Gianfranco Brancatelli

Who is Gianfranco Brancatelli?

Gianfranco Brancatelli is a former racing driver from Italy. His racing career began in 1973, in the Formula Abarth series. In 1975, he advanced to Italian Formula 3 racing. Brancatelli entered 3 Formula One Grands Prix in 1979 with Kauhsen and Merzario.

After his departure from Formula 1, Brancatelli went on to race in several Touring Car series, with some success. Along with Swedish driver Thomas Lindström he won the 1985 European Touring Car Championship driving a Volvo 240 Turbo for Rudi Eggenberger, the pair winning six out of fourteen races. He drove a Rover Vitesse for TWR in the 1986 ETCC and a BMW M3 for Italian outfit CiBiEMME Sport in the 1987 World Touring Car Championship where he partnered another former Formula One driver Johnny Cecotto to win the 500 km de Bourgogne at Dijon-Prenois. He finished 9th in that championship while finishing 5th in the 1987 ETCC. The following season saw Brancatelli on the move again, this time going back to Eggenberger Motorsport where he would serve as a driver in the teams 3rd Texaco Ford Sierra RS500. Brancatelli would also win the 1988 Italian Touring Car Championship driving a privately entered Alfa Romeo 75.