1961 Coppa Italia

  1961 Coppa Italia

Race details
Non-Championship race in the 1961 Formula One season
Date	12 October 1961
Official name	I Coppa Italia
Location	ACI Vallelunga Circuit
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	1.77 km (1.1 mi)
Distance	30 x 2 laps, 106.378 km (66.1 mi)
Pole position
Driver	Nino Vaccarella	Cooper-Maserati
Time	59.1
Fastest lap
Driver	Nino Vaccarella	Cooper-Maserati
Time	58.1
Podium
First	Giancarlo Baghetti	Porsche
Second	Ernesto Prinoth	Lotus-Climax
Third	Nino Vaccarella	Cooper-Maserati

The 1st Coppa Italia was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 12 October 1961 at Vallelunga Circuit. The race was run over two heats of 30 laps of the circuit, and was won by Italian driver Giancarlo Baghetti in a Porsche 718.

After the Italian Drivers' Championship finished as a tie between Giancarlo Baghetti and Lorenzo Bandini, a deciding race was organised. However, the fairness of this idea is in question since it was well known that Bandini would not be available to take part.^[1] Baghetti's team, Scuderia Sant Ambroeus, borrowed the Porsche from Ecurie Nationale Suisse,^[1] and their driver won both heats to take the national title.

Results

Pos	Driver	Entrant	Constructor	Time/Retired	Grid	Heat 1/2
1	Giancarlo Baghetti	Scuderia Sant Ambroeus	Porsche	1.00:53.9	2	1st / 1st
2	Ernesto Prinoth	Scuderia Dolomiti	Lotus-Climax	+ 15.3 s	3	2nd / 2nd
3	Nino Vaccarella	Scuderia Serenissima	Cooper-Maserati	59 laps	1	3rd / 3rd
4	Roberto Bussinello	Isobele de Tomaso	De Tomaso-Alfa Romeo	58 laps	4	5th / 4th
5	Roberto Lippi	Scuderia Settecolli	De Tomaso-O.S.C.A.	58 laps	6	4th / 5th
6	Albino Buticchi	Scuderi Sant Ambroeus	Cooper-Climax	57 laps	8	6th / 6th
7	Lucien de Sanctis	Scuderi Sant Ambroeus	Cooper-Climax	56 laps	9	7th / 7th
8	Gaetano Starrabba	Gaetano Starrabba	Lotus-Maserati	31 laps	5	8th / 8th
9	Elio Pandolfo	Scuderia Montegrappa	Elios	22 laps	10	9th / Ret
Ret	Rovero Campello	Rovero Campello	de Sanctis-Fiat	Engine	7	Ret / DNS
WD	Ludovico Scarfiotti	Pescara Racing Club	De Tomaso-O.S.C.A.	Car not ready	–	– / –
WD	Menato Boffa	Menato Boffa	Cooper-Climax	Car not ready	–	– / –

References

1. Article at 8W

• "The Grand Prix Who's Who", Steve Small, 1995.
• "The Formula One Record Book", John Thompson, 1974.
• Baghetti article at 8W
• Article at Atlas F1 - Rear View Mirror