Coppa Acerbo
1957) | |
| Pole position | |
|---|---|
| Podium | |
| |
| Fastest lap | |
|
The Coppa Acerbo was an automobile race held in Italy, named after Tito Acerbo, the brother of Giacomo Acerbo, a prominent fascist politician. Following Italy's defeat in World War II, and the consequent demise of fascism, the race was renamed the Circuito di Pescara, and in some years was also referred to as the Pescara Grand Prix (Gran Premio di Pescara) and 12 Hours of Pescara (12 Ore di Pescara). The race was run between 1924 and 1961 and over the years was held to a variety of vehicle class regulations and durations. In 1957 the Pescara Grand Prix formed a round of the Formula One World Championship, a race which still holds the record as having the longest circuit length ever used for a Championship event.
Pescara Circuit
The Coppa Acerbo races were held over a 24–26 km (15–16 mi) circuit, beginning and ending at Pescara, on the Adriatic coast. The course layout featured an inland route through the Abruzzo hills, that passed through several villages, followed by a long, straight descent back to the coast, where a tight right-hand corner led on to a four-mile (6 km) long straight running next to the sea. The pit and paddock complex was located at the end of this straight. In an effort to slow competitor speeds past these pits the Pescara circuit became one of the first to have an artificial chicane installed, just before the pit lane. The Pescara circuit layout holds the record as the longest circuit to ever to host a Formula One World Championship event, with the Nürburgring Nordschleife coming second at about 23 km.
Pre-war races
The first Coppa Acerbo was staged in 1924 and was won by
Alfa's domination of the race came to an end with the introduction of the 750 kg Grand Prix regulations in 1934, a race that was also marked by tragedy when
Post-war races
After WWII the race remained suspended for a year during post-war rebuilding. When it was finally run again in 1947 the name of the race was changed, because of its fascist connections, and it became known as the Circuito di Pescara. For the first three years the race was run for two-seater sports cars and was a fairly minor constituent in the European racing calendar. However, in common with many race organisers around the continent, with the introduction of the
When the World Championship switched to the slower
The
By the early 1960s, safety issues had become a major concern and the Pescara racecourse was seen as too dangerous for major international events. After a two-year break the race was downgraded to Formula Two status for 1960, a race won by future World Champion
Race winners
Repeat winners (drivers)
A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship.
| Wins | Driver | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 3 |  Giuseppe Campari
|
1927, 1928, 1931 |
| 2 | Luigi Fagioli
|
1933, 1934 |
| Achille Varzi
|
1930, 1935 | |
 Bernd Rosemeyer
|
1936, 1937 | |
 Giovanni Bracco
|
1948, 1952 | |
| Source:[2] | ||
Repeat winners (constructors)
A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship.
| Wins | Constructor | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Alfa Romeo
|
1950
|
| 4 | Ferrari
|
1951, 1952, 1953, 1961 |
| 3 | Auto Union
|
1935, 1936, 1937 |
| Maserati
|
1954
| |
| 2 | Mercedes-Benz
|
1934, 1938 |
| Source:[2] | ||
Repeat winners (engine manufacturers)
A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship.
| Wins | Manufacturer | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Alfa Romeo
|
1950
|
| 4 | Ferrari
|
1951, 1952, 1953, 1961 |
| 3 | Auto Union
|
1935, 1936, 1937 |
| Maserati
|
1954
| |
| 2 | Mercedes-Benz
|
1934, 1938 |
| Source:[2] | ||
By year
A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship.
See also
- Coppa Ciano
- List of major automobile races in Italy
References
- ^ ""La Canzone della Coppa Acerbo", song lyrics about a classic road race". 22 August 2014.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7603-0152-4– via Internet Archive.
- ^ Autocourse Review of International Motor Sport 1960 Part Two. 1961. p. 164.
External links
Media related to Coppa Acerbo at Wikimedia Commons