Giuseppe Farina

Emilio Giuseppe Farina, nicknamed Nino, was an Italian racing driver who lived from 30 October 1906 to 30 June 1966 and competed in Formula One from 1950 to 1956. He won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in its inaugural 1950 season with Alfa Romeo, and won five Grands Prix across seven seasons. Born in Turin, he was the son of Giovanni Farina, founder of Stabilimenti Farina, and began hillclimbing in 1925. A protege of Tazio Nuvolari, he drew the attention of Enzo Ferrari and first signed with Ferrari in 1936, then won three consecutive Italian Championships up to 1939 and the Monaco Grand Prix in 1948. His first Formula One race was the opening British Grand Prix of 1950, which he won. After a string of injuries in 1954 he retired from Formula One following Alberto Ascari's fatal accident in 1955, though he tried to qualify for the 1956 Indianapolis 500. He also won sportscar races in 1953 including the Nurburgring 1000 km and the 24 Hours of Spa. He died in 1966 after losing control of his Lotus Cortina in the French Alps.