STORY OF THE DAY: A Late Charge Brings the 512 S Victory

On 21 March 1971, Ignacio Giunti, Nino Vaccarella and Mario Andretti won at Sebring in the number 21 Ferrari 512 S. Their victory in the Florida endurance classic gave Ferrari’s five-litre sports car one of its most memorable international results.

The race turned on persistence after delays threatened the Ferrari’s challenge. Andretti produced a forceful closing drive, while the earlier work of Giunti and Vaccarella kept the car within reach of the leaders. The crew’s recovery transformed a difficult contest into a narrow and dramatic victory.

The 512 S was designed for the five-litre sports-car regulations and used a mid-mounted V12 in a structure combining tubes and reinforced panels. Its broad bodywork and considerable power suited Sebring’s straights, though the car’s weight and mechanical complexity demanded careful treatment over the broken concrete.

Giunti and Vaccarella were Italian Ferrari drivers: Giunti an emerging all-round talent, Vaccarella an established Le Mans and Targa Florio winner. Andretti was an Italian-born American champion of extraordinary versatility. Their contrasting strengths produced a crew capable of both preserving the car and attacking decisively when victory became possible.