Arturo Merzario

Interesting facts

At the 1976 German Grand Prix, when Niki Lauda's car burst into flames at the Nurburgring, Merzario was the one who ran into the fire and pulled him out of the wreck alone. Lauda later said Merzario had saved his life, admitting that 'a couple of seconds more and I would never have made it'. Six weeks later, at Monza, Lauda handed Merzario his own gold Rolex watch as a token of gratitude. He made his grand prix debut for Ferrari at the 1972 British Grand Prix and scored points straight away with sixth place, remaining the last driver to start his F1 career at Ferrari until Oliver Bearman in 2024. In 1977 he set up his own team under his own name, which over its lifetime managed just a single classified finish, 14th at the Belgian Grand Prix. His trademark look became a Marlboro-patched cowboy hat, one he reportedly still wears at public appearances today. Arturo Merzario made his Formula 1 debut in 1972 and raced until 1979, 8 seasons in total as an Italian driver. He scored a total of 11 championship points over his career.