Vittorio Brambilla

Interesting facts

Vittorio Brambilla was nicknamed the "Monza Gorilla" for his aggressive, macho driving style and his hometown. His most memorable moment came at the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix, where he dominated in the wet, then spun and wrecked his car's nose while celebrating on the slowdown lap after taking the flag; the shortened race earned him only half points, and it was the first Italian win since Ludovico Scarfiotti's in 1966. At the 1978 Italian Grand Prix, in the opening-lap pile-up that fatally injured Ronnie Peterson, a flying wheel struck Brambilla and caused a serious head injury. The incident helped fuel wider safety debates and criticism surrounding the Monza circuit. Brambilla recovered from his injuries and returned to race at the same circuit as early as 1979. Vittorio Brambilla raced in Formula 1 from 1974 to 1980, across 7 seasons as an Italian driver. He scored a total of 15.5 championship points over his career.