View source for Achille Varzi

'''Achille Varzi''' ([[August 8]], [[1904]] – [[July 1]], [[1948]]), was an Italian [[Grand Prix motor racing|Grand Prix]] driver.
[[Image:Piloti Alfa Romeo e Italo Balbo.JPG|right|250px|thumb|Alfa Romeo team drivers, Achille Varzi (4th from left)]]
==Career==
Born in [[Galliate]], [[province of Novara]] ([[Piedmont]]), Achille Varzi was the son of a prosperous textile manufacturer. As a young man, he was a successful [[motorcycle]] racer of a [[Garelli Motorcycles|Garelli]] before switching to auto racing in 1928 where, for the next ten years he would rival the great [[Tazio Nuvolari]].

Varzi's first race car was a Type 35 [[Bugatti]] but he shortly changed to driving an [[Alfa Romeo in motorsport|Alfa Romeo]], a brand with which he would score a great many victories during the 1929 Italian racing season. In 1930 Varzi acquired a vehicle from the relatively new [[Maserati]] company. He drove it as well as an Alfa Romeo earning his country's racing championship, a feat he would repeat in 1934. One of his big victories came at the prestigious [[Targa Florio]] where he upset the favored [[Louis Chiron]]. Following his win at the 1933  [[Tripoli Grand Prix]], Varzi was at the forefront of allegations that the race had been fixed.  

Varzi won 6 Grand Prix in 1934 driving the [[Alfa Romeo P3]], at Alessandria, Tripoli, Targa Florio, Penya Rhin at Barcelona, Coppa Ciano and Nice.

With Alfa Romeo he had worked under the management of [[Enzo Ferrari]], but Varzi decided to join the [[Auto Union]] team, racing for them between 1935 and 1937. A lover of the good life, Varzi began having serious personal problems, including an addiction to [[morphine]] and a difficult affair with Ilse Engel/Hubach/Pietsch/Feininger, the wife of a fellow driver [[Paul Pietsch]]. Quickly overshadowed by team-mate [[Bernd Rosemeyer]], his trips to the winners circle dropped to only four, but he did win his third Tripoli Grand Prix in his third different vehicle. By 1938 he had dropped out of sight and the advent of [[World War II]] ended racing in Europe. During the war, Varzi overcame his drug addiction and settled down with his new wife, Norma Colombo. At the end of the War, Varzi made a remarkable comeback at the age of 42. In 1947, he won three minor Grand Prix races and traveled to [[Argentina]] to race in the [[Buenos Aires Grand Prix]]. However, during practise runs for the 1948 [[Swiss Grand Prix]] a light rain fell on the [[Circuit Bremgarten|Bremgarten]] track. His car skidded on the wet surface, flipping over and crushing him to death. Varzi's death resulted in the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile|FIA]] mandating the wearing of crash helmets for racing, which had been optional previously.<ref name="clipper">{{cite book |first=Philip W|last=Plumb|title=The Clipper Book of Motor Racing Facts|publisher=Clipper Press |location=London |isbn=0851080081 |page=42}}</ref>

Buried in his hometown, Achille Varzi is still a racing icon in his native Italy. His relative and namesake, Achille C. Varzi, is Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University. In 1991, author [[Giorgio Terruzzi]] told his story in a book titled ''[[Una curva cieca - Vita di Achille Varzi]]''. During his career, Achille Varzi competed in 139 races, winning 33. Some of his major victories include:

*[[Avusrennen]] 1933
*[[Coppa Acerbo]] 1930, 1935
*[[Coppa Ciano]] 1929, 1934
*[[French Grand Prix]] 1931
*[[Grand Prix de Monza]] 1929, 1930
*[[Grand Prix de Nice]] 1934
*[[Gran Premio del Valentino]] 1946
*[[Mille Miglia]] 1934
*[[Monaco Grand Prix]] 1933
*[[Penya Rhin Grand Prix]]  1934
*[[Targa Florio]] 1930, 1934
*[[San Remo Grand Prix]] 1937
*[[Spanish Grand Prix]] 1930
*[[Tripoli Grand Prix]] 1933, 1934, 1936 
*[[Tunis Grand Prix]], 1931, 1932
*[[Turin Grand Prix]] 1946

==Complete European Championship results==
([[:Template:EC driver results legend|key]]) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"
! Year
! Entrant
! Make
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! EDC
! Points
|-
| [[1931 Grand Prix season|1931]]
! [[Bugatti|Usines Bugatti]]
! [[Bugatti]]
| bgcolor="#efcfff"| [[1931 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]<br /><small>Ret</small>
| bgcolor="#ffffbf"| [[1931 French Grand Prix|FRA]]<br /><small>1</small>
| bgcolor="#cfcfff"| [[1931 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]<br /><small>Ret</small>
|
|
! 4=
! 12
|-
| [[1932 Grand Prix season|1932]]
! [[Ettore Bugatti]]
! [[Bugatti]]
| bgcolor="#efcfff"| [[1932 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]<br /><small>Ret</small>
| bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| [[1932 French Grand Prix|FRA]]<br /><small>Ret</small>
| [[1932 German Grand Prix|GER]]<br /><small></small>
|
|
! 16=
! 21
|-
| [[1935 Grand Prix season|1935]]
! [[Auto Union]]
! [[Auto Union]]
| [[1935 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]<br /><small></small>
| bgcolor="#dfffdf"| [[1935 German Grand Prix|GER]]<br /><small>8</small>
| bgcolor="#dfffdf"| '''[[1935 Swiss Grand Prix|SUI]]'''<br /><small>4</small>
| bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| [[1935 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]<br /><small>Ret</small>
| bgcolor="#dfffdf"| [[1935 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]<br /><small>Ret</small>
! 8
! 27
|-
| [[1936 Grand Prix season|1936]]
! [[Auto Union]]
! [[Auto Union]]
| bgcolor="#dfdfdf"| [[1936 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]<br /><small>2</small>
| [[1936 German Grand Prix|GER]]<br /><small></small>
| bgcolor="#dfdfdf"| [[1936 Swiss Grand Prix|SUI]]<br /><small>2</small>
| bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| [[1936 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]<br /><small>Ret</small>
|
! 4
! 19
|-
| [[1937 Grand Prix season|1937]]
! [[Auto Union]]
! [[Auto Union]]
| [[1937 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1937 German Grand Prix|GER]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1937 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]<br /><small></small>
| [[1937 Swiss Grand Prix|SUI]]<br /><small></small>
| bgcolor="#dfffdf"| [[1937 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]<br /><small>6</small>
! 20=
! 36
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.achillevarzi.org/default.php Achille Varzi: The Official Website] (Italian)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Varzi, Achille}}
[[Category:1904 births]]
[[Category:1948 deaths]]
[[Category:People from the Province of Novara]]
[[Category:Italian racecar drivers]]
[[Category:Racecar drivers killed while racing]]
[[Category:Bugatti]]
[[Category:Grand Prix drivers]]
[[Category:Italian motorcycle racers]]
[[Category:Isle of Man TT Riders]]
[[Category:Mille Miglia drivers]]
[[Category:Monaco Grand Prix winners]]
[[Category:Motorcycle racers who have driven F1 cars]]
[[Category:Sport deaths in Switzerland]]