Giulio Masetti
{{short description|Italian racing driver (1895–1926)}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Giulio Masetti
| image = Giulio Masetti at the 1922 French Grand Prix (cropped).jpg
| caption = Masetti at the 1922 French grand prix
| birth_date = 1895
| birth_place = Vinci, Italy
| death_date = 25 April, 1926 (aged 31-32)
| death_place = Sclafani Bagni
| occupation = Nobleman, racing driver
}}{{Confuse|Giulio Masetti (bishop)}}File:Giulio masetti delage.jpg
Giulio Masetti (1895 – 25 April 1926) was an Italian nobleman and racing driver, known as "the lion of Madonie"{{cite web|url=http://www.targaflorio.info/13.htm |title=Targa Florio 1922 |publisher=Targaflorio.info |date= |accessdate=2011-11-01}} from his dominating the Targa Florio in the early 1920s.
Early life
Born in Vinci, he was the older brother of the racing driver Conte Carlo Masetti, both living in Castello di Uzzano, a palace in Greve in Chianti owned by the Masetti di Bagnano family since 1644.{{cite book | title = Chianti: the land, the people and the wine | first = Raymond | last = Flower | page = 252 | publisher = Taylor & Francis | year = 1978}}
Career
Masetti acquired his first car, a 4.5-litre Fiat S57 B14 from Antonio Ascari, in which he was fourth at X Targa Florio (1919), and won the XII Targa Florio (1921). The next year, he won XIII Targa Florio in his privately entered ex-Otto Salzer 1914 Mercedes 4.5-litre 115 HP 18/100 (1922).{{cite web|url=http://www.forix.com/8w/targa.html |title=Legendary teamleaders in the Targa Florio |publisher=Forix.com |date=1922-04-02 |accessdate=2011-11-01}}
Masetti then raced an Alfa Romeo RL TF (second at XIV Targa Florio, 1924) before joining the Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq team. He was third in a Sunbeam 135 bhp 2-litre at the 1925 French Grand Prix,{{cite web |url=http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/gp25a.htm |title=The 1925 Automobile World Championship |publisher=Kolumbus.fi |date= |accessdate=2011-11-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813181049/http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/gp25a.htm |archive-date=2007-08-13 |url-status=dead }} but failed to finish the San Sebastián Grand Prix (1925) and the II Rome Grand Prix (1926).
Death
He suffered a fatal accident in Sclafani Bagni, Sicily during the XVII Targa Florio while driving entry #13, a Delage 2L CV.{{cite web|url=http://www.targaflorio.info/17.htm |title=Targa Florio 1926 |publisher=Targaflorio.info |date= |accessdate=2011-11-01}}{{cite web|author=Angelo e Mario Grifasi |url=http://www.grifasi-sicilia.com/giuliomasetti.html |title=Giulio Masetti |publisher=Grifasi-sicilia.com |date=1926-05-14 |accessdate=2011-11-01}} A stone plaque is erected at the place.{{cite web|url=http://www.chieracostui.com/costui/docs/search/schedaoltre.asp?ID=9930 |title=stone plaque |publisher=Chieracostui.com |date= |accessdate=2011-11-01}} Since this incident, the entry #13 is no longer issued at Grand Prix events.{{cite web|url=http://www.motoringpicturelibrary.com/preview_image.asp?lcID=540&fleID=5371 |title=Giulio Masetti, 1922 |publisher=Motoringpicturelibrary.com |date= |accessdate=2011-11-01}}{{cite web|url=http://forums.atlasf1.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=951 |title=Car #13 |publisher=Forums.atlasf1.com |date= |accessdate=2011-11-01}}
References
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Category:People from Vinci, Tuscany
Category:Sportspeople from the Metropolitan City of Florence
Category:Italian racing drivers