Years Active: 1953-1957
Races: 10
Best Finish: 3rd (1954 Italy, 1955 Argentina)
Best Championship Finish: 18th (1954)
Umberto Maglioli was born on June 5, 1928 in Bioglio in
Italy. He grew up in Italy with his father who was a doctor, his mother, two brothers
and a sister. Maglioli did not have a long or successful Formula 1 career as he
only entered 10 races over a span of 5 seasons but he did have a lot of success
in sports car racing. One of the first major race Maglioli entered in his
career was the 1948 Mille Miglia in which he entered with his friend Giovanni
Bracco in a Lancia Aprilia. The pair of Maglioli and Bracco finished this race
in 17th position. at the 1951 Mille Miglia racing again with his friend Bracco
Maglioli scored his first strong result with a 2nd place finish behind the pair
of Luigi Villoresi and Piero Cassani.
In 1953 Maglioli won the first major race of his
international career at the Targa Florio in a Lancia D20. At the end of the
year at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza Maglioli made his Formula 1 debut
driving a Ferrari 553 for the Italian team. Maglioli qualified 11th for this
races and made his way up to 8th position at the end although he was 5 laps
down from the leaders.
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| Maglioli at the 1953 Italian Grand Prix |
Maglioli started 1954 by competing in the season opening
Argentine Grand Prix with Ferrari in which he qualified in 12th position and
made his way up to 9th in the race but once again finished 5 laps down from the
leaders. The next Formula 1 race that Maglioli participated in was the 1954
Swiss Grand Prix. Maglioli once again was stuck in the midfield with an 11th
place in qualifying and a 7th in the race. Maglioli then participated in the
following race which was the Italian Grand Prix. He once again did not have a
strong qualifying lining up 13th on the grid but after 30 laps he handed his
car over to teammate Jose Froilan
Gonzalez who had retired with a
gearbox problem. Gonzalez took the car up to a 3rd place finish which meant that
Maglioli scored the first podium of his Formula 1 career. Maglioli ended his
year in 1954 with another career highlight by winning the Carrera Panamericana.
Maglioli competed in two Formula 1 races in the 1955 season
including the season opening Argentine Grand Prix in which he scored his second
career podium finish with a 3rd place which was another shared drive. This time
Maglioli shared his car with Ferrari teammates Giuseppe Farina and Maurice
Trintingnant. The other Formula 1 race Maglioli participated in during the 1955
season was the Italian Grand Prix in which he finished in 6th just one place
outside of the points. The following year in 1956 Maglioli participated in
three Formula 1 races all of which were for Maserati but he retired in all
three. 1956 was not a lost season for Maglioli though as he produced some strong
results outside of Formula 1. This included winning the Targa Florio and also
finishing 4th overall in the 1000km. of Nurburgring but he won his class. Both
of these races were completed in a Porsche.
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| Maglioli at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix |
1957 saw Maglioli take part in his last Formula 1 grand prix
at the German Grand Prix in which he drove for Porsche. Maglioli retired from
this race. Maglioli continued racing for the next decade and had some notable
results including finishing 3rd at the 1963 24 Hours of LeMans and also winning
the 1964 12 Hours of Sebring. Maglioli retired from racing after 1970. After
retiring from racing Maglioli moved to Switzerland and founded a company which
made watches. He later moved to Monza where he died on February 7th, 1999.
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