Mauro Baldi

This Italian driver began racing in 1975 with a Renault 5, winning the Italian and European one-make championships and earning an F3 Ralt into the bargain. After finding his feet in 1978, Baldi was soon making his mark, finishing fourth in the 1979 European championship and third in the Italian series

Victory in the Monaco F3 race in 1980 by the huge margin of 47 seconds was the platform from which Mauro began his domination of the formula. Armed with a March for the 1981 season, he trounced the opposition, recording eight wins and four second places in the 15-race European series.

By-passing Formula 2, he secured a drive with Arrows for 1982 and did well enough in a difficult car, but when the opportunity arose to rejoin his former boss Paolo Pavanello in the reconstructed Alfa Romeo team Mauro switched camps. However, the year disintegrated after political frictions had prompted the mid-season departure of designer Gérard Ducarouge. Unable to continue with the team for 1984 as a result of the new sponsor Benetton's preference for Patrese and Cheever, Mauro was left with no alternative but to race for the underfinanced Spirit outfit.

Meanwhile Baldi had taken the opportunity to race sports cars for Martini Lancia, winning at Spa in 1985, and he quickly became one of prototype racing's most successful exponents, forging his reputation with privateer Porsches before becoming a key member of the Sauber-Mercedes and Peugeot factory teams. Despite the decline of sports car racing, Baldi has remained active. In 1994 his major triumph came at Le Mans, where he shared the winning Porsche 962LM with Haywood and Dalmas. Mauro also briefly reappeared in single-seater competition, driving for Dale Coyne in an Indy Car race at Mid-Ohio

In 1995 he was part of the Ferrari 333SP sports car attack in IMSA, taking fourth place at Sebring with Alboreto and van de Poele, but he suffered three indifferent seasons before enjoying welcome success with Gianpiero Moretti's Ferrari in 1998, when he shared in victories at Daytona, Sebring and Watkins Glen

In 1999 Baldi joined Jean-Pierre Jabouille's team to race in the World Sports Car Cup, taking a win at Spa, a second place at Monza and a third at Barcelona. He also drove for Dyson Racing in the USA, sharing the second-placed Ferrari 333SP with Didier Theys at Road Atlanta. In 2002 Baldi shared the winning Dallara-Judd in the Daytona 24 hour race and his racing career continued through until 2003 competing in both the AMLS with a Riley & Scott and in the GrandAm Series in Doran-Dallara.