STORY OF THE DAY: Scarfiotti gives Italy an enduring Monza triumph

Ludovico Scarfiotti won the 1966 Italian Grand Prix at Monza in Ferrari number 6, claiming his only World Championship Grand Prix victory. Mike Parkes finished second in the other works Ferrari, completing a memorable home one-two for the Scuderia. Jack Brabham retired but nevertheless secured the Drivers’ Championship because his remaining rivals could no longer overtake him.

Scarfiotti became involved in a high-speed contest shaped by Monza’s slipstreams and the mechanical attrition of leading cars. He eventually established himself at the front and completed the 68 laps ahead of Parkes, who narrowly defeated Denny Hulme for second. Scarfiotti became the first Italian since Alberto Ascari in 1952 to win the Italian Grand Prix for Ferrari, and no Italian driver has repeated the achievement.

The Ferrari 312 F1 combined a three-litre naturally aspirated V12 with a tubular chassis reinforced by stressed panels. Its strong engine was particularly effective on Monza’s long, fast sections, where outright power mattered more than the car’s relative weight. The result was Ferrari’s only World Championship Grand Prix victory of the 1966 season.

Ludovico Scarfiotti came from Turin and established his reputation in hill climbs and endurance racing. He won the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans with Lorenzo Bandini and collected further major sports-car successes for Ferrari. Although his Formula One career was limited, his composed Monza victory ensured him a distinctive place in Italian motor-racing history.