Franco Cortese (10 February 1903 in Oggebbio, Piedmont – 13 November 1986 in Milan) was an Italian racing driver. He entered 156 races between 1927 and 1958, of which one was a Formula 1 Grand Prix and three were Formula 2 Grands Prix. Cortese holds the record of most finishes in a Mille Miglia race: fourteen.
Besides having entered many races in an Alfa Romeo, Cortese became most famous for his affiliation with Ferrari between 1947 and 1949, driving the first race car built by Ferrari in 1947, Franco Cortese, il primo pilota Ferrari the Ferrari 125 S, which brought victories at four races in 1947. In 1950, he co-founded the Formula One team Scuderia Ambrosiana with Giovanni Lurani, Luigi Villoresi and Eugenio Minetti.
Complete results No.YearDateRaceEntrantCarTeammate(s)Result1192727 MarchMille Miglia-Itala 61M.Baroncini8th219281 AprilMille Miglia-Itala 61CucchiaDNF3192826 AugustCoppa Ciano-Itala-3rd4192914 AprilMille Miglia-Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SSAngelo Guatta9th5193013 AprilMille Miglia-Alfa Romeo 6C 1750GSPietro Ghersi4th619306 July24 Hours of Spa-Alfa Romeo 6C 1750GSBoris Ivanowski2nd7193112 AprilMille Miglia-Alfa Romeo 6C 1750GTG. Balestrieri12th819328 MayXXIII° Targa FlorioFranco CorteseAlfa Romeo 6C 1750noneDNS9193210 AprilMille Miglia-Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GTCAttilio MarinoniDNF10193219 June1932 24 Hours of Le MansAutomobili Alfa RomeoAlfa Romeo 8C 2300 LMGiovanni Battista Guidotti2nd1119339 AprilMille Miglia-Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 MonzaCarlo Castelbarco2nd12193318 June1933 24 Hours of Le MansCapt. G.E.T. EystonAlfa Romeo 8C 2300 Mille MigliaLouis ChironTazio NuvolariDNF13193330 JulyVII° Coppa CianoFranco CorteseAlfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monzanone7th14193413–14 AugustTarga Abruzzo-Alfa Romeo 6C 2300AFrancesco Severi1st15193514 AprilMille MigliaScuderia FerrariAlfa Romeo 6C 2300 PescaraFrancesco Severi8th16193511–12 AugustTarga Abruzzo-Alfa Romeo 6C 2300AFrancesco Severi1st1719365 AprilMille Miglia-Alfa Romeo 8C 2300Giuseppe Salvi der PeroDNF18193610 MayX° Gran Premio di TripoliFranco CorteseAlfa Romeo Tipo B a.k.a. Alfa Romeo P3 (Monoposto)noneDNF1919374 AprilMille Miglia-Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 PescaraAngelo Guatta6th20193718 AprilII° Gran Premio del ValentinoScuderia AmbrosianaMaserati 6CMnoneDNF21193725 AprilIII° Coppa Principessa di PiemonteOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 6CMnoneDNF2219379 MayXI° Gran Premio di TripoliScuderia AmbrosianaMaserati 6CMnone16th23193716 MayTunis Grand Prix-Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Pescara-7th24193730 MayVI Internationales AVUS Rennen-Maserati 6CM-DNF2519376 June3 Hours of MarseilleFranco CorteseAlfa Romeo 6C 2300 Pescaranone-26193713 JuneGran Premio di FirenzeScuderia MaremmanaMaserati 6CMFrancesco SeveriFerdinando Barbieri4th27193713 JuneXI ADAC EifelrennenScuderia MaremmanaMaserati 6CMFrancesco Severi3rd28193720 JuneII° Circuito di MilanoScuderia MaremmanaMaserati 6CMFrancesco Severi3rd29193718 JulySusa-Moncenisio (hillclimb)-Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B--30193725 JulyX Großer Preis von DeutschlandScuderia MaremmanaMaserati 6CMFrancesco SeveriRenato BalestreroDNF31193713 AugustTarga Abruzzo-Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B-1st32193715 AugustXIII° Coppa Acerbo-Maserati 6CM-3rd33193722 AugustIV Grand Prix de BerneScuderia AmbrosianaMaserati 6CMnone4th34193719 SeptemberIII° Coppa Ciano-Maserati 6CM-DNF35193726 SeptemberCircuit of Campione d'ItaliaScuderia TorinoMaseratinoneDNS361937-XII° Gran Premio di TripoliScuderia AmbrosianaMaserati 6CMLuigi Villoresi2nd3719383 AprilMille Miglia-Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B MMC. Fumagalli9th38193824 AprilCoppa dei Colli Torinesi (hillclimb)-Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B--39193815 MayXII° Gran Premio di TripoliScuderia AmbrosianaMaserati 6CMGiovanni LuraniLuigi VilloresiManuel de TefféFerdinando RighettiDNF40193822 MayXXIX° Targa FlorioScuderia AmbrosianaMaserati 6CMManuel de TefféFerdinando RighettiLuigi VilloresiDNS41193829 MayParma-Poggio di Berceto-Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B--42193819 JuneCoppa Ascoli-Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B-2nd4319383 JulyTrofeo Val d'Intelvi (hillclimb)-Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B-1st44193810 JulyPontedecimo-Giovi (hillclimb)-Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B--45193817 JulyCircuito VareseOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 6CMAldo MarazzaGiovanni Rocco1st46193824 JulyXI Großer Preis von DeutschlandScuderia AmbrosianaMaserati 6CMnone9th4719387 AugustCoppa CianoScuderia AmbrosianaMaserati 6CMnone4th48193815 AugustTarga Abruzzo-Alfa Romeo 6C 2300BPietro Ghersi1st4919383 SeptemberTourist Trophy-Alfa Romeo-DNS5019384 SeptemberIV° Coppa CianoScuderia AmbrosianaMaserati 6CMLuigi Villoresi2nd51193811 SeptemberGran Premio di MilanoOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 6CMAldo MarazzaLuigi VilloresiPaul Pietsch4th52193818 SeptemberCircuito di ModenaOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 6CMnone1st5319392 JanuaryV South African Grand PrixOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 6CMLuigi VilloresiPiero Taruffi2nd54193914 JanuaryIII Grosvenor Grand PrixOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 6CMLuigi VilloresiPiero Taruffi1st5519397 MayXIII° Gran Premio di TripoliOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 6CMCarlo Felice TrossiLuigi VilloresiDNF56193914 MayXXX° Targa FlorioOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 6CMLuigi VilloresiDNF57193928 MayV° Coppa Principessa di PiemonteOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 4CLGiovanni RoccoLuigi VilloresiLuigi BelucciCarlo Felice Trossi3rd58193911 JuneCircuito dell'ImperoScuderia AmbrosianaAlfa Romeonone3rd5919399 JulyI Circuito del CarnaroOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 4CLLuigi VilloresiGiovanni Rocco2nd60193930 JulyXIX Coppa CianoOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 4CLLuigi VilloresiGiovanni RoccoCarlo Felice Trossi2nd61193913 AugustXV° Coppa AcerboOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 4CLLuigi VilloresiGiovanni RoccoCarlo Felice Trossi2nd62194028 AprilMille Miglia-BMW 328Giovanni LuraniDNF63194012 MayXIV° Gran Premio di TripoliOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 4CLLuigi Villoresi5th64194023 MayXXXI° Targa FlorioOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati 4CLLuigi Villoresi2nd65194623 JuneCircuito di Campione d'Italia----66194630 JuneModena (handicap)Scuderia AmbrosianaLancia Asturanone1st67194630 JuneModena (S+1.5)Scuderia AmbrosianaLancia Asturanone1st6819464 AugustCircuito di Luino-Lancia Astura-1st69194711 MayPiacenzaScuderia FerrariFerrari 125 SpydernoneDNF70194725 MayRome Grand PrixScuderia FerrariFerrari 125 Spydernone1st7119471 JuneVercelliScuderia FerrariFerrari 125 Spydernone1st72194715 JuneVigevanoScuderia FerrariFerrari 125 Spyder CorsaAdelmo MarchettiDNF73194729 JuneVareseScuderia FerrariFerrari 125 Spyder Corsanone1st74194713 JulyParmaScuderia FerrariFerrari 125 Spydernone2nd75194720 JulyFlorenceScuderia FerrariFerrari 125 Spyder CorsanoneDNF76194715 AugustCircuito di PescaraScuderia FerrariFerrari 159 Spydernone2nd77194724 AugustLivorno-Ferrari 125 Spyder-DNS78194728 SeptemberModenaScuderia FerrariFerrari 159 CnoneDNF791947-Sehab Almaz Bey Trophy-Cisitalia D46-1st8019484 AprilTarga Florio-Ferrari 125 SFerdinando RighettiDNF8119482 MayMille MigliaScuderia FerrariFerrari 166 SAdelmo MarchettiDNF82194811 July24 Hours of SpaScuderia AmbrosianaFiat 1100 SDiego CapelliDNF8319481 AugustAosta-Gran San Bernando-Ferrari 166 SC-5th84194815 AugustCircuito di PescaraScuderia FerrariFerrari 166 Snone5th85194920 MarchTarga FlorioScuderia FerrariFerrari 166 MMnoneDNF86194924 AprilMille MigliaGabriele BesanaFerrari 166 SCGabriele BesanaDNF8719492 JuneX Formula 2 Gran Premio di RomaScuderia FerrariFerrari 166 SCLuigi VilloresiPiero Taruffi3rd88194931 JulyCoppa della Toscana-BristolGiovanni Lurani8th891949-II Formula 2 Gran Premio dell'Autodromo di Monza-Ferrari 166 F2-5th9019502 AprilTarga FlorioConte Giovanni LuraniFrazer Nash Le Mans ReplicaCarlo Facetti19th91195023 AprilMille MigliaConte Giovanni LuraniFrazer Nash Le Mans ReplicaZ. Teravazzi6th9219504 JuneCoppa della Toscana-Abarth 1100Luigi Maggio10th93195011 June3 Hours of Rome-Cisitalia-3rd9419509 JulyIV Formula 1 Gran Premio di BariFranco CorteseFerrari 166 Snone5th9519508 OctoberModena-Stanugellini S1100-5th9619511 AprilGiro di SiciliaConte Giovanni LuraniFrazer Nash Le Mans ReplicaL. Tagni4th9719511 AprilMille MigliaConte Giovanni LuraniFrazer Nash Le Mans ReplicaL. Tagni9th98195113 MayIV Formula 2 Gran Premio dell'Autodromo di MonzaScuderia AmbrosianaFerrari 166 F2noneDNF9919513 JuneEifelrennen Nürburgring-Frazer Nash-DNS10019515 AugustSchauinsland (hillclimb)Scuderia AmbrosianaFrazer Nashnone5th101195119 AugustPergusa Grand Prix-Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica-1st10219519 SeptemberTarga FlorioScuderia AmbrosianaFrazer Nash Le Mans Replicanone1st10319529 MarchGiro di Sicilia-Alfa Romeo 1900Giulio Sala9th10419524 MayMille Miglia-Alfa Romeo 1900 SprintA. de GiuseppeDNF105195215 June1952 24 Hours of Le MansAlfa RomeoAlfa Romeo 6C 3000 CMJuan Manuel FangioFroilan GonzalezDNS106195222 JuneCircuito di Caserta-Frazer Nash-2nd107195229 JuneTarga FlorioConte Giovanni LuraniFrazer Nash Le Mans ReplicanoneDNF108195312 AprilGiro di Sicilia-Alfa Romeo 1900 TI-DNF109195326 AprilMille Miglia-Fiat 8VP. Feroldi14th110195326 AprilMille MigliaMario TadiniJaguar C-TypeMario TadiniPietro CagnanaDNS111195314 MayTarga FlorioAutomobiles Frazer NashFrazer Nash Le Mans ReplicanoneDNF112195326 July10 Hours of Messina-Ferrari 250 MMBruno Sterzi8th11319539 AugustCircuito di Senigallia-Ferrari 166 MM/53-1st114195315 August12 Hours of PescaraEnrico SterziFerrari 166 MM/53Enrico Sterzi3rd115195323 AugustTrullo d'Oro-Ferrari-2nd11619539 SeptemberI Gran Premio Supercortemaggiore-Ferrari 166 MM/53-DNF11719544 AprilGiro di Sicilia-Ferrari 500 Mondial-DNF118195411 AprilCoppa della Toscana-FerrariE. Perucchini19th11919542 MayMille Miglia-Ferrari 500 MondialE. Perucchini14th120195416 MayVII Gran Premio di Napoli-Ferrari-DNF121195422 May3 Hours of Bari-Ferrari 500 Mondial-3rd122195430 MayTarga Florio-Ferrari 166 MM/53-DNF123195413 JuneCircuito di Caserta-Ferrari 166 MM/53-3rd124195420 JuneGran Premio d'Imola-Ferrari 166 MM/53-8th12519544 JulyCidonio Grand Prix a.k.a. Circuito di Collemaggio in L'Aquila-Ferrari 166 MM/53-2nd126195425 July10 Hours of Messina-Ferrari 166 MM/53Giulio Musitelli6th12719548 AugustCircuito di Senigallia-Ferrari-5th12819551 MayMille Miglia-Fiat 8VAchille StazziR. Pasqualino46th129195529 MaySupercortemaggiore-Ferrari 500 MondialLuigi Piotti5th130195527 AugustOulton Park InternationalFranco CorteseFerrari 500 MondialnoneDNF131195516 OctoberTarga Florio-Ferrari 500 MondialAntonio PucciDNF132195629 AprilMille Miglia-Fiat 8V-97th133195610 JuneOpatijaFranco CorteseFerrari 500 TRnone1st134195610 JuneTarga Florio----135195617 JuneCircuito di CasertaFranco CorteseFerrari 500 TRnone1st136195624 JuneIV Gran Premio SupercortemaggioreFranco CorteseFerrari 500 TREnzo Pinzero11th137195615 JulyCircuito di Reggio Calabria (Handicap)Franco CorteseFerrari 500 TRnoneDNS138195615 JulyCircuito di Reggio Calabria (S2.0)Franco CorteseFerrari 500 TRnone2nd139195622 JulyBari Grand PrixFranco CorteseFerrari 500 TRnone6th140195629 JulyGiro delle CalabriaFranco CorteseFerrari 500 TRnone7th141195618 AugustPescara Grand PrixFranco CorteseFerrari 500 TRnone4th142195626 August5 Hours of MessinaFranco CorteseFerrari 500 TRnone4th143195630 SeptemberCircuito di SassariFranco CorteseFerrari 500 TRnone1st144195621 OctoberRome Grand PrixFranco CorteseFerrari 500 TRnone6th14519564 NovemberII Gran Premio Internacional de VenezuelaFranco CorteseFerrari 500 TRnone11th146195714 AprilGiro di SiciliaWolfgang SeidelFerrari 250 GTBruno Gavazzoli-14719579 JuneMonsanto-Ferrari 500 TR-9th148195711 AugustSverige Grand PrixAdrian Conan DoyleFerrari 500 TRCAdrian Conan DoyleDNS14919571 DecemberEsso Vallelunga-Ferrari 500 TR-15th150195813 AprilCoppa Shell MonzaFranco CorteseFerrari 500 TRnone5th151195827 AprilXI Gran Premio di Napoli-Ferrari 500 TR-6th152195811 MayTarga Florio-Ferrari 500 TRCGaetano Starrabba7th153195815 MayAspernFranco CorteseFerrari 500 TRCnone2nd15419586 JulyCircuito di Sassari-Ferrari 500 TR-4th155195820 July10 Hours of Messina-Ferrari 500 TRCGaetano Starrabba-15619585 OctoberInnsbruckFranco CorteseFerrarinone7th
References