Fagioli was born in the small town of
Osimo, in the
Marche region in central
Italy. As a boy Fagioli was fascinated by the relatively new invention of the automobile and the ensuing, newly-born racing scene. Blessed with great natural driving instincts, the young Fagioli started racing
hillclimbing and
sports car before entering
Grand Prix racing in 1926. In 1930 he was offered the opportunity to join the
Maserati team. He soon established himself as a serious contender, winning the
Coppa Ciano and the
Circuit of Avellino Grand Prix. In April the following year, he went head to head with
Louis Chiron and his
Bugatti Type 51 at the
Monaco Grand Prix. In what would go down as one of motorsport's most famous battles, Chiron eventually took the chequered flag first but Fagioli received universal praise for the skill he displayed in racing a car set up for long stretches as opposed to the tight twists and short runs that characterize the street circuit of
Monte Carlo. Fagioli avenged his defeat in Monaco a few weeks later by winning the
Autodromo Nazionale Monza Grand Prix in
Monza, Italy ahead of Chiron and fellow Italian drivers
Achille Varzi and
Tazio Nuvolari. In 1932, Fagioli won the
Grand Prix of Rome driving for Maserati but for the 1933 season he signed with the
Alfa Romeo team of
Scuderia Ferrari. At the wheel of an
Alfa Romeo P3, Fagioli ran a successful campaign, winning the
Coppa Acerbo, the
Grand Prix du Comminges, and the
Italian Grand Prix. The win at Coppa Acerbo happened at the expense of Nuvolari, who was forced to retire with a mechanical failure while on the lead during the closing stages of the race. For this reason Fagioli became known as "Il ladro degli Abruzzi" (The Abruzzi Robber). Fagioli's confidence in his abilities would occasionally inform his fiery temper. One not to refrain from retaliating against other drivers when he felt they had done something wrong on the track, he would frequently take chances, and as such developed a somewhat controversial reputation after a string of significant crashes. In 1934
Mercedes, acknowledging Fagioli's talent, hired him to drive one of their
Silver Arrows alongside chief mechanic
Hermann Lang. The relationship was successful although not without drama. In his very first outing for Mercedes, a furious Fagioli abandoned his car after team manager
Alfred Neubauer ordered him to stay put in second place and let fellow Mercedes driver
Manfred von Brauchitsch to win the race. Despite such bumpy start, Fagioli went on to win his second consecutive Coppa Acerbo and, together with
Rudolf Caracciola in a Mercedes W25A, won his second straight Italian Grand Prix. Fagioli's third win of the season came on the occasion of the
Spanish Grand Prix at the
Circuito Lasarte. For the 1935 racing season, Fagioli's factory Mercedes was upgraded to a W25B model. He won the
Monaco Grand Prix, the
AVUS and
Penya Rhin Grand Prix. However, his relationship with the team soured after he displayed a blatant disregard for team orders by trying to take on Rudolf Caracciola on multiple occasions. Fagioli left Mercedes at the end of the 1936 season and joined
Auto Union. No longer restricted by team politics, his rivalry with Caracciola escalated, culminating in a physical altercation between the two at the
Tripoli Grand Prix. Towards the end of the season, a series of health problems, including crippling rheumatism, began to severely affect Fagioli's racing ability. At the 1936 Coppa Acerbo, he could only walk with the aid of a cane and was forced to drop out of the race.
Formula One By the end of
World War II, Fagioli's health had improved and at 52-year-old he joined Alfa-Romeo's 1950
Formula One squad for the first ever
FIA World Championship. Fagioli drove the
158/159 Alfetta, and managed to score five podium finishes in six races, entering the final round as one of three drivers in contention for the title.
Giuseppe Farina eventually won the championship, with
Juan-Manuel Fangio finishing second and Fagioli third. In 1951 Fagioli won the
French Grand Prix with
Juan-Manuel Fangio, earning the distinction of being the oldest person to ever win a Formula One race. During the race, the Alfa Romeo team manager ordered him to hand over his healthy car to Fangio while Fagioli would drive Fangio's car, which was plagued with engine problems. This was common practice in Grand Prix racing before 1957 –
Enzo Ferrari had done the same, ordering
José Froilán González to hand over to the quicker and more experienced
Alberto Ascari; Fagioli was allegedly so disappointed with this arrangement that he elected to retire from Formula One racing there and then. For 1952, Fagioli signed with
Lancia to drive
sports cars. He finished in third place at the 1952 edition of the
Mille Miglia ahead of arch rival Caracciola. ==Death==