Once claimed by Bolivia follo ...

Tarapacá San Lorenzo de Tarapacá, also known simply as Tarapacá, is a town in the region of the same name in Chile. History The town has likely been inhabited since the 12th century, when it formed part of the Inca trail. When Spanish explorer Diego ...

Iquique Iquique () is a port List of cities in Chile, city and Communes of Chile, commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Pampa del Tamarugal, which is part of the At ...

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

Valparaíso Valparaíso () is a major city, Communes of Chile, commune, Port, seaport, and naval base facility in the Valparaíso Region of Chile. Valparaíso was originally named after Valparaíso de Arriba, in Castilla–La Mancha, Castile-La Mancha, Spain ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionconsul. He began to establish contacts with the European aristocracy, something very difficult at that time, especially for a

South American South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

. Their shared passion was motorsports, which was then exclusive to the wealthy. During this period, "gentleman drivers" emerged, people who had the passion and financial resources to participate in high-level motorsport competitions.

Career Path

Juan Zanelli appeared in European motor racing competitions driving a two-seater Fiat, which had less power compared to the fast Alfa Romeos or Bugattis. He competed in major European races between 1928 and 1931. He won the

Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French automotive industry, manufacturer of high performance vehicle, high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German Empire, German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the ...

Grand Prix in Le Mans in 1929 and 1930, becoming the first Latin American to achieve this. He participated in the Monaco Grand Prix and other events in Italy and France, facing mechanical challenges and securing podiums. In 1931, he won the European Hill Climb Championship in the Racing Cars category. Additionally, he acquired a

Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French automotive industry, manufacturer of high performance vehicle, high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German Empire, German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the ...

and collaborated with important figures in motorsport, such as the Vizcaya brothers and Raúl Pateras Pescara.

His First Races

On July 25, 1929, he participated in the VII Gran Premio of San Sebastián. Starting from the first row with

Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French automotive industry, manufacturer of high performance vehicle, high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German Empire, German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the ...

#4, which he shared with Georges Philippe and Louis Chiron, he was battling Georges Philippe for the first position when he lost control, spinning four times and damaging the front suspension. After managing to get to the pits, he requested the steering wheel of

Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French automotive industry, manufacturer of high performance vehicle, high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German Empire, German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the ...

#5. However, he had to stop his race on lap 25. Chiron finished in first place, followed by Philippe, Lehoux, Dreyfus, and Bourlier. He then traveled to Italy to compete in the Pietro Bordino Cup in Alessandria, where he finished in eighth place. He also entered his

Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French automotive industry, manufacturer of high performance vehicle, high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German Empire, German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the ...

in the Grand Prix of Marne in France, achieving second place. That same year, he participated in the Monza Grand Prix. In Europe, he met the Vizcaya brothers and Ernest Friderich, who was a friend, collaborator, and driver for Ettore

Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French automotive industry, manufacturer of high performance vehicle, high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German Empire, German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the ...

, the founder of

Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French automotive industry, manufacturer of high performance vehicle, high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German Empire, German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the ...

and owner of the factory. On September 13, 1928, he acquired one of Pierre de Vizcaya's cars, which had been abandoned in 1924 after an accident, and thus had to be repaired. Ettore

Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French automotive industry, manufacturer of high performance vehicle, high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German Empire, German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the ...

organized three annual races, running at the Circuit de la Sarthe. On June 2, 1929, Juan Zanelli would be crowned the winner of the 1929 Bugatti Grand Prix at

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

, securing his first victory. He achieved this win under challenging circumstances. During the preparations for the race, he pushed the car to the limit, causing the engine to seize. Despite this, he was determined to race and, at the last minute, persuaded Baron Philippe de Rothschild to sell him one of his cars. Zanelli then took to the track with an unfamiliar car and managed to take first place, winning a luxurious new Bugatti Type 35B as a prize. This was the first international victory for a Chilean driver and the first victory for a Latin American in Europe. Juan Zanelli luego de ganar el GP Bugatti junto con Ettore Bugatti

Juan Zanelli luego de ganar el GP Bugatti junto con Ettore Bugatti

The official 1930 season of the World Motor Racing Championship began in April of that year with the

Monaco Grand Prix The Monaco Grand Prix () is a Formula One motor racing event held annually on the Circuit de Monaco, in late May or early June. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the wo ...

at the Monte Carlo circuit. Among the drivers was the Chilean Juan Zanelli. He started from the second row, next to the Monegasque

Louis Chiron Louis Alexandre Chiron (; 3 August 1899 – 22 June 1979) was a Monégasque racing driver who competed in rallies, sports car races, and Grands Prix. Among the greatest drivers between the two World Wars, his career embraced over thirty year ...

. Zanelli debuted a new Bugatti Type 35B in the

Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural ''Grands Prix'') most commonly refers to: * Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition ** List of Formula One Grands Prix, an auto-racing championship *** Monaco Grand Prix, the most prestigious ...

, but due to a mechanical failure, he was forced to retire while in 4th place, with only 8 laps remaining. He would return to

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

to race again in

Alessandria Alessandria (; ) is a city and commune in Piedmont, Italy, and the capital of the Province of Alessandria. It is also the largest municipality of the region. The city is sited on the alluvial plain between the Tanaro and the Bormida rivers, ...

, finishing in second place, with

Achille Varzi Achille Varzi (8 August 1904 – 1 July 1948) was an Italian racing driver. He is remembered as the winner of the 1933 Monaco Grand Prix, as well as the winner of the first Formula One Grand Prix at the 1946 Turin Grand Prix, and as the chief ...

as the winner and

Enzo Ferrari Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari (; ; 18 February 1898 – 14 August 1988) was an Italian racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of Scuderia Ferrari in Grand Prix motor racing, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque. Under h ...

in third place on the podium. Unfortunately, due to a streak of mechanical failures in future races leading to retirements, his performance suffered. However, at the

Pau Grand Prix The Pau Grand Prix () is a motor race held in Pau, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of southwestern France. The French Grand Prix was held at Pau in 1930, leading to the annual Pau Grand Prix being inaugurated in 1933. It was not r ...

in France, he managed to secure third place. That same year, he participated again in the Bugatti Grand Prix and repeated his achievement by winning first place, earning a Bugatti T43 as the prize.

Consolidation on the Track

At that time, the authorities governing motorsport established that drivers' cars had to be painted in the color corresponding to their country. Zanelli did not have a color, as

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

did not have one either, so he painted a triangular Chilean flag on each side of the car. This gesture drew attention and eventually became a custom that is still observed today. In 1932, he spent much of his time in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

, resulting in a period of automotive hiatus. However, the following year would be the most significant in his racing career. In 1933, he won the Penya Rhin Grand Prix on June 25, in the first race held at the famous

Montjuïc Circuit The Montjuïc circuit was a street circuit located on the Montjuïc mountain in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The circuit was also the venue for the Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix from 1950 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, 1950 to 1968 Grand Pr ...

in

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

. This competition consisted of 40 laps around a 4-kilometer circuit and brought together top automotive figures from

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

,

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, and the rest of

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

.

Su llegada a la meta en el IV Gran Premio de la Penya Rihn de 1933

Zanelli won in 1 hour, 34 minutes, and 43 seconds, ahead of Vasco Sameiro, Marcel Lehoux, Joaquín Palacio, and Tazio Nuvolari. The latter set the fastest lap of the race. This victory marked the first time a

Latin American Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...

driver won an official

Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural ''Grands Prix'') most commonly refers to: * Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition ** List of Formula One Grands Prix, an auto-racing championship *** Monaco Grand Prix, the most prestigious ...

valid for the World Championship, and no Chilean has won a top-tier world motorsport event since then. The Penya Rhin Grand Prix was one of the most prestigious races of that time, later won by drivers such as Luigi Fagioli, Tazio Nuvolari, Giuseppe Farina, and Alberto Ascari, among others. This victory solidified his status as a prominent driver in European Grand Prix racing, with a total of 29 Grand Prix participations, his final race being the 1936 German Grand Prix. In 1932, he attempted to enter the

Monaco Grand Prix The Monaco Grand Prix () is a Formula One motor racing event held annually on the Circuit de Monaco, in late May or early June. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the wo ...

with Nacional Pescara but was unsuccessful. Juan Zanelli later managed to purchase Raymond Sommer’s car, a beautiful Alfa Romeo Monza 8c. He competed in the 500 Miles of the British Racing Drivers' Club, finishing sixth, and then participated in the Tunis Grand Prix, where he finished eighth.

European Hill Climb Championship

The Vizcaya brothers introduced him to the businessman

Raúl Pateras Pescara Raúl Pateras Pescara de Castelluccio (1890 – 1966), marquis of Pateras-Pescara, was an engineer, lawyer and inventor from Argentina who specialized in automobiles, helicopters and free-piston engines. Pescara is credited for being one o ...

, owner of the Spanish company Nacional Pescara, which was dedicated to manufacturing cars. The goal was to create a racing team and launch a sports version to compete in the

European Hill Climb Championship The FIA European Hill Climb Championship (FIA EHC) is an FIA-run motorsport competition held across Europe on closed public road courses. Unlike circuit racing, each driver competes alone, starting from a point at the base of a mountain and rea ...

. Unlike circuit races, where drivers compete against each other, in hill climbs, each driver competes alone, starting at the base of a mountain and reaching the finish line at the top. Zanelli would win the 1931 championship in the Racing Cars category, while Rudolf Caracciola won in the Sports Cars category. Other notable drivers in this championship included Hans Stuck, Carlo Felice Trossi, Wolfgang von Trips, and Edgar Barth.

Last Days

His final year as a driver was 1936, when he competed at the Nürburgring Green Hell, driving a Maserati 6C for Scuderia Torino as an independent driver. To add drama to the race, it was run in thick fog and rain. Zanelli managed to survive until the end, finishing in tenth place. A month later, he entered again, this time for the 1936 German Grand Prix. Zanelli drove another Maserati 8CM, belonging to the Villa Padierna team, but ran out of fuel on the first lap and had to retire. In the early 1940s, the driver married Raymonde Picard, with whom he had two children in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, whose whereabouts are unknown. He joined the

French Resistance The French Resistance ( ) was a collection of groups that fought the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, Nazi occupation and the Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France, collaborationist Vic ...

during

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 ...

along with other drivers he had met throughout his life. While the

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

managed to identify most of those involved, Zanelli lost his life in a confusing shootout between Germans and resistance fighters. He was fatally wounded by a gunshot and died in

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, on August 19, 1944.

Popularity

Juan Zanelli was relatively unknown in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

, despite being well-known and respected in the European motorsport world. The only time he appeared in the press was when he won the Penya Rhin Grand Prix in 1933, featured on the cover of the newspaper

El Mercurio (known online as ''El Mercurio On-Line'', ''EMOL'') is a Chilean newspaper with editions in Valparaíso and Santiago. is owned by El Mercurio S.A.P. (''Sociedad Anónima Periodística'' 'joint stock news company'), which operates a network of ...

with the headline: "The Barcelona motor racing cup was won by Juan Zanelli, a Chilean." Today, his obscurity in Chile remains evident. In 2007 and 2008,

El Mercurio (known online as ''El Mercurio On-Line'', ''EMOL'') is a Chilean newspaper with editions in Valparaíso and Santiago. is owned by El Mercurio S.A.P. (''Sociedad Anónima Periodística'' 'joint stock news company'), which operates a network of ...

, and in 2021,

La Tercera (), formerly known as (), is a daily newspaper published in Santiago, Chile and owned by Copesa. It is s closest competitor. is part of Periódicos Asociados Latinoamericanos ( Latin American Newspaper Association), an organization of fourte ...

, highlighted Juan Zanelli’s story from Europe. Unfortunately, he remains an unrecognized figure in Chilean motorsport and was never mentioned in the press again, not even on the day of his tragic death.

Book about his life

Juan Zanelli remained lost in Chilean anonymity for a long time until he was "rediscovered" in December 2007 thanks to the research conducted by the author of the book "Coche a la Vista", lawyer Rodrigo Velasco. The book unveils the little-known story of Juan Zanelli, a result of five years of investigation that involved traveling to Europe and the places where the driver had his best performances.

References

! colspan="3" style="background: #99ff66;" , Sporting achievements {{DEFAULTSORT:Zanelli, Juan 1906 births 1944 deaths Chilean racing drivers Bugatti people European Championship drivers Grand Prix drivers French Resistance members Resistance members killed by Nazi Germany French civilians killed in World War II Sportspeople from Iquique

Life

Career Path

His First Races

Consolidation on the Track

European Hill Climb Championship

Last Days

Popularity

Book about his life

References