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Pacchioni


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#1 SimeonSasparella

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Posted 30 November 2015 - 14:52

Pacchioni... that's a name you don't hear very often

 

Actually, this guy won TWICE the Formula Three Monaco Grand Prix in 1993 and 1995, together with several victories in Italian F3 (at a time when, with the lack of a European championship, that series was one of the strongest in the continent).

Despite this credentials and the monegasque exploits, his career seems to have stopped abruptly after 1995. Amazingly, he did not find a seat in a superior series, and stalled for one year in German F3, before (as far as I know) stopping racing altogether.

 

The only thing I remember about him is that when he won the Monaco GP for the first time, he wasn't even supposed to be there. If I recall correctly, as the grid could only contain a limited number of entries, the Italian Federation had selected a group of drivers to send to Monaco, and amazingly despite his results in the national championship, Pacchioni was not called. His team (Prema, maybe?) made an appeal to the AC Monaco which agreed to let him compete...and he won!  :drunk:

 

That's a bizarre career, isn't it? Maybe the italian federation just did not like him?  :stoned:

 

Does anyone know what went wrong, and do any of you remember anything about this guy / how was he rated, etc..

 

A couple of pics

 

s_004.jpg

 

92150654_5c56c0e014_z.jpg?zz=1

 

gianantonio%20pacchioni.jpg



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#2 Tim Murray

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Posted 30 November 2015 - 15:51

He competed in the 1998 Formula Nissan World Series driving for the ADM Competizione team. He finished a lowly 15th in the championship.

1998 Formula Nissan World Series

#3 E1pix

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Posted 30 November 2015 - 16:14

Wow, what a sad and mysterious fall from such an elevated start!

One could speculate that 1998 found him in a terrible car, but it seems likelier there's much, much more behind that. Lifestyle? Trauma? Lack of interest?

Hopefully someone can shed more light on this. Fascinating...

#4 plutoman

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Posted 30 November 2015 - 19:30

Retired sometime in 1998 according to this:

 

http://www.teamdan.com/people/p.html

 

Seems '98 was only a part-season (most of his points gained from a 2nd place finish).



#5 ensign14

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Posted 30 November 2015 - 20:09

More stats here.  Took him four years to get to 3rd in the Italian F3 championship, so more Marko Asmer than Jenson Button.  His Monaco 1993 win stands out as anomalous, apparently down to the Italian runners all having Bridgestones which were oodles better than the Michelins. 



#6 MCS

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Posted 30 November 2015 - 20:58

Shades of Renzo Zorzi...



#7 E1pix

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Posted 30 November 2015 - 21:46

His Monaco 1993 win stands out as anomalous, apparently down to the Italian runners all having Bridgestones which were oodles better than the Michelins.

Ahhh, that's probably it then. Once a track's rubbered up with the better compound, the wrong one's danged-near worthless. Or so it is with karting, anyway.

#8 SimeonSasparella

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Posted 30 November 2015 - 22:36

More stats here.  Took him four years to get to 3rd in the Italian F3 championship, so more Marko Asmer than Jenson Button.  His Monaco 1993 win stands out as anomalous, apparently down to the Italian runners all having Bridgestones which were oodles better than the Michelins.


Interesting if true...but I wonder if the same happened in his second win in 1995 too?
In between (1994) he was also fourth.

#9 ensign14

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Posted 30 November 2015 - 23:49

Sort of, but this time he was on Michelins, which were the tyres to have.  Beat Ralf Schumacher to the line.  But really he had the most experience of the formula and the track.  It's like not being able to take anything from Rosenqvist winning Euro F3 this year.  The length of time he's been in it he should have retired if he couldn't win.



#10 Michael Ferner

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Posted 01 December 2015 - 16:38

More stats here.  Took him four years to get to 3rd in the Italian F3 championship, so more Marko Asmer than Jenson Button.  His Monaco 1993 win stands out as anomalous, apparently down to the Italian runners all having Bridgestones which were oodles better than the Michelins.


Well, your link actually says he was 3rd in his 3rd season. Before that, he started 3rd in his very first F3 race, finished 4th and was the leading rookie point scorer until the very last race, when one Ginacarlo Fisichella overtook him with a somewhat lucky debut win. The next year he won two races, and finished 7th in points, with Fisico 3rd and also two wins. Oh, and Fisico had the same "lucky tyres" at Monaco, and finished 2nd...