Renato Balestrero

Who was Renato Balestrero?

Renato Balestrero was an Italian racecar driver from Genoa, winning 54 out of 217 races between 1922 to 1947.

Born in Lucca, he lived in Genoa and was active in the first world war. He started out in an Officine Meccaniche 665 winning the Coppa Ciano 1924 and several events in the 1925 Grand Prix season and 1926 Grand Prix season, including the I Tripoli Grand Prix 1925.

He then bought a Bugatti T35C for 75 000 francs which he raced 1927 and 1929. As an agent to General Motors he raced the newly launched La Salle in 1928. Other cars included a Talbot 1700, as well as Alfa Romeo 8C 2300, Alfa Romeo P3 and Fiat 1100 cars.

Since before the second world war, he ran the Scuderia Balestrero, which including himself, Giovanni Balestrero and Clemente Balestrero. Since 1953 the Lucca-based Scuderia Balestrero has been active.

Balestrero died in the Niguarda Hospital of Milan, after being hit in a roadside accident by a Gazzetta dello Sport car. He was hauling an engine to the Nardi Danese workshop.