36 replies to this topic

[pacificquay]

Gabriele Tarquini is to retire at the end of the season aged 59, after racing for forty years.

 

What a career.

 

In he 90s he was the man in Touring Cars - and still in recent years becoming the oldest world champion aged 56.

 

Never really had a decent crack at F1 but I enjoyed his cameo at the Nurburgring in 1995.

 

And of course, who can ever forget Knockhill 1994?

 

Happy retirement Gabriele!

[Ben1445]

I honestly assumed he already had

[Risil]

What a career! And what an inspiration.

[jjcale]

I honestly assumed he already had

 

This ...

 

But yeah I second the OP's sentiment - Happy retirement Gabriele!

 

That's 4 decades he's raced in ... finding the others who have done the same could be a thread in itself.

[Risil]

That's 4 decades he's raced in ... finding the others who have done the same could be a thread in itself.

 

It could! Looking through the last couple of years of Le Mans entries, Johnny Mowlem and Emmanuel Collard are two. Roberto Moreno came out of retirement for this year's Formula Ford Festival so his career is technically even longer than Tarquini's (but much less continuous).

 

I'm excluding karting, which would bring quite a few not-so-aged drivers like Montoya and Fisichella into the mix.

 

Morgan Shepherd, who had a relatively late start in motor racing at the age of 26, last competed in a NASCAR race two years ago aged 78. Wikipedia rather ominously describes him as "semi-retired".

[balage06]

Just for the record, he stated in the WTCR press conference that he only retires as a full-time driver, because he cannot imagine his life without any driving.

[balage06]

It could! Looking through the last couple of years of Le Mans entries, Johnny Mowlem and Emmanuel Collard are two. Roberto Moreno came out of retirement for this year's Formula Ford Festival so his career is technically even longer than Tarquini's (but much less continuous).

 

I'm excluding karting, which would bring quite a few not-so-aged drivers like Montoya and Fisichella into the mix.

 

Morgan Shepherd, who had a relatively late start in motor racing at the age of 26, last competed in a NASCAR race two years ago aged 78. Wikipedia rather ominously describes him as "semi-retired".

 

NZ driving legend Kenny Smith started racing in 1958, switched to single seaters in 1962, won his first NZ GP in 1976 and he still considers himself an active racing driver, he even participated in this year's GP as a 79 year old, making his 50th consecutive entry for the event.

[Clatter]

I honestly assumed he already had

Me too.

[BRG]

I honestly assumed he already had

 

Me too.

He's been in World Touring Cars latterly, so you would be forgiven for assuming that given the low profile of that 'World' series!  

 

He is still very competitive there so he doesn't NEED to stop, unless he has had enough.  He should do Farewell Tour taking in DTM, BTCC and how about a FP at a grand prix?

[balage06]

I honestly assumed he already had

 

And you're not wrong, because technically, he was forced into "retirement" when Lada decided to leave the world championship at the end of 2016. But then he spent a year quietly developing Hyundai's TCR machine for the world stage, he played a huge part in the marque's consecutive titles in 18-19, winning the championship himself at the age of 56.

[thegamer23]

And he's still kicking some asses in WTCR, he's such a legend.

What a career he had

[MKSixer]

What a career! And what an inspiration.

And one of the coolest names in all of motor sports.  It just rolls off the tongue. 

[FLB]

Gabriele Tarquini is to retire at the end of the season aged 59, after racing for forty years.

 

What a career.

 

In he 90s he was the man in Touring Cars - and still in recent years becoming the oldest world champion aged 56.

 

Never really had a decent crack at F1 but I enjoyed his cameo at the Nurburgring in 1995.

 

And of course, who can ever forget Knockhill 1994?

 

Happy retirement Gabriele!

This is a man who actually managed to score a point in an AGS. And who would have at Montreal in 1988 in a Coloni if today's points system had been in use (he finished 8th).

[pacificquay]

This ...

 

But yeah I second the OP's sentiment - Happy retirement Gabriele!

 

That's 4 decades he's raced in ... finding the others who have done the same could be a thread in itself.

 

Raced for 4 decades - but IN 5 decades - 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, 20s

[Ali_G]

He's been in World Touring Cars latterly, so you would be forgiven for assuming that given the low profile of that 'World' series!

He is still very competitive there so he doesn't NEED to stop, unless he has had enough. He should do Farewell Tour taking in DTM, BTCC and how about a FP at a grand prix?

They downgraded WTCC to a World Cup. I’ve never thought of the series as having many supporters especially compared to the likes of BTCC or DTM.

[BRG]

They downgraded WTCC to a World Cup. I’ve never thought of the series as having many supporters especially compared to the likes of BTCC or DTM.

That's because it is really rather dire.  I have given up on it.

[Myrvold]

Tarquini debuted in F1 when you could race... or at least participate with a team of this size!

[balage06]

I think it always has been sort of a 'rest of Europe' series, I beleive it has stronger following in France, Italy and in the Eastern-European countries. BTCC never even had coverage around here, although DTM is also well known in these parts as well.

[PayasYouRace]

They downgraded WTCC to a World Cup. I’ve never thought of the series as having many supporters especially compared to the likes of BTCC or DTM.

It was best in the S2000 days when it emerged from the ETCC. Naturally, Gabriele was a front runner back then too. Mostly in the Seat Leon IIRC.

[Zoe]

Wasn't Tarquini the one with the spider web on his helmet?

[Ali_G]

Tarquini debuted in F1 when you could race... or at least participate with a team of this size!

Really handsome racing car.

[Myrvold]

Really handsome racing car.

 

The car looked better than the team shirts, that's for sure!

But damn, 2 cars and 12 men including the drivers. Try to do that now 

[messy]

My memory of Tarquini, oddly, is probably his most forgettable season - as team-mate to James Thompson and Tom Kristensen in the BTCC in 2000. Honestly, as a kid I didn’t know his history and only recognized his name from the original Formula One game!!

He’s had an incredible career, hats off to him.

[Cornholio]

His last full F1 season** was my first full season as a fan, unless I've missed someone obvious I'm guessing he's the last of that gang to retire from full time driving, fair play to him for his longevity and all the best for the future 

 

Also, I get that you can't really compare the two, but I found always it a cool little stat that he beat Fangio's record as the oldest driver to win an FIA world championship.

 

**EDIT: Well Fondmetal actually went bust before the end of the year so technically wrong, but still.

Edited by Cornholio, 05 November 2021 - 18:21.

[Dolph]

The car looked better than the team shirts, that's for sure!
But damn, 2 cars and 12 men including the drivers. Try to do that now

The pitstops would be a challenge 😀

[PayasYouRace]

My memory of Tarquini, oddly, is probably his most forgettable season - as team-mate to James Thompson and Tom Kristensen in the BTCC in 2000. Honestly, as a kid I didn’t know his history and only recognized his name from the original Formula One game!!

He’s had an incredible career, hats off to him.

Probably worth mentioning how awesome it was that even 1 time subs got featured in the original F1 game. Quality stuff from Psygnosis.

[William Hunt]

One of my favourite drivers. The guy was so amazing in karting, in particular if you consider he was usually the heaviest driver on the grid yet he won several major karting titles. In Formula One he was one of the most underrated drivers, often performing miracles in hopless cars. He drover an AGS on merit to a 6th place in Mexico (1989) and that was one of the most remarkable performances of that season. Then he went on to become one of the very best touring car drivers of all time. Such a rich and long carreer, he's 59 now.

[Alan Lewis]

This week's print version of Autosport has a picture of that 1989 point-scoring drive on the Mexican GP preview page.

I assume it's a coincidence since the print deadline would have been before the announcement. But it's a nice coincidence.

Edited by Alan Lewis, 05 November 2021 - 20:57.

[OvDrone]

This is such a wholesome and warmhearted thread - Thank you Pacific and all you who posted here.

As a big support of international touring cars and a racer who was always inspired by Gabriele's passion, I am thankful for the memories and wish him a beautiful next chapter in life!

 

Here are some memories:

 

 

The first and earliest thing I can find is driving at Le Mans in 1985! in the Porsche 956 of Swiss team Brun Motorsport.

 

 

Speaking of the Mexico Grand Prix - Gabriele achieved his best F1 finish at the 1989 round of this Grand Prix in a team called *checks notes* AGS

 

 

And speaking of another important race of this weekend - here's his second best finish in F1 - a 7th at the Phoenix Grand Prix in the US '89. What a synchronicity!

 

 

Here's what I know him best for and what personally resonates most - his BTCC crown in the 1994 season in that dropdead gorgeous Alfa Corse #55 Alfa Romeo 155 TS - one of my alltime favorite cars as a baby OvD. Still adore Alfas to this day.

 

 

And one of the best Murray Walker moments ever at my favorite BTCC track:

 

Thankfully all was well and more legendary success was on the way for Gabriele in 15 years!...

 

(But until then, two more obscure highlights)

 

 

His 1996 DTM ITCC win at Silverstone in the #18 JAS Alfa.

 

 

 

His last BTCC win at Oulton Park in 2000 in the #18 Redstone Honda Accord.

 

And now onto his main triumph:
 

 

 

 

When he became WTCC Champion in that gorgeous gold Seat in between the previous BMW dominance of Priaulx and the upcoming Muller/Huff Chevy years. I remember him taking the fight to the Chevys like a madman during those years.

 

 

 

He was still a beast when he switched to Honda finishing a respectable yet distant second to Muller in 2013:

 

 

And the final chapter in this stellar carrier came when the WTCC transitioned to the WTCR becoming it's first World Champion with Hyundai!

 

 

 

 

 

This year, he won at the first Spanish round in Aragon and time will tell if this will be his last ever win.

 

 

 

A fine, fine win against incredible competition.

Now I have extra motivation to watch this weekend's Adria round of the WTCR and the finale of Sochi on the 28th of November to see one of Motorsport's true legends bow still at a unbelievable peak of ability. 

 

 

This dudes passion is infectious. What a career Gabriele - Thank You !

 

There's a Toh'nee Kahna'an joke here somewhere but I will abstain. 

See you at Adria! 

Edited by OvDrone, 05 November 2021 - 21:49.

[noikeee]

I wonder what would've happened had him and Bernd Schneider got their F1 chances in actual good cars. I know touring cars have a lower level of competition than F1, but still...

[Rediscoveryx]

Massive respect to Tarquini. What a legend!

[noriaki]

I wonder what would've happened had him and Bernd Schneider got their F1 chances in actual good cars. I know touring cars have a lower level of competition than F1, but still...

Schneider is a harder rate in single seaters but Tarquini was rapid in pretty much every shitbox you put him in. Sure he could have been a GP winner had he gotten a top 4 team ride.

[Blackjack1967]

F1 and Tourism are two pretty different things, but technically, Gabriele stole one record from Fangio. The oldest champion in a FIA series.

 

Being WTC in 2009 with 47 years respect Fangio who did in F1 with 46 in 1957.

He even improved this to an amazing 56 years-old record with his win in 2018.

 

 

I got the memory of the Gabriele and Chiesa poor Fondmetals in a rainy Barcelona on May,1992.

They were lapped by Nigel and his massive FW14B in about 8-9 laps

Edited by Blackjack1967, 06 November 2021 - 13:10.

[Disgrace]

What a legend, what a career. A shame that it finally has to come to an end.

[BRG]

I dare say he will be popping up at Goodwood for many years to come, like Emmanuelle Pirro who seems to use Goodwood House as the local B&B.

[Alfisti]

Will forever be mr alfa corse

[selespeed]

I got the memory of the Gabriele and Chiesa poor Fondmetals in a rainy Barcelona on May,1992.
They were lapped by Nigel and his massive FW14B in about 8-9 laps

At the Brazilian gp Gabrielle did the 3rd fastest race lap