Lamberto Leoni

Lamberto Leoni (born 24 May 1953) is a former racing driver from Italy. He participated in five Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, failing to qualify for three of them. He scored no championship points.

Career After racing in Italian Formula 3, Leoni graduated to European Formula 2 in 1976. He had a promising start, finishing third in his first race with Massimo Ciccozzi's team Scuderia del Passatore at Autódromo do Estoril. He then raced for Giancarlo Minardi's Scuderia Everest, with mixed results. His best result came the following season, when he won at Misano with a car fielded by Scuderia Trivellato.

In 1977, Leoni made his Formula One debut with Surtees at the 1977 Italian Grand Prix, replacing Vern Schuppan, but failed to qualify. The following year, he joined Morris Nunn's Ensign. Leoni qualified for the opening event, the 1978 Argentine Grand Prix, but was forced to retire the car after 28 laps because of an engine failure. At the following race in Brazil, Leoni once again managed to qualify but was prevented from starting the race after his transmission broke down during the formation lap. After failing to qualify the car in the following two races in South Africa and the United States, Leoni departed from the team and was replaced by Jacky Ickx.

Leoni returned to Formula 2 and then Formula 3000. In 1987, he formed his own First Racing team. Following a few moderately successful seasons, with wins for drivers Marco Apicella and Pierluigi Martini, in 1989, Leoni made an abortive attempt to enter Formula One with a car designed by Richard Divila and Gabriele Tarquini at the wheel. The car, however, was poorly assembled and although Leoni commissioned a second chassis, he eventually elected to end the team experience in Formula One. The second chassis was then purchased by Ernesto Vita for his unsuccessful Life outfit.

Leoni subsequently managed the career of Apicella, who ended up winning the Super Formula Championship in 1994 and have an outing in Formula One with Jordan Grand Prix in 1993.

In the early 1990s, Leoni resumed his racing career by becoming involved in powerboat racing. He was able to win several races and narrowly missed the 1993 World Championship.

Racing record

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 10 11 12 13 14 Pts Scuderia del Passatore March 752 BMW EST THR HOC NÜR PAU HOC SAL ROU MUG PER SIL ZOL NOG VAL 18th 4 Scuderia Everest Ralt RT1 Ferrari SIL THR HOC NÜR VAL PAU MUG ROU NOG 11th 9 Trivellato Racing Team Chevron B40 BMW PER MIS EST DON Lamberto Leoni March 782 Amaroli SIL HOC THR NÜR VAL MUG PAU HOC ZAN PER MIS DON NC 0 Team Merzario Merzario 282 BMW SIL HOC THR NÜR MUG VAL PAU SPA HOC DON MAN PER MIS NC 0 Schweizer Automobil Rennsport March 832 BMW SIL 20th 1 James Gresham Racing THR HOC NÜR VAL PAU JAR DON MIS PER ZOL MUG Emco Sports Minardi M283 BMW SIL HOC NC 0 Minardi Team THR VAL MUG PAU HOC MIS PER DON BRH

Complete International Formula 3000 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Pts 1977 Team Surtees Surtees TS19 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA USW ESP MON BEL SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN JPN NC 0 1978 Team Tissot Ensign Ensign N177 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA USW MON BEL ESP SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN NC 0

24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1988 Italya Sport Team Le Mans Akio Morimoto Anders Olofsson March 88S-Nissan C1 69 DNF DNF