11 replies to this topic

[Paul Rochdale]

I've just come across the name of the Italian F1 driver Cesare Perdisa, a name new to me. He seems to have had a remarkable record - 9 starts, 1 retirement, I DNS, and all of the remaining finishes no lower than 8th place, with a highest finish in 3rd at the 1955 Monaco GP. The man clearly had talent so why did he retire so early in his life? I've read that his family ran a publishing business and he returned to them.

[Jan-Bart]

According to Erwin Tragatsch in "Das Grosse Rennfahrerbuch" his parents made him retire.
The German version of Wikipedia (http://de.wikipedia..../Cesare_Perdisa) doesn't mention this, but it does claim that Eugenio Castellotti's fatal testing accident was the catalyst for his retirement.

[Richard Jenkins]

Originally posted by Paul Rochdale
I've just come across the name of the Italian F1 driver Cesare Perdisa, a name new to me. He seems to have had a remarkable record - 9 starts, 1 retirement, I DNS, and all of the remaining finishes no lower than 8th place, with a highest finish in 3rd at the 1955 Monaco GP. The man clearly had talent so why did he retire so early in his life? I've read that his family ran a publishing business and he returned to them.

His recent marriage, the fact he wanted to live & raise children, pressure from his family & also the fact, that quite simply, motor racing wasn't the be-all-and-end-all - just a bit of good ol' rollocking fun. Part of his decision, was also down to he felt he had already achieved a lot, and probably years in the sport may not have brought him success.

However, if he hadn't retired (and lived, of course), then success surely would've been his - perhaps a potential Grand Prix winner.

Perdisa died in 1998, aged just 65.

Of course, the most famous story about Perdisa was his egg-fetish:- Perdisa used to unnerve Stirling Moss with his habit of cracking raw eggs and swallowing them in a single gulp - sometimes while sitting in the cockpit on the starting grid.

[Paul Rochdale]

Thank you for that. A rare man then. He tasted success but commonsense made him turn his back on it. Dare I ask if anyone knows the whereabouts of his grave?

[Barry Boor]

One of my pet foibles is Signor Perdisa.

I mentioned him on a thread ages ago called something like 'Yes, but did he actually win anything....?'

I think Perdisa was a competent driver but little more than that. Whether he would have become a real front runner and even maybe a works Ferrari driver after the death of Castellotti is debatable.

[Paul Rochdale]

Barry

1955, 3rd Monaco GP, 8th Belgian GP,

1956, 7th Monaco GP, 3rd Belgian GP, 5th French GP, 7th British GP, dns German GP,

1957, 6th Argentinian GP.

Not bad for a newcomer, eh?

[KJJ]

Lots of shared drives though.

[Roger Clark]

Originally posted by Paul Rochdale
Barry

1955, 3rd Monaco GP, 8th Belgian GP,

1956, 7th Monaco GP, 3rd Belgian GP, 5th French GP, 7th British GP, dns German GP,

1957, 6th Argentinian GP.

Not bad for a newcomer, eh?

Yes, but...

1955 Monaco was a good race, but in Belgium hes was three laps behind.

1956 Monaco he was 14 laps behind, in Belgium he shared his car with Moss who drove all but the first 10 laps, in France he again handed over to Moss, in Britain he was 6 laps behind.

In the 1957 Argentine Grand Prix he shared the drive with collins and von Trips.

[Barry Boor]

Roger's comments simply serve to underline mine.

[Tomas Karlsson]

Jo Bonnier told a stange story about Perdisa in the book "Fort, Fortare, Fortast".
It was when JoBo raced with his Maserati 150S at Nürburgring in 1956. He tried a bit too much, went off the road and hit some trees. He got out and sat beside the track watching the race, when Perdisa went off on the same spot. The Italian didn't hit anything, but scrambeled out of the car and ran over to Bonnier, where he lay down and started to moan loudly. Bonnier thought the whole scene was a bit odd and embarrasing. But the answer to the scene came later. According to Bonnier, Perdisa had an ensurance in mind and had "problems" with his back for a long time afterwards. "He didn't stay in motorsport for long."

[Richard Jenkins]

Originally posted by Paul Rochdale
Thank you for that. A rare man then. He tasted success but commonsense made him turn his back on it. Dare I ask if anyone knows the whereabouts of his grave?

Not specifically - but he lived in Bologna for nearly all his life, and died there, so somewhere there is probably a safe guess.

[oldtimer]

Originally posted by Richie Jenkins


Of course, the most famous story about Perdisa was his egg-fetish:- Perdisa used to unnerve Stirling Moss with his habit of cracking raw eggs and swallowing them in a single gulp - sometimes while sitting in the cockpit on the starting grid.

IIRC, Jenks once commented on Perdisa annoying, rather than unnerving, Moss by being a mobile chicane.