Saxony, Germany, April 25 — Michele Alboreto, the world-famous 44-year-old Italian racing driver, was killed today in a crash at Germany’s Lausitzring circuit while testing an Audi R8 sports prototype.
Alboreto died today at 5:30 p.m. local time, according to an Audi press release. The release explains that Alboreto was on a straight stretch of track when the car inexplicably went off-course and rolled.
Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, the head of Audi Sport, called the accident an "incomprehensible tragedy" and said that the particular R8 chassis had completed thousands of miles in testing with no problems.
"We will do everything in our power to find the reason for this accident," Dr. Ullrich said. "But right now our thoughts and condolences are with Michele´s wife Nadia, his two daughters, and his whole family."
Alboreto began racing in 1976, and moved up to Formula 3 by ’78. He won the European F3 title in ’80, and got his big break into Formula 1 with Tyrrell in ’81. He won his first Grand Prix the following year at Las Vegas, and his second the next year at Detroit, making him a household name in America.
He moved to Ferrari in ’84 and endeared himself forever to the Italian team’s legendary tifosi worldwide by winning in Belgium (’84), Canada (’85) and Germany (’85). He finished second in the World Drivers Championship to Alain Prost in ’85.
Upon learning of Alboreto’s death, Ferrari president Luca Montezemolo said, "Michele Alboreto played an important role as a driver in the history of Ferrari. He was intelligent, and paid a great deal of attention to the technical problems involved in the development of the car. His death has been a hard blow to take, and has filled me with a deep sadness. Michele continued to race, driven on by an irrepressible passion, proving that in our sport, which is totally involving, risk is always around the corner."
After his stint with Ferrari, Alboreto moved through a succession of teams – Tyrrell, Larousse, Lola, Arrows, Footwork and Minardi – before calling an end to his F1 career.
Once he turned his back on the Grand Prix circuit, the affable Italian dabbled in touring cars and the Indy Racing League before finding a home in sports car racing on both sides of the Atlantic. He won Le Mans in ’97 with former Ferrari teammate Stefan Johansson and current Audi teammate Tom Kristensen in a TWR/Joest Racing Porsche WSC95 and has been a fixture on the all-conquering Audi works team since ’99. He won the Petit Le Mans last year, and won the 12 Hours of Sebring just last month.
Formula 1 may have cast him off, but Michele Alboreto was a welcome addition to the sports car scene. His ready smile and availability made him a favorite with fans and media alike.
Alboreto died today at 5:30 p.m. local time, according to an Audi press release. The release explains that Alboreto was on a straight stretch of track when the car inexplicably went off-course and rolled.
Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, the head of Audi Sport, called the accident an "incomprehensible tragedy" and said that the particular R8 chassis had completed thousands of miles in testing with no problems.
"We will do everything in our power to find the reason for this accident," Dr. Ullrich said. "But right now our thoughts and condolences are with Michele´s wife Nadia, his two daughters, and his whole family."
Alboreto began racing in 1976, and moved up to Formula 3 by ’78. He won the European F3 title in ’80, and got his big break into Formula 1 with Tyrrell in ’81. He won his first Grand Prix the following year at Las Vegas, and his second the next year at Detroit, making him a household name in America.
He moved to Ferrari in ’84 and endeared himself forever to the Italian team’s legendary tifosi worldwide by winning in Belgium (’84), Canada (’85) and Germany (’85). He finished second in the World Drivers Championship to Alain Prost in ’85.
Upon learning of Alboreto’s death, Ferrari president Luca Montezemolo said, "Michele Alboreto played an important role as a driver in the history of Ferrari. He was intelligent, and paid a great deal of attention to the technical problems involved in the development of the car. His death has been a hard blow to take, and has filled me with a deep sadness. Michele continued to race, driven on by an irrepressible passion, proving that in our sport, which is totally involving, risk is always around the corner."
After his stint with Ferrari, Alboreto moved through a succession of teams – Tyrrell, Larousse, Lola, Arrows, Footwork and Minardi – before calling an end to his F1 career.
Once he turned his back on the Grand Prix circuit, the affable Italian dabbled in touring cars and the Indy Racing League before finding a home in sports car racing on both sides of the Atlantic. He won Le Mans in ’97 with former Ferrari teammate Stefan Johansson and current Audi teammate Tom Kristensen in a TWR/Joest Racing Porsche WSC95 and has been a fixture on the all-conquering Audi works team since ’99. He won the Petit Le Mans last year, and won the 12 Hours of Sebring just last month.
Formula 1 may have cast him off, but Michele Alboreto was a welcome addition to the sports car scene. His ready smile and availability made him a favorite with fans and media alike.
