Circuito del Montenero

Italy Circuito Montenero-Coppa Ciano
Location Livorno, Italy
Time zone GMT +1
Coordinates 43°30′45″N 10°19′2″E / 43.51250°N 10.31722°E / 43.51250; 10.31722Coordinates: 43°30′45″N 10°19′2″E / 43.51250°N 10.31722°E / 43.51250; 10.31722
Major events Formula Libre - Grand Prix - Voiturette
Surface Asphalt
Length 22.5 km (14.0 mi)
Turns 100 (+)
Lap record 13:27.8 (89.13 km/h) (55.8 mph) (Italy Tazio Nuvolari, Alfa Romeo, 1933, Grand Prix)
Circuito Montenero (1936-1937)
Surface Asphalt
Length 7.218 km (4.485 mi)
Turns 14
Lap record 2:44:54 (125.9 km/h) (Germany Rudolf Caracciola, Mercedes, 1937, Grand Prix)
Circuito Montenero (1938-1939)
Surface Asphalt
Length 5.80 km (3.60 mi)
Turns 9
Lap record 2:30.10 (139.5 km/h) (Italy Giuseppe Farina, Alfa Romeo, 1939, Grand Prix)
Circuito Montenero (1948)
Surface Asphalt
Length 5.01 km (3.107 mi)
Turns 10
Lap record 1:13.51 (101.56 km/h) (Italy Franco Venturi, Cisitalia D46 - Fiat, 1947, Voiturette 1500)

The Montenero Circuit, official name: Circuito del Montenero or sometimes referred to simply as "the Livorno Circuit", was a Grand Prix motor racing road course located at the southern outskirts of Livorno, a city on the mediterranean coast of the Tuscany region in Italy. The venue was best known as the home for the annual Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano and the 1937 Italian Grand Prix.[1][2]

The circuit was created in 1921 at the initiative of Paolo Fabbrini, owner of the newspaper Corriere di Livorno to host local sports car races.[1] On September 25 the same year, the first "Coppa Montenero" was held on a 18.5 km long public roads circuit, starting at the seafront "Rotunda" (Parco Bartolini) in the Ardenza district of Livorno, stretching up into the hills of Montenero, climbing to about 300 meters above sea level before returning down to the start/finish line. The circuit was long, with dangerous sections and extremely hard on both man and machine but considered a huge success, attracting interest from regional motoring clubs and the automobile industry alike.

In 1927, Livorno-born politician Costanzo Ciano donated the first "Coppa Ciano" trophy, starting one of the most prestigious Grand Prix racing series to endure for the next 12 years. Like many other circuits of the era, Montenero had to change its layout several times over the years to accommodate the growing demands of racing technology. The last major Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano Grand Prix in 1939 also marks the end of the great road course era. Safety concerns, increasingly unmanageable circuit demands, faster cars among other factors left shorter, purpose-built race tracks as the only viable alternative for future Grand Prix venues. One last "Coppa Montenero" was held in 1947 in an attempt to revive the circuit but proved to be financially unsuccessful. A minor sports car race in 1953 was the last event before the track was closed down for good.

Circuit history

  • 1921:
  • 1922-1924:
  • 1925-1930:
  • 1931-1932:
  • 1933-1935:
  • 1936:
  • 1937:
  • 1938:
  • 1939:
  • 1947:
  

I Circuito Montenero (Coppa Montenero)
Circuito Montenero
Circuito Montenero (I Coppa Ciano 1937)
Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano
Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano
Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano (*)
XV Gran Premio d'Italia (XVII Coppa Ciano)
Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano, (Voiturette)
Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano
Coppa Montenero

  

110 km
180 km
225 km
200 km
240 km
216.5 km
360 km
145.0 km
232.0 km
125.0 km

  

(6 laps   - 18.5 km road course)
(8 laps   - 22.5 km road course)
(10 laps - 22.5 km road course)
(10 laps - 20 km road course)
(12 laps - 20 km road course)
(30 laps - 7.218 km street circuit)
(50 laps - 7.218 km street circuit)
(25 laps - 5.8 km street circuit)
(40 laps - 5.8 km street circuit)
(25 laps - 5.01 km street circuit)

(*) The mountain section of the circuit was dropped from 1936 to 1947

Circuito Montenero by year

Year Race Name Dist. Circuit Formula Driver Manufacturer Time Report
1921 I Circuito del Montenero 109.2 km 18.5 km 2000cc Italy Corrado Lotti Ansaldo 2000 2:44:26 Report
1922 II Circuito Montenero 180 km 22.5 km Formula Libre Italy Carlo Masetti Bugatti 37 1500 2:52:42 Report
1923 III Circuito Montenero 180 km 22.5 km Formula Libre Italy Mario Razzauti Ansaldo 2000 2:52:42 Report
1924 IV Circuito Montenero 180 km 22.5 km Formula Libre Italy Renato Balestrero OM 665 2:34:58 Report
1925 V Circuito Montenero 225 km 22.5 km Formula Libre Italy Emilio Materassi Itala Spl 3:16:40 Report
1926 VI Circuito Montenero 225 km 22.5 km Formula Libre Italy Emilio Materassi Itala Spl 2:55:10 Report
1927 VII Circuito Montenero 225 km 22.5 km Formula Libre Italy Emilio Materassi Bugatti T35C 2:45:18 Report
I Coppa Ciano (Sport) 225 km 22.5 km Sports car Italy Attilio Marinoni Alfa Romeo 6C-1500 2:52:42 Report
1928 VIII Circuito Montenero 225 km 22.5 km Grand Prix Italy Emilio Materassi Talbot 700 2:38:57 Report
II Coppa Ciano (Sport) 225 km 22.5 km Sports car Italy Mario Razzauti Alfa Romeo 6C-1500 2:52:42 Report
1929 IX (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 225 km 22.5 km Grand Prix Italy Achille Varzi Alfa Romeo P2 2:38:51 Report
1930 X (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 225 km 22.5 km Grand Prix Italy Luigi Fagioli Maserati 26M 2:33:50 Report
1931 XI (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 200 km 20.0 km Grand Prix Italy Tazio Nuvolari Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza 2:23:40 Report
1932 XII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 200 km 20.0 km Grand Prix Italy Tazio Nuvolari Alfa Romeo Tipo-B 'P3' 2:18:19 Report
1933 XIII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 240 km 20.0 km Grand Prix Italy Tazio Nuvolari Maserati 8CM 2:45:08 Report
1934 XIV (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 240 km 20.0 km Grand Prix Italy Achille Varzi Alfa Romeo Tipo-B 'P3' 2:49:52 Report
1935 XV (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 240 km 20.0 km Grand Prix Italy Tazio Nuvolari Alfa Romeo Tipo-B 'P3' 2:42:08 Report
1936 XVI (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 216.5 km 7.218 km Grand Prix Italy Nuvolari / Pintacuda Alfa Romeo 8C-35 1:44:54.4 Report
1937 XVII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano * 360.0 km 7.218 km Grand Prix Germany Rudolf Caracciola Mercedes-Benz W125 2:44:54.4 Report
1938 XVIII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 232.0 km 5.80 km Grand Prix Germany Hermann Lang Mercedes-Benz W154 1:00:35.2 Report
XVIII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 145.0 km 5.80 km Voiturette Italy Emilio Villoresi Maserati 6CM 1:05:21.6 Report
1939 XIX (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 348.0 km 5.80 km Grand Prix Italy Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 158 2:30:10.4 Report
1940-1946 (Not held)
1947 XX Coppa Montenero 125.0 km 5.01 km Voiturette Italy Franco Venturi Cisitalia D46 - Fiat 1:13:51.2 Report
* (AIACR European Driver Championship round) [3][4] - Sources:[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]

Montenero circuit maps

Circuito Montenero 1922
Circuito Montenero 1936
Circuito Montenero 1937
Circuito Montenero 1938-1939
Street Map - Montenero Circuit 1947

Notes

Inconsistencies and discrepancies in Grand Prix era race numbering were often due to political conflicts between regional municipalities and national sanctioning bodies. (example: Grand Prix de la Marne vs Grand Prix de Reims vs Grand Prix de l'ACF

References

  1. 1 2 "La Coppa Montenero (1921-1939)" (in Italian). circuitodelmontenero.it. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  2. ↑ "1937 - XV Gran Premio d'Italia". Leif Snellman. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
  3. ↑ "AIACR European Championship 1937". dlg.Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  4. ↑ "AIACR European Driver Championships". dlg.speedfreaks.org. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  5. ↑ "1924 IV Circuito Montenero". teamdan.com. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  6. ↑ "1925 V Circuito Montenero". teamdan.com. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  7. ↑ "1926 VI Circuito Montenero". teamdan.com. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  8. ↑ "1927 VII Circuito Montenero - I Coppa Ciano (Sport)". teamdan.com. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  9. ↑ "1928 VIII Circuito Montenero - II Coppa Ciano (Sport)". teamdan.com. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  10. ↑ "1929 IX Circuito Montenero - III Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  11. ↑ "1930 X Circuito Montenero - IV Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  12. ↑ "1931 XI Circuito Montenero - V Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  13. ↑ "1932 XII Circuito Montenero - VI Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  14. ↑ "1933 XIII Circuito Montenero - VII Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  15. ↑ "1934 XIV Circuito Montenero - VIII Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  16. ↑ "1935 XV Circuito Montenero - IX Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  17. ↑ "1936 XVI Circuito Montenero - X Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  18. ↑ "1937 - XVII Circuito Montenero - XI Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  19. ↑ "1938 XVIII Circuito Montenero - XII Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  20. ↑ "1939 XIX Circuito Montenero - XIII Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  21. ↑ "1947 XX Circuito del Montenero". formula2.net. Retrieved April 16, 2014.

External links

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