Nino Farina

Who was Nino Farina?

Emilio Giuseppe "Nino" Farina (Italian pronunciation: [dʒuˈzɛppe ˈniːno faˈriːna]; 30 October 1906 – 30 June 1966) was an Italian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1950 to 1956. Farina won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in its inaugural 1950 season with Alfa Romeo, and won five Grands Prix across seven seasons. Born in Turin, Farina was the son of Giovanni Farina, founder of Stabilimenti Farina. Aged nine, he started driving a two-cylinder Temperino, eventually progressing to hillclimbing in 1925. A protégé of Tazio Nuvolari, Farina attracted the attention of Enzo Ferrari in his early career, who signed him to Ferrari in 1936.

He immediately impressed, finishing runner-up at the Mille Miglia driving an Alfa Romeo 8C. Farina took his maiden Grand Prix win at the Naples Grand Prix in 1937, winning three consecutive Italian Championships until 1939, the latter two with Alfa Corse. He earned notoriety for his involvement in the fatal accidents of Marcel Lehoux and László Hartmann in 1936 and 1938, respectively. Farina won the Tripoli Grand Prix in 1939, his last victory before World War II. After the war, Farina returned to Alfa Corse, winning the Nations Grand Prix in 1946. Amongst four major victories in 1948, Farina won the Monaco Grand Prix.

Career and legacy

He signed for Alfa Romeo in 1950, making his Formula One debut at the series-opening British Grand Prix, which he won ahead of Luigi Fagioli. Amidst a title charge by teammate Juan Manuel Fangio, Farina took further wins at the Swiss and Italian Grands Prix, becoming the first World Drivers' Champion. Although winning the Belgian Grand Prix in 1951, Farina was unable to halt the ascent of Fangio and Alberto Ascari. He joined Ascari at Ferrari in 1952, but was unable to hinder his dominance over the next two seasons. Farina took his final victory in Formula One at the German Grand Prix in 1953.

After a string of injuries during 1954, Farina retired from Formula One after Ascari's fatal accident in 1955. Amongst five race wins, five pole positions, five fastest laps and 20 podiums, Farina also won 11 non-championship races in Formula One. Aged 49, he returned for the Indianapolis 500 in 1956 with Kurtis Kraft, but was unable to qualify. Farina withdrew from the 1957 Indianapolis 500, after the death of teammate Keith Andrews during practice.

Historical significance

In sportscar racing, Farina won the Nürburgring 1000 km, the 24 Hours of Spa and the 12 Hours of Casablanca, all in 1953 with Ferrari and the former two as part of the inaugural World Sportscar Championship. On his way to spectate the 1966 French Grand Prix, Farina died after he lost control of his Lotus Cortina in the French Alps.