STORY OF THE DAY: Scarfiotti carries Ferrari’s transitional design at Monza

Ludovico Scarfiotti finished ninth in the 1964 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, a World Championship race won by his Ferrari team-mate John Surtees. While Surtees and Lorenzo Bandini placed their newer cars first and third, Scarfiotti completed the distance in number 6. His result came during an important afternoon in Ferrari’s successful pursuit of both 1964 titles.

Scarfiotti occupied a supporting role in a race defined at the front by rapid changes of position and the use of the slipstream. He remained outside the leading contest but brought the less competitive transitional car to the finish. The contrast between his machine and the victorious Ferrari underlined how quickly Formula One development was progressing during the final years of the 1.5-litre formula.

The 156 Aero was an extensively revised descendant of Ferrari’s earlier 156, retaining a 1.5-litre V6 engine while adopting slimmer, more aerodynamic bodywork. It represented an intermediate stage between the 1961 championship-winning car and the more advanced 158 F1. By Monza in 1964, Ferrari’s V8-powered 158 had become the principal championship contender.

Ludovico Scarfiotti was an Italian driver from Turin whose strongest achievements came in endurance racing and hill climbs. A valued Ferrari sports-car competitor, he shared victory with Lorenzo Bandini at the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans. His ninth place here preceded the defining Formula One success of his career: victory for Ferrari at Monza in 1966.