Difference between revisions of "Valentino Nicchi"
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===Life GP=== | ===Life GP=== | ||
| − | On October [[1991 Life Grand Prix Series season|1991]], Valentino bought a Life L190 to compete in the Life GP Series after watching the series on TV. His team was entered as a non-championship entry for the last round at Japan. Valentino lined up 29th his debut in Suzuka before crashing off at 130R. | + | On October [[1991 Life Grand Prix Series season|1991]], Valentino bought a Life L190 to compete in the Life GP Series after watching the series on TV. His team was entered as a non-championship entry for the last round at Japan. Valentino lined up 29th his debut in Suzuka before crashing off at 130R. For the next race, a non-championship at Brazil, Valentino's reserve driver for 1992 Marcus Kun was entered in a 2nd car. The race saw both cars running well in 11th and 13th before Kun retired with suspension problems as was hit by [[Frédéric-Maxime Voeckler]] and Valentino. Valentino recovered to finish the race in 7th. |
==Nicchi Motori== | ==Nicchi Motori== | ||
'''Nicchi Motori''' is a motor racing team founded by Valentino. | '''Nicchi Motori''' is a motor racing team founded by Valentino. | ||
===[[Life GP Series|Life GP]]=== | ===[[Life GP Series|Life GP]]=== | ||
| − | For the team's [[1992 Life Grand Prix Series season|first full season]], Nauruan [[Marcus Kun]] was employed as the team's test/reserve driver. | + | For the team's [[1992 Life Grand Prix Series season|first full season]], Nauruan [[Marcus Kun]] was employed as the team's test/reserve driver. Valentino immediatly decided to pour almost all off the team's into engine reliability. |
===[[BTC Development Series]]=== | ===[[BTC Development Series]]=== | ||
For 2004, an Alfa Romeo 147 was bought and the team employed former Production class BTCC driver Toni Ruokonen to drive it. | For 2004, an Alfa Romeo 147 was bought and the team employed former Production class BTCC driver Toni Ruokonen to drive it. | ||
Revision as of 19:56, 14 February 2013
Valentino Nicchi (born October 30, 1956 in Vatican City) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver. He is well known for being Vatican City's first racing driver aswell as being one of the few people to have raced in both motorcycle and Formula One Grand Prix.
Automobile racing history
After the 1978 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, Valentino decided to quit motorcycling to pursue an auto racing career. He made his 4-wheel racing debut in the 1979 Formula Two Championship, scoring 5 podiums and finishing his first season in 5th. He was probably best known that year for a huge crash at Hockenheim where he went into a barrel roll. His performances impressed enough that he was offered a test/reserve role at Restov Racing in Formula One for the 1980 season and he immediately signed.
Formula One
On his first F1 test at Silverstone, Valentino performed respectively, finishing the session just under 3 tenths slower than one of the regular drivers.
Nicchi made his debut on March 30, 1980 for the Restov Racing team at the Brazilian Grand Prix, driving car number 37 as a replacement for the banned Beppe Gabbiani. He qualified an impressive 16th on his debut, outqualifying his more experianced teammate Gianfranco Brancatelli, before retiring with brake failure.
Gabbiani was banned again after the Belgian Grand Prix for six races, he was fired from the team and Valentino was promoted to the second race seat with immediate effect.
Life GP
On October 1991, Valentino bought a Life L190 to compete in the Life GP Series after watching the series on TV. His team was entered as a non-championship entry for the last round at Japan. Valentino lined up 29th his debut in Suzuka before crashing off at 130R. For the next race, a non-championship at Brazil, Valentino's reserve driver for 1992 Marcus Kun was entered in a 2nd car. The race saw both cars running well in 11th and 13th before Kun retired with suspension problems as was hit by Frédéric-Maxime Voeckler and Valentino. Valentino recovered to finish the race in 7th.
Nicchi Motori
Nicchi Motori is a motor racing team founded by Valentino.
Life GP
For the team's first full season, Nauruan Marcus Kun was employed as the team's test/reserve driver. Valentino immediatly decided to pour almost all off the team's into engine reliability.
BTC Development Series
For 2004, an Alfa Romeo 147 was bought and the team employed former Production class BTCC driver Toni Ruokonen to drive it.
F1 Rejects Nations Cup
For 2015 the team represented European Microstates under the name NM Squadra Europea Micro.
Rejects of LFS
The team appeared in the non-championship Aston 24 Hours fielding an FZ50 with Nikolai Nurmovitsch, Jan van der Maeyede and Jasper Lerby at the wheel.
Racing record
Motorcycle Grand Prix Results
| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Points | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
(Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Class | Team | Machine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Points | Rank | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 250cc | Yamaha | TZ250 | FRA - |
NAT 2 |
IOM 2 |
NED 2 |
BEL 3 |
SWE 1 |
FIN 2 |
CZE 3 |
GER 7 |
ESP - |
73 | 2nd | 1 | |||
| 350cc | Yamaha | TZ350 | FRA 4 |
AUT - |
NAT 10 |
YUG 3 |
IOM 9 |
NED - |
FIN - |
CZE 11 |
GER 4 |
ESP - |
28 | 7th | 0 | ||||
| 500cc | Yamaha | TZ500 | FRA - |
AUT WD |
NAT - |
IOM 4 |
NED - |
BEL - |
SWE - |
FIN - |
CZE - |
GER - |
8 | 26th | 0 | ||||
| 1977 | 250cc | Yamaha | TZ250 | VEN - |
GER - |
NAT 8 |
ESP 1 |
FRA 8 |
YUG 2 |
NED 6 |
BEL 2 |
SWE 4 |
FIN - |
CZE - |
GBR - |
58 | 4th | 1 | |
| 350cc | Yamaha | TZ350 | VEN - |
GER 1 |
NAT 3 |
ESP 3 |
FRA 1 |
YUG 1 |
NED - |
SWE 1 |
FIN 1 |
CZE - |
GBR - |
95 | 1st | 5 | |||
| 1978 | 350cc | Yamaha | TZ350 | VEN 1 |
AUT 3 |
FRA - |
NAT 3 |
NED - |
SWE 3 |
FIN 2 |
GBR - |
GER 1 |
CZE - |
YUG - |
77 | 2nd | 2 | ||
| 500cc | Yamaha | TZ500 | VEN - |
ESP 3 |
AUT - |
FRA - |
NAT - |
NED 4 |
BEL 6 |
SWE 3 |
FIN 2 |
GBR 9 |
GER 5 |
53 | 5th | 0 |
Complete European Formula Two Championship results
(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 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | San Remo Racing | March/792 | BMW | SIL 6 |
HOC 6 |
THR 5 |
NÜR 3 |
VAL Ret |
MUG Ret |
PAU 2 |
HOC Ret |
ZAN 3 |
PER Ret |
MIS 3 |
DON 2 |
5th | 28 |
Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Gazprom Restov Racing | Restov RS11 | Lada Turbo | AUS | RSA | BRA Ret |
BEL | FRA | MON | SUI | USA | CAN | IRE | GBR | GER | EUR | AUT | ITA | JAP | USE | N/A | 0 |
Complete Life GP Series Results
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | NC | DC | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Nicchi Motori | ESP | AND | FRA | ITA | AUT | CZE | GER | SWE | BEL | SUI | LUX | EUR | GBR | ENG | POR | USE | USW | JPN Ret |
BRA 7 |
NC | 0 |
