The mourning
On the eve of the Italian Grand Prix, a historic and important figure of the Prancing Horse has left us: Sergio Vezzali passed away peacefully at the age of 91, having long suffered from Alzheimer’s.
A mechanic and chief mechanic from 1956, when he joined Ferrari, until 1992, he was a cornerstone of all Ferrari’s achievements during that period. With him, Ferrari triumphed in Sports Prototypes (he was at Le Mans, of course, in 1967, as a witness-participant in the historic duel with Ford), and he was a key player in the F1 world titles of Mike Hawthorn, John Surtees, Niki Lauda, and Jody Scheckter. He was part of the expeditions for the Tasman Cup and the Temporada Argentina, and he even had the luxury of following hill climb races during Scarfiotti’s era.
A close friend of Arturo Merzario, Clay Regazzoni, Niki Lauda, Jody Scheckter, and others, Sergio Vezzali was someone who could calm tempers with a smile and a joke, always ready to help, and central during difficult moments. It’s no coincidence that engineer Mauro Forghieri always wanted him by his side. Even Enzo Ferrari, after every race, wanted to hear his opinion on what had happened on the track, confident of receiving precise, accurate, and objective feedback. With him, a piece of Maranello’s romantic and unrepeatable history departs.
Sergio Vezzali’s funeral will be held this morning at 11:00 in the church of Maranello, just as the Ferraris take to the track at Monza, following a tradition in which Vezzali was one of the iconic figures.
To his son Vincenzo and the family, the condolences of ScuderiaFans.com.
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