Mario Alborghetti (born 23 October 1928 and died 11 April 1955) was an Italian racecar driver who participated in some Formula One non-championship races. He was killed during his debut at the non-championship 1955 Pau Grand Prix. He was only 26 years old.
Formula One Career[]
Alborghetti used his wealth to commissioned designer Gianpaolo Volpini and engineer Egidio Arzani to build a Grand Prix car. Volpini had started working in lower classes of Formula racing a few years earlier.
The duo acquired a Maserati 4CL chassis, previously used by Scuderia Milano in the 1950 Formula One season. The chassis was fitted with a Speluzzi engine. The engine and chassis were overhauled to comply with the Formula One regulations of the 1955 Formula One Season.
Alborghetti was originally entered to make his debut at the non-championship 1955 Valentino Grand Prix, but the car was not completed in time for the event. Instead, his racing debut was delayed until the following non-championship race at the Pau Circuit in France.
During qualifying, Alborghetti's inexperience showed. He qualified second slowest on the entries, some 19 seconds off the pole time set by Jean Behra. During the race, he made three pit stops, which put him well behind the rest of the field. While being lapped by Jacques Pollet on lap 19, Alborghetti lost control of his car and crashed into straw bales at the hairpin.
The accident left several spectators with minor injuries. Alborghetti had suffered fatal chest and head injuries. His death was announced at the conclusion of the race.
Formula One Statistical Overview[]
Formula One Record[]
| Year | Entrant | Team | WDC Points | WDC Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 |  Volpini-Arzani
|
Maserati-Speluzzi | Non-championship only | |
Notes[]
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