Lamberto Leoni (born 24 May 1953) is a former racing driver from Italy. He participated in five Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, failing to qualify for three of them. He scored no championship points.

Lamberto Leoni
Leoni in 1974
Born (1953-05-24) 24 May 1953 (age 71)
Argenta, Italy
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityItaly Italian
Active years19771978
TeamsSurtees, Ensign
Entries5 (1 start)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1977 Italian Grand Prix
Last entry1978 United States Grand Prix West

Career

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After racing in Italian Formula 3, Leoni graduated to European Formula 2 in 1976. He had a promising start, finishing third in his first race with Massimo Ciccozzi's team Scuderia del Passatore at Autódromo do Estoril. He then raced for Giancarlo Minardi's Scuderia Everest, with mixed results. His best result came the following season, when he won at Misano with a car fielded by Scuderia Trivellato.

In 1977 Leoni made his Formula One debut with Surtees at the 1977 Italian Grand Prix, replacing Vern Schuppan, but failed to qualify. The following year he joined Morris Nunn's Ensign. Leoni qualified for the opening event, the 1978 Argentine Grand Prix, but was forced to retire the car after 28 laps because of an engine failure. At the following race in Brazil, Leoni once again managed to qualify but was prevented from starting the race after his transmission broke down during the formation lap. After failing to qualify the car in the following two races in South Africa and the United States, Leoni departed from the team and was replaced by Jacky Ickx.

Leoni returned to Formula 2 and then Formula 3000. In 1987 he formed his own First Racing team. Following a few moderately successful seasons, with wins for drivers Marco Apicella and Pierluigi Martini, in 1989 Leoni made an abortive attempt to enter Formula One with a car designed by Richard Divila and Gabriele Tarquini at the wheel. The car, however, was poorly assembled and although Leoni commissioned a second chassis, he eventually elected to end the team experience in Formula One. The second chassis was then purchased by Ernesto Vita for his unsuccessful Life outfit.

Leoni subsequently managed the career of Apicella, who ended up winning the Super Formula Championship in 1994 and have an outing in Formula One with Jordan Grand Prix in 1993.

In the early 1990s, Leoni resumed his racing career by becoming involved in powerboat racing. He was able to win several races and narrowly missed the 1993 World Championship.[1]

Racing record

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Complete European Formula Two Championship results

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(key) (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 13 14 Pos. Pts
1975 Scuderia del Passatore March 752 BMW EST
3
THR
Ret
HOC
NC
NÜR
14
PAU HOC
Ret
SAL ROU MUG
Ret
PER
Ret
SIL ZOL NOG VAL 18th 4
1977 Scuderia Everest Ralt RT1 Ferrari SIL THR
Ret
HOC
DNQ
NÜR VAL
Ret
PAU
DNQ
MUG
7
ROU
DNQ
NOG
9
11th 9
Trivellato Racing Team Chevron B40 BMW PER
8
MIS
1
EST
9
DON
1979 Lamberto Leoni March 782 Amaroli SIL HOC THR NÜR VAL
DNQ
MUG
Ret
PAU HOC ZAN PER MIS DON NC 0
1982 Team Merzario Merzario 282 BMW SIL HOC THR NÜR MUG VAL PAU SPA HOC DON MAN PER MIS
14
NC 0
1983 Schweizer Automobil Rennsport March 832 BMW SIL
6
20th 1
James Gresham Racing THR
11
HOC
7
NÜR
Ret
VAL
9
PAU
Ret
JAR DON MIS PER ZOL MUG
1984 Emco Sports Minardi M283 BMW SIL
Ret
HOC
Ret
NC 0
Minardi Team THR
9
VAL MUG PAU HOC MIS
10
PER
9
DON
11
BRH

Complete International Formula 3000 results

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(key) (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
1985 PMC Motorsport Williams FW08C Cosworth SIL
NC
THR
16
EST NÜR VAL
Ret
PAU
3
SPA
Ret
DIJ
15
11th 8
Corbari Italia March 85B PER
Ret
ÖST
3
ZAN
11
DON
11
1986 ITI 3000 March 86B Cosworth SIL
11
VAL
Ret
PAU
7
SPA
Ret
IMO
9
MUG
DNQ
PER
15
ÖST
DNS
BIR BUG JAR NC 0
1987 First Racing March 87B Cosworth SIL
8
VAL
8
SPA
13
PAU
6
DON
Ret
PER
5
BRH
11
BIR
Ret
IMO
4
9th 12
Judd BUG
4
JAR
4

Complete Formula One World Championship results

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(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 WDC Pts
1977 Team Surtees Surtees TS19 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA USW ESP MON BEL SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA
DNQ
USA CAN JPN NC 0
1978 Team Tissot Ensign Ensign N177 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG
Ret
BRA
DNS
RSA
DNQ
USW
DNQ
MON BEL ESP SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN NC 0

24 Hours of Le Mans results

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Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1988   Italya Sport Team Le Mans   Akio Morimoto
  Anders Olofsson
March 88S-Nissan C1 69 DNF DNF
Source:[2]

References

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  1. ^ "8W - Who? - Lamberto Leoni".
  2. ^ "Lamberto Leoni, Italy". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved September 23, 2017.

Sources

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