1956-07-14 Lancia-Ferrari D50 (4) Alfonso de Portago - Peter Collins GBR - Silverstone 2
On July 14th, 1956, Alfonso de Portago and Peter Collins led this Ferrari D50 (4) to de 2nd place in Silverstone for the British GP. Fangio won with another D50 (1)
De Portago drove 70 of the 100 laps and passed it to Peter Collins end the race in 2nd place.
Still, right after he re-joint the race with the Ferrari D40 (3), that up to then has been driven by Castelotti. He managed to finish 10th with that other D50. It was his first race and best resul in F1
He was the godson of king Alfonso XIII, Portago was born in London, he was educated at Biarritz, in France. Portago was heir to one of the most respected titles in Spainand a millionaire
De Portago began racing sports cars in 1953 after his meeting with the Ferrari importer in the USA, Luigi Chinetti, who asked him to be his co-driver in the Carrera Panamericana. He later raced alone in a personal Ferrari Sport model at the 1954 1000 km Buenos Aires. de Portago won six major sprot races.
He participated in 5 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 1 July 1956.
He also was a bobsleigh runner, recruiting several cousins in order to form Spain's first bobsleigh team for the 1956 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo
He and his co-driver Edmund Nelson were killed on 12 May 1957 in a crash during that year's Mille Miglia, in a straight road section between Cerlongo and Guidizzolo, in the communal territory of Cavriana about 70 km from Brescia, the start and finish point of the event race. The wreck also claimed the lives of nine spectators. It was the end of the legendary Mille Miglia race.
