1928 Italian Grand Prix

The 1928 Italian Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race run on 9 September 1928, at Monza. It was run over 60 laps, and was won by Louis Chiron driving a Bugatti 37A. It was the 8th Italian Grand Prix. This race was also the VI Grand Prix d'Europe.[1]

1928 Italian Grand Prix
Race 2 of 2 in the 1928 World Manufacturers' Championship
Race details
Date September 9, 1928
Official name VIII Gran Premio d'Italia
VI Grand Prix d'Europe
Location Monza, Italy
Course Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Course length 10.00 km (6.21 miles)
Distance 60 laps, 600.00 km (372.82 miles)
Pole position
Driver
Grid positions set by ballot
Fastest lap
Driver Italy Luigi Arcangeli Talbot
Time 3:37.4
Podium
First Bugatti
Second Alfa Romeo
Third Bugatti

This race was marred by the death of at least 22 spectators as well as driver Emilio Materassi on lap 17, when Materassi lost control of his car on the main straight at over 200 km/h while trying to overtake Giulio Foresti. The car swerved to the left of the track, bounced over a three-meter deep and four-meter wide protection ditch and a fence and crashed into the grandstand, killing him along with 22 spectators.[1][2] Other sources have stated that 27 spectators were killed overall, but this is unconfirmed.[3]

By either estimation this is the worst accident, with respect to the number of lives lost, to occur at a Grand Prix, and the second-deadliest in motor racing history, being surpassed by the 1955 Le Mans disaster.[1] As a result the Italian Grand Prix was not held again until 1931.[2]

The fatal accident of Emilio Materassi during the race.

Classification

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Pos No Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid
1 50   Louis Chiron Bugatti T37A 60 3:45:08.6 14
2 38   Achille Varzi
  Giuseppe Campari
Alfa Romeo P2 60 +2:20.4 21
3 26   Tazio Nuvolari Bugatti T35C 60 +14:37.2 9
4 40   Guy Drouet Bugatti T35B 60 +14:40.0 16
5 6   Aymo Maggi Maserati 26R (8C-1700) 60 +25:09.0 22
6 42   Ernesto Maserati Maserati 26R (8C-1700) 55 +5 laps 13
7 22   Guy Bouriat Bugatti T35 55 +5 laps 10
8 10   Giulio Foresti Bugatti T35C 54 +6 laps 2
NC 24   Edoardo Probst Bugatti T37A 45 +15 laps 7
NC 36   J-C d'Ahetze Bugatti T37A 40 +20 laps 12
Ret 2   Baconin Borzacchini Maserati 26R (8C-2000) 26 Wheel 1
Ret 28   Pierre Blaque Belair Bugatti T35C 24 +36 laps 11
Ret 46   Luigi Arcangeli Talbot 700 19 Withdrawn 17
Ret 44   Antonio Brivio Talbot 700 18 Withdrawn 20
Ret 8   Gastone Brilli-Peri Talbot 700 17 Withdrawn 5
Ret 18   Emilio Materassi Talbot 700 17 Fatal crash 3
Ret 48   Gianfranco Comotti Talbot 700 16 Withdrawn 19
Ret 32   Carlo Tonini Bugatti T35C 15 Mechanical 15
Ret 20   Giulio Aymini Delage 2LCV 14 Mechanical 6
Ret 12   William Grover-Williams Bugatti T35C 5 Engine 4
Ret 30   Cleto Nenzioni Bugatti T37A 2 Mechanical 8
Ret 52   Mario Piccolo Maserati 26 (8C-1500) 1 Mechanical 18
DNA 4   Manuel Blancas Bugatti T35B Did not appear
DNA 14   Giuseppe Gilera Bugatti T35 Did not appear
DNA 16   J. Ghica-Cantacuzene Cozette Spl. Did not appear
DNA 34   Ugo Stefanelli Bugatti T35 Did not appear
DNA 54   Manuel Ceratto Delage 2LCV Did not appear
DNA 56   Federico Fisauli Maserati Tipo 26 Did not appear
DNA 58   Ruggiero Bisighin Bugatti Did not appear
DNA 60   Alberto Kechler Alfa-Romeo 6C-1500 Did not appear
DNA 62   Roberto Serboli Delage 2LCV Did not appear

Fastest Lap: Luigi Arcangeli, 3m37.4 (165.59 km/h)

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "1928 GRAND PRIX SEASON -". www.goldenera.fi. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  2. ^ a b "Motorsport Memorial -". www.motorsportmemorial.org. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  3. ^ Spurgeon, Brad (2012-09-07). "Italy's Grand Prix? Only at Monza". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-07.


Grand Prix Race
Previous race:
1928 Indianapolis 500
1928 Grand Prix season
Grandes Épreuves
Next race:
1929 Indianapolis 500
Previous race:
1927 Italian Grand Prix
Italian Grand Prix Next race:
1931 Italian Grand Prix
Previous race:
1927 Italian Grand Prix
European Grand Prix
(Designated European Grand Prix)
Next race:
1930 Belgian Grand Prix