Carlo Facetti

Carlo Giovanni Facetti (born 26 June 1935) is a former racing driver from Italy, mainly known for his success in touring car and sports car racing. In his single attempt at Formula One he failed to qualify for the 1974 Italian Grand Prix with a Brabham BT42 run by the Scuderia Finotto team.

In 1979, Facetti was the European Touring Car Champion. He was also second in 1977 and fourth in 1978.

Racing career Facetti was born in Cormano, Lombardy. For nearly 40 years, he would work in his workshop and on Sunday put his race overalls and helmet and going racing. He explained his success: "We work from seven in the morning until eight at night with the sole desire to makes engines unrivaled". He learned to drive at the age of 11, with Alberto Ascari, a friend of his father, Piero Facetti, who in turn was a mechanic and a racer, who finished fourth in the 1947 Mille Miglia. His brothers, Giuliano and Rosadelle would also become racing drivers.

The early years

Facetti started racing in 1953, paired with Elio Zagato at the Giro di Calabria, using a Fiat 8V 1100, although it was Zagato bodied with Facetti prepared engines. By 1960, he was building and racing Formula Junior cars with Lancia Appia engines. "It took a lot of passion, a racing seat and reverse shift from a Fiat 600!". Despite everything, he was very fast though he had a great company: Facetti remembers at Monza he was "able to score some good times compared to those of experienced pilots such as Ludovico Scarfiotti, Lorenzo Bandini and Giancarlo Baghetti".

Autodelta years

Come 1969, Facetti was employed by Autodelta, the competition department of Alfa Romeo. He was hired to help development their sportscars and race in the European Touring Car Championship. Amongst other he teamed up with was Ignazio Giunti and Nino Vaccarella. During this period, Facetti finished third in the Spa 24 Hours twice. In 1973, he was racing the team's Alfa Romeo T33/TT in the World Championship for Makes. After switch co-drivers in 1974, he was now partnered by Andrea da Adamich. This resulted in him visiting the podium on four occasions, the best being second in the 1000 km Österreichring. By the end of the season, Autodelta had finished fourth in the overall standing, but Facetti collaboration with Alfa Romeo was over, after winning the Italian title. "[He] was going through a period of crisis: [he] worked a lot with little satisfaction on a personal level. However, [he] won the Italian title, but that does not stop [him] from leaving Autodelta. As [he] ran at the Mugello Circuit, Cesare Fiorio tells [him], 'I have to tell you about an interesting program… A few days later, [he] was in Fiorio office, offered [him] the development of the engine for the Stratos. [He] would be working with Mike Parkes, to give the engine fuel injection and 4-valve head."

Lancia Stratos

Facetti between 1975 and 1976, was a racer and designer for Lancia, participating in the European Championship for Grand Touring cars. While Facetti immediately begins working on a 24-valve version of the Dino V6 engine, he was racing them. He was leading the Giro d'Italia Automobilistico when he retired with Gearbox problems. "They were three Stratros on the Giro that year; a turbo-charged 2-valve carburetor for Munari, a Pinto and [his] 4 valves with indirect injectons. [He] retired because [he] was too stressed keeping the engine level with the much more powerful Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 prototype of Jean-Claude Andruet". Although the Frenchman retired before Facetti, his Statros was out of the fight really battered... "In Casale, in a final step before arrival, broke a connecting rod first, then infill the injection pump and finally fire!"

1976 saw the arrival of Silhouette, of Group 5 "Special Production Car" category. With it, Lancia switched to the World Championship for Makes, and accepted the challenge from Porsche who took their monstrous 935 Turbo and BMW, with their reliable 3.5 CSL using the Lancia Stratos Turbo, prepared by Facetti, under the supervision of Parkes. The Stratos was not up to the challenge and following the death of Parkes in August 1977, the collaboration between Facetti and Lancia ended, along with the Silhouette program. His last commitment for Lancia saw him win the Giro d'Italia, with the Silhouette version.

Return to the ETCC

For the following season, Facetti successfully returned to the ETCC with a new partner, Martino Finotto, and a new car, BMW 3.0 CSL, while participating in the selection of World Championship Group 5 races, in a Porsche 935. The new partnership started with a podium finish in the 1977 24 Hours of Daytona. Despite having to drive their Jolly Club entered Porsche 935 very carefully and with low boost from the start, they did finish second, as well winning their class.

The returning to the ETCC was a winning one. In Finotto's ex-Luigi BMW form the previous season, and joined by Umberto Grano for the season opener at Monza, the all-Italian were the only contender for victory once the work-supported Jaguars and Alpina BMWs had retired. This trio followed this was second place at Mugello, albeit three laps behind another Luigi BMW. This result promoted Facetti into the lead of the drivers' championship. The Enna round was Grano dropped, but Facetti and Finotto lead the 500 km race from start to finish, leading home the clear sweep of the podium by the BMW CSLs of Luigi Racing.

A trip to Czechoslovakia, saw Facetti/Finotto triumph once again, beating the more fancied teams for the third time in five rounds. This after their BMW had survived an engine rebuild following qualifying, helping Facetti move clear in the championship, with Finotto being his nearest rival! After a number non-finishes, the pairing took third place at Jarama in Spain, and lost the lead in the title race to Dieter Quester. Going into the final round, Facetti was just 11 points behind. This round was held at Estoril, dominated by the changeable weather. As early leader, Grano (now racing for Alpina BMW) faltered, Facetti took his CSL past in the final few minutes of the four-hour race, and scored another win for himself and his partner, Finotto. Grano's second place with his partner, Quester secured the Austrian the championship by just six points.

For 1978, Finotto had brought the Alpina BMW CSL, and continued to share with Facetti. The first round of the 1978 European Touring Car Championship saw the car arrive at Brands Hatch, although two of the four BMW entered had used the supply of engines in qualifying and therefore did not start. The other remaining BMW was quicker in the hand of Grano and Tom Walkinshaw, but due to poor pit by the BMW Italia crew, Facetti/Finotto were able leading until three laps from the end, when Walkinshaw took over the lead. Fresh from their second place in England, Facetti/Finotto were only challenged by their tyres in the four hours event at Monza, eventually winning by seven laps.

In the Mugello race, Facetti and John Fitzpatrick diced the lead in the early stages of the race, only for the Englishman to drop away when his gear lever came loose. Facetti continued in the lead until Fitzpatrick retook it during a tyre stop. Soon afterwards, the car began to overheat with Finotto at the wheel and would eventually record a DNF. Facetti/Finotto soon returned to their winning ways when they took victory in the Austria-Trophäe, held at the Salzburgring. Facetti's pole lap was over a second faster by Gunnar Nilsson's time set the previous season set in the same car, albeit with an engine revised by Facetti with some 'Italian parts'.

After coming fifth at Jarama, Facetti suffered more bad luck in Estoril with a slipping clutch. As a result, saw Facetti/Finotto lose the championship lead. They retire with fuel feed problems on the Österreichring. But, returned to winning way when the series visited Czechoslovakia, when they trashed the opposition, finishing over an 11 km lap ahead of series leader, Grano. When the pair suffered an engine failure on the Nürburgring, they left the series only to return again in 1979.

After taking pole position for the 1979 6 Ore di Mugello in the 935, Facetti lead the race until a collision and he wound up in third at the end. After this WCM outing, Facetti returned to ETCC at Vallelunga. After 300 of the 500 km, Facetti/Finotto were amongst the leading BMWs, when Finotto pitted with boiling radiator; only moments later Eddy Joosen pitted with exactly the same problem. Repairs were made and both BMWs were back at full pace. At the end of 500 km, Facetti/Finotto were only nine seconds behind the winners Bruno Giacomelli/Grano/Joosen. The next ETCC race at Mugello, once again was a battle between the BMWs. Although the result was the same as before the margin of victory was down in just 2.6 seconds.

Facetti/Finotto had a dramatic time at Brands Hatch, when they lost the lead of the 500 km race. They were comfortably head of the field for 100 of the 120 laps, when the gear level broke in their old BMW CSL. After quick repairs, Facetti set off desperately to regain ground loss to the rival Luigi BMW. Just a few laps, he had a patch of oil and shot into the catch fencing surrounding the track. Another retirement at the next race, Jarama, this time due fuel feed problems. Their third DNF in a row was down the issues with the cooling system at Österreichring

Main rival for the 1979 title was Grano (Luigi BMW), and while he and Facetti/Finotto both suffered from blown head gaskets at Brno, the green Jolly Club BMW could salvage the car to second place the end of the race. The trip to the Nürburgring, saw the first time this season, the pair won a race after they took pole as well. Next on the ETCC agenda was Zandvoort, which saw the Jolly Club pairing head another BMW 1-2 finish. The BMW dominated the race at Salzburgring, taking all the steps of the podium, with Facetti/Finotto on the number one step, completing a hat-trick of victories.

When the ETCC visited Enna, once again it was a BMW festival, with a podium clean sweep, and after a spin by Finotto, the order was decided with the Jolly Club car in second. They went one better at Silverstone, by winning the RAC Tourist Trophy, with it the European Touring Car title. Their winning ways continued at Zolder, the pairs fifth victory in the last six races.

World Sportscars

By 1980, Facetti was in change at Achille Motors in Milan. This was a business venture with long-time racing partner Finotto. And that year, Lancia sold Finotto one of their brand new Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo the factory had been running in the World Championship Group 5, together Facetti and Finotto were able to add points the marque's total. For the 1981, they came up with idea of trying the challenge Porsche with a Ferrari.

With Maranello, only interested in Formula One, Facetti and Finotto decided to take on all-conquering Porsche 935s, even though their facilities at Archille Motors was hardly equal to Porsches. They chose the 3.0 liter Ferrari 308 GTB as their base model. As Group 5 was a Silhouette formula, Facetti know he could change a lot of things provided the car looked like the standard road version. This car they called Carma FF {CARlo Facetti and Martino Finotto and the FF for Facetti and Finotto}.

1983 saw the introduction of a new category into World Sportscars, Group C Junior. As Facetti and Finotto knew they could not complete on level terms with the might of Porsche, Finotto commissioned Stirano to build a car to these new regulations, while Facetti designed and built a 1.8 litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Since power units had to be ascribed to a recognised manufacturer, the team became known as Giannini-Alba, then Carma FF from 1985. The first car, Alba AR2 was a regular class winner with Facetti and Finotto at the helm in 1983, helping Alba to win the Group C Junior Cup. By 1984, this pairing were winless but still assisted Alba to win the Group C2 Prototype FIA Cup.

The Alba AR6 continued to use Facetti's engine for the 1985 season, the team lost reliability with it, trying to keep up with pace-setter Gordon Spice, Finotto turned his attention to the IMSA Camel Lights category in America for 1986. Finotto and Facetti, who prepared the overhead camshaft Ferrari engines, joined forces with Gaston Andrey Racing and enrolled fellow Italian, Ruggero Melgrati, who proved to be pace-setter in the Lights division. The team rarely enjoyed reliability to match, but Melgrati and Facetti shared success at Grand Prix of Palm Beach and Löwenbräu Classic.

Racing record

Career highlights

Season Series Position Team Car 1960 Campionato Italiano 17th Carlo Facetti Facetti-Lancia Campionato A.N.P.E.C/Auto Italiana d'Europe 23rd Carlo Facetti Facetti-Lancia Prova Addestrativa 12th Scuderia Ambrosiana de Sanctis-Ford GT Trophy 1st Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ Coppa D'Autunno 3rd Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ 1963 European Touring Car Challenge 25th HF Squadra Corse Lancia Flaminia 1964 Coppa dell'Autodromo di Monza 3rd Antonio Branca Branca-Ford 24 Hours of Spa 3rd Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint 1965 Campionato Italiano 2nd Scuderia Sant'Ambroeus Brabham-Ford BT16 Trofeo Luigi Musso 2nd Scuderia Sant'Ambroeus Brabham-Ford BT16 1967 Int. DMV Avus-Rennen 2nd Porsche 906 Trofeo Ettore Bettoja 3rd Porsche 910 1968 European Touring Car Challenge – Division 2 10th HF Squadra CorseJolly Club Milano Lancia Fulvia HF 1968 Temporada Argentina 11th Tecno Racing Team Tecno-Cosworth 68 1969 European Touring Car Challenge – Division 2 8th Autodelta S.p.A. Alfa Romeo 1300 GTA Junior 1970 Mil Milhas Brasileiras 3rd Alfa Romeo T33/2 Spyder 1971 Campionato Italiano Sport 1st Chevron-Ford B19 1972 European Touring Car Championship 10th Autodelta S.p.A. Alfa Romeo 2000 GTAmAlfa Romeo 1300 GTAm British Saloon Car Championship 28th Autodelta S.p.A. Alfa Romeo 1300 GTA Junior 1973 British Saloon Car Championship 38th Autodelta S.p.A. Alfa Romeo 2000 GTAm 1974 Campionato Italiano Sport 1st Scuderia Bresica Corse Lola-Ford T290 1975 European Touring Car Championship 23rd Castrol Team Zakspeed/Jolly Club Ford Escort RS 1600 1976 Giro d'Italia Automobilistico 2nd Luigi Racing BMW 3.0 CSL 1978 European Touring Car Championship 4th Jolly Club BMW 3.0 CSL 1979 European Touring Car Championship 1st Jolly Club BMW 3.0 CSL 1980 World Challenge for Endurance Drivers 36th Jolly ClubPlastic Bertrand Racing Lancia Beta Montecarlo TurboFerrari 308 GTBBMW 530i 1981 World Endurance Championship of Drivers 69th Jolly ClubCarma FFMartini Racing Lancia Beta Montecarlo TurboFerrari 308 GTB 1983 European Endurance Championship 44th Jolly Club Alba-Giannini AR2 World Endurance Championship of Drivers 63rd Jolly Club Osella-Giannini PA9 Alba-Giannini AR2 1984 World Endurance Championship of Drivers 53rd Jolly Club Alba-Giannini AR2 1985 FIA World Endurance Championship 42nd Carma FF Alba-Carma AR2Alba-Carma AR6 1986 IMSA Camel GTP Lights Championship 21st Gaston Andrey Racing Alba-Ferrari AR6Tiga-Ferrari GT286

Complete Formula One results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 WDC Points 1974 Scuderia Finotto Brabham BT42 Cosworth V8 ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON SWE NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA NC 0

Complete European Formula Two Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate *fastest lap) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pts Tecno Racing Team Tecno 68 Cosworth FVA HOC THR JAR CRY TUL ZAN PER HOC NC 0 Scuderia Picchio Rossa VAL Scuderia Picchio Rossa Tecno 68 Cosworth FVA THR HOC NÜR JAR TUL PER VAL NC 0

Complete British Saloon Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.) Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pts Class 1972 Autodelta S.p.A. Alfa Romeo 1300 GTA Junior BRH OUL THR SIL CRY BRH OUL SILovr:6cls:1 MAL BRH 28th 9 9th 1973 Autodelta S.p.A. Alfa Romeo 2000 GTAm BRH SIL THR THR SIL ING BRH SILovr:6cls:3 BRH 38th 4 10th

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1968 Autodelta S.p.A. Spartaco Dini Alfa Romeo T33/2 P2.0 315 5th 2nd 1970 Autodelta S.p.A. Teodoro Zeccoli Alfa Romeo T33/3 P3.0 43 DNF DNF 1973 Ecurie Brescia Corse Sergio Morando Teodoro Zeccoli Alfa Romeo T33/TT/3 S3.0 299 15th 7th 1974 BMW Jolly Club Manfred Mohr Martino Finotto BMW 3.0 CSL T 155 DNF DNF 1975 North American Racing Team Ronnie Bucknum Ferrari 365 GTB/4 GT - DNS DNS North American Racing Team Jean-Pierre Malcher Patrick Langlois Ferrari 365 GTB/4 GT - DNS DNS North American Racing Team Lucien Guitteny Jacky Haran Ronnie Bucknum Giancarlo Gagliardi Ferrari 365 GTB/4 GT - DNS DNS 1980 Jolly Club – Lancia Corse Martino Finotto Lanica Beta Montecarlo Turbo Gr.5 273 19th 2nd 1981 Martini Racing Eddie Cheever Michele Alboreto Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo Gr.5 323 8th 2nd 1983 Scuderia Jolly Club Martino Finotto Marco Vanoli Alba-Giannini AR2 C Jr 158 DNF DNF 1984 Jolly Club Martino Finotto Marco Vanoli Alba-Giannini AR2 C2 258 21st 7th

Complete 24 Hours of Daytona results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1968 Algar Enterprises Giancarlo Baghetti Ove Andersson Lancia Fulvia HF P 180 DNF DNF 1977 Jolly Club Martino Finotto Romeo Camathias Porsche 935 Gr.5 679 2nd 1st 1978 Jolly Club Martino Finotto Porsche 935 GTX 6 DNF DNF 1979 Jolly Club – Sportswagen Racing Team Martino Finotto Giampiero Moretti Porsche 935 GTX 164 DNF DNF 1980 Jolly Club Martino Finotto Lanica Beta Montecarlo Turbo GTX 597 10th 6th 1981 Jolly Club Martino Finotto Ferrari 308 GTB Turbo GTX 4 DNF DNF Jolly Club Italia Martino Finotto Emanuele Pirro Lanica Beta Montecarlo Turbo GTX 609 5th 3rd

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1962 Scuderia Ambrosiana Massimo Leto di Priolo Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce GT1.3 178 12th 2nd 1986 Gaston Andrey Racing Martino Finotto Ruggero Melgarti Alba-Ferrari AR6 Lights 41 DNF DNF

Complete 24 Hours of Spa results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1964 Giancarlo Galimberti Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint TC 269 3rd 2nd 1969 Autodelta Spartaco Dini Alfa Romeo 1300 GTA Junior Div.2 DNF DNF 1970 Autodelta S.P.A. Teodore Zeccoli Alfa Romeo 2000 GTA Div.3/Gr.2 3rd 3rd 1971 Autodelta S.P.A. Toine Hezemans Alfa Romeo 2000 GTAm Div.2 289 3rd 1st 1972 Autodelta Carlo Truci Alfa Romeo 1300 GTA Junior Div.1 269 23rd 2nd 1973 Autodelta Spa Massimo Larini Alfa Romeo 2000 GTAm Div.1 DNF DNF 1974 Autodelta S.p.A. Spartaco Dini Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV Div.4 DNF DNF 1977 Autodelta S.p.A. Spartaco Dini Alessandro Uberti Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV T2.5 - DNQ Autodelta S.p.A. Spartaco Dini Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV T2.5 DNF DNF Autodelta S.p.A. Giorgio Francia Amerigo Bigliazzi Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV T2.5 273 4th 2nd 1979 Luigi Racing Teddy Pilette Chevrolet Camaro Z28 serT+2.5 DNF DNF 1980 Plastic Bertrand Pascal Witmeur Jean-Jacques Feider BMW 530i serT+2.5 114 DNF DNF

Complete Mil Milhas Brasil results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Laps 1970 Giovanni Alberti Alfa Romeo T33/2 Spyder 198 3rd