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Mauro Baldi
Mauro Baldi
Mauro Baldi
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Mauro Giuseppe Baldi (born 31 January 1954) is an Italian former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1982 to 1985. In endurance racing, Baldi won the World Sportscar Championship in 1990 with Sauber, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1994 with Porsche; he won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1998 and is a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona with Doran.

Key Information

Baldi is one of 11 drivers to complete the informal Triple Crown of endurance racing, achieving the feat at the 1998 12 Hours of Sebring.

Biography

[edit]

Mauro Giuseppe Baldi was born on 31 January 1954 in Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna.[1]

Baldi driving at Monza during the 1999 SportsRacing World Cup.

Baldi started his career in rallying in 1972 and turned to circuit racing in 1975 with the Italian Renault 5 Cup. By 1980 he had become a top Formula 3 driver, winning the Monaco F3 Grand Prix and the 1981 European Formula 3 Championship with eight victories. In 1982, he signed to drive for Arrows before moving to Alfa Romeo in 1983, scoring a fifth place in Zandvoort. When Benetton became Alfa Romeo's team sponsor in 1984, Baldi lost his drive, and joined the underfunded Spirit team until 1985.

After retiring from Formula One, Baldi went to enjoy a successful career in sports car racing, driving for the works Martini-Lancia team in 1984 and 1985. In 1986, he switched to a Porsche 956 from Richard Lloyd Racing's outfit, returning to a works drive in 1988 with the Sauber-Mercedes team, with whom Baldi won the 1990 FIA World Sports Prototype Championship for Drivers, sharing the car with Jean-Louis Schlesser. In 1991 and 1992, he was a driver for Peugeot.

Baldi came very close to making a return to F1 in 1989, when he agreed with Coloni to take over one of the team's cars from Enrico Bertaggia for the Italian Grand Prix. The move was blocked by Jochen Neerpasch, the sporting director of Mercedes, his then sportscar team.[2] Later he had a brief return to F1 in 1990, doing most of the test driving for the Modena Lambo project.

Returning to sports cars, Baldi won the Le Mans 24 Hours race in 1994, sharing the Dauer 962 Le Mans (a modified Porsche 962) with Yannick Dalmas and Hurley Haywood. He also won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1998 and 2002, and the 12 Hours of Sebring, again in 1998, with Arie Luyendyk and Didier Theys.

Racing record

[edit]

Career summary

[edit]
Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
1976 Coppa Renault 5 Elf 11 1 ? ? 5 80 3rd
1977 Coppa Renault 5 Elf 10 3 ? 4 7 95 1st
Renault 5 European Cup ? 2 ? 1 4 52 1st
1978 Italian Formula Three ? ? ? ? ? 26 7th
European Formula Three Scuderia Tricolore 2 0 0 0 1 4 16th
1979 Italian Formula Three ? 1 ? 1 ? 35 3rd
European Formula Three Scuderia Tricolore 10 0 1 1 3 22 4th
1980 European Formula Three Mauro Baldi 14 3 2 3 5 45 4th
Italian Formula Three ? ? ? ? ? 13 8th
German Formula Three Automobiles Martini 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC
1981 European Formula Three Euroracing 14 8 7 6 11 94 1st
Italian Formula Three ? ? ? ? ? 27 6th
German Formula Three 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC†
1982 Formula One Arrows Racing Team 11 0 0 0 0 2 25th
World Sportscar Championship Momo Racing 3 0 0 0 0 11 38th
1983 Formula One Marlboro Team Alfa Romeo 15 0 0 0 0 3 16th
1984 Formula One Spirit Racing 7 0 0 0 0 0 NC
World Sportscar Championship Martini Racing 4 0 0 0 1 28 19th
Jolly Club 1 0 0 0 0
24 Hours of Le Mans Martini Racing 1 0 0 0 0 N/A DNF
1985 World Sportscar Championship Martini Racing 7 1 0 0 2 36 13th
IMSA GT Championship Bayside Disposal 2 0 0 0 2 0 NC
Formula One Spirit Enterprises Ltd. 3 0 0 0 0 0 NC
24 Hours of Le Mans Martini Racing 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 7th
1986 World Sportscar Championship Liqui Moly Equipe 5 1 0 0 2 38 9th
24 Hours of Le Mans 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 9th
1987 World Sportscar Championship Liqui Moly Equipe/Britten-Lloyd Racing 9 1 1 0 3 58 8th
All-Japan Sports Prototype Championship Toyota Team TOM'S 1 0 0 0 0 12 22nd
World Touring Car Championship CiBiEmme Sport 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
1988 World Sportscar Championship Team Sauber Mercedes 10 2 7 2 7 188 3rd
IMSA GT Championship Busby Racing 6 0 1 0 2 50 13th
1988 24 Hours of Le Mans Team Sauber Mercedes 1 0 0 0 0 N/A DNS
1989 World Sportscar Championship Team Sauber Mercedes 8 3 5 4 6 102 3rd
24 Hours of Le Mans 1 0 0 0 1 N/A 2nd
IMSA GT Championship Momo-Gebhardt Racing 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
1990 World Sportscar Championship Team Sauber Mercedes 9 6 7 3 6 49.5 1st
IMSA GT Championship Busby Racing 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
1991 World Sportscar Championship Peugeot Talbot Sport 7 1 0 0 3 69 3rd
24 Hours of Le Mans 1 0 0 0 0 N/A DNF
1992 World Sportscar Championship Peugeot Talbot Sport 6 2 0 1 4 64 3rd
24 Hours of Le Mans 1 0 0 0 1 N/A 3rd
1993 Italian Superturismo Championship Peugeot Talbot Sport 1 0 0 0 0 6 22nd
24 Hours of Le Mans 1 0 0 0 1 N/A 3rd
1994 IMSA GT Championship Euromotorsport 3 0 1 0 0 13 43rd
24 Hours of Le Mans Le Mans Porsche Team / Joest Racing 1 1 0 0 1 N/A 1st
SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge Porsche ? 1 ? ? ? 0 NC
PPG Indy Car World Series Payton/Coyne Racing 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
1995 IMSA GT Championship Scandia Racing Team 11 1 4 1 5 245 3rd
1996 IMSA GT Championship Scandia Racing Team 2 0 0 0 1 29 33rd
1997 FIA GT Championship JB Racing 5 0 0 0 0 0 NC
Konrad Motorsport 4 0 0 0 0
24 Hours of Le Mans 1 0 0 0 0 N/A DNF
1998 IMSA GT Championship Momo Doran Racing 1 1 0 0 1 0 NC
International Sports Racing Series JB Racing Giesse Team Ferrari 1 0 0 1 0 0 NC
24 Hours of Le Mans Moretti Racing 1 0 0 0 1 N/A 14th
24 Hours of Daytona Doran/Moretti Racing 1 1 0 1 1 N/A 1st
1999 SportsRacing World Cup JB Giesse Team Ferrari 8 1 0 1 4 85 5th
American Le Mans Series Doran Enterprises 3 0 0 0 1 31 34th
24 Hours of Le Mans JB Racing 1 0 0 0 0 N/A DNF
2000 SportsRacing World Cup R&M 6 1 0 1 3 51 12th
Grand American Road Racing Championship Doran/Lista Racing 2 1 0 0 1 85 24th
American Le Mans Series 1 0 0 0 0 20 40th
24 Hours of Le Mans Team Den Blå Avis 1 0 0 0 0 N/A NC
2001 Grand American Road Racing Championship Lista Doran Racing 7 2 1 0 6 267 8th
FIA Sportscar Championship R&M 8 0 0 0 2 41 13th
2002 FIA Sportscar Championship R&M 5 0 0 0 3 44 5th
Rolex Sports Car Series Doran Lista Racing 4 2 0 0 3 130 7th
American Le Mans Series 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
24 Hours of Daytona 1 1 ? ? 1 N/A 1st
2003 FIA Sportscar Championship R&M 1 0 0 0 0 5 27th
Rolex Sports Car Series Ferri Competizione 1 0 0 0 0 26 28th
American Le Mans Series 1 0 0 0 0 4 60th

† As Baldi was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.

Complete European Formula 3 results

[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pos. Pts
1978 Mauro Baldi Toyota ZAN NÜR ÖST ZOL IMO
DNQ 		NÜR DIJ MNZ
DNQ 		PER
11 		MAG KNU KAR DON KAS JAR VLL
3 		16th 4
1979 Mauro Baldi Toyota VLL
3 		ÖST
Ret 		ZOL
Ret 		MAG
9 		DON
Ret 		ZAN
2 		PER
5 		MNZ
2 		KNU
Ret 		KIN
Ret 		JAR KAS 4th 22
1980 Ecurie Oreca Renault NÜR
4 		ÖST
8 		ZOL
15 		MAG
5 		ZAN
1 		LAC
3 		MUG
3 		MNZ
18 		MIS
1 		KNU
11 		JAR
1 		KAS
5 		ZOL
4 		4th 45
Toyota SIL
Ret
1981 Euroracing Alfa Romeo VLL
1 		NÜR
5 		DON
6 		ÖST
1 		ZOL
1 		MAG
2 		LAC
6 		ZAN
1 		SIL
2 		CET
1 		MIS
1 		KNU
1 		JAR
2 		IMO
1 		MUG
DNS 		1st 94
Source:[3]

Complete Formula One results

[edit]

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 WDC Points
1982 Arrows Racing Team Arrows A4 Cosworth V8 RSA
DNQ 		BRA
10 		USW
DNQ 		SMR BEL
NC 		MON
DNQ 		DET
Ret 		CAN
8 		NED
6 		GBR
9 		FRA
Ret 		GER
Ret 		AUT
6 		SUI
DNQ 		CPL
11 		25th 2
Arrows A5 ITA
12
1983 Marlboro Team Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo 183T Alfa Romeo V8 BRA
Ret 		USW
Ret 		FRA
Ret 		SMR
10 		MON
6 		BEL
Ret 		DET
12 		CAN
10 		GBR
7 		GER
Ret 		AUT
Ret 		NED
5 		ITA
Ret 		EUR
Ret 		RSA
Ret 		16th 3
1984 Spirit Racing Spirit 101 Hart Straight-4 BRA
Ret 		RSA
8 		BEL
Ret 		SMR
8 		FRA
Ret 		MON
DNQ 		CAN DET DAL GBR GER AUT NED ITA EUR
8 		POR
15 		NC 0
1985 Spirit Enterprises Ltd. Spirit 101D Hart Straight-4 BRA
Ret 		POR
Ret 		SMR
Ret 		MON CAN DET FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA BEL EUR RSA AUS NC 0
Sources:[4][5]

24 Hours of Le Mans results

[edit]
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1984 Italy Martini Racing Italy Paolo Barilla
West Germany Hans Heyer 		Lancia LC2-Ferrari C1 275 DNF DNF
1985 Italy Martini Lancia France Henri Pescarolo Lancia LC2-Ferrari C1 358 7th 7th
1986 United Kingdom Liqui Moly Equipe United States Price Cobb
United States Rob Dyson 		Porsche 956 GTi C1 318 9th 7th
1988 Switzerland Team Sauber Mercedes United Kingdom James Weaver
West Germany Jochen Mass 		Sauber C9-Mercedes C1 - DNS DNS
1989 Switzerland Team Sauber Mercedes United Kingdom Kenny Acheson
Italy Gianfranco Brancatelli 		Sauber C9-Mercedes C1 384 2nd 2nd
1991 France Peugeot Talbot Sport France Philippe Alliot
France Jean-Pierre Jabouille 		Peugeot 905 C1 22 DNF DNF
1992 France Peugeot Talbot Sport France Philippe Alliot
France Jean-Pierre Jabouille 		Peugeot 905 Evo 1B C1 345 3rd 3rd
1993 France Peugeot Talbot Sport France Philippe Alliot
France Jean-Pierre Jabouille 		Peugeot 905 Evo 1B C1 367 3rd 3rd
1994 Germany Le Mans Porsche Team
Germany Joest Racing 		France Yannick Dalmas
United States Hurley Haywood 		Dauer 962 Le Mans GT1 344 1st 1st
1997 Germany Konrad Motorsport Austria Franz Konrad
United Kingdom Robert Nearn 		Porsche 911 GT1 GT1 138 DNF DNF
1998 Italy Moretti Racing Italy Gianpiero Moretti
Belgium Didier Theys 		Ferrari 333 SP LMP1 311 14th 3rd
1999 France JB Racing France Jérôme Policand
Italy Christian Pescatori 		Ferrari 333 SP LMP 71 DNF DNF
2000 Denmark Team Den Blå Avis Denmark John Nielsen
Germany Klaus Graf 		Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S-Élan LMP900 205 NC NC
Sources:[4][6]

American Open Wheel racing results

[edit]

(key)

IndyCar World Series

[edit]
Year Team No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Rank Points Ref
1994 Payton/Coyne Racing 19 SRF PHX LBH INDY MIL DET POR CLE TOR MIS MDO
19 		NHM VAN ROA NZR LAG 47th 0 [7]

References

[edit]

Sources

[edit]
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Mauro Baldi

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from Grokipedia
Mauro Baldi (born 31 January 1954 in , ) is an Italian former professional racing driver best known for his participation in from 1982 to 1985, where he scored a total of five World Championship points across 41 Grands Prix with the Arrows, , and Spirit teams. He began his motorsport career in in 1972 before transitioning to circuit racing in 1975, competing in the Italian Renault 5 Cup. Baldi rose rapidly through the junior formulae, winning the Monaco Formula 3 Grand Prix in 1980 and securing the European Formula 3 Championship in 1981 with eight victories. In , Baldi debuted with the Arrows team at the and achieved his best result with a fifth place at the and sixth at the , contributing to his five career points from four finishes. His F1 career was hampered by unreliable machinery, particularly with the 183T in 1983 and the Spirit-Honda in 1984–1985, leading to just four points-scoring finishes overall. Despite limited success in single-seaters, Baldi found greater acclaim in endurance racing after leaving F1, competing for teams including Lancia, , Sauber-Mercedes, and . Baldi's endurance career highlights include winning the in 1990 with Sauber-Mercedes, partnering to six victories in the C9 prototype. He finished third in the drivers' standings in 1991 and 1992 with , driving the 905 evolution. His crowning achievement came at the 1994 , where he triumphed in a Dauer C with Yannick Dalmas and , marking Porsche's thirteenth overall victory in the event. In 1998, Baldi completed the by winning the and the , both in a for MOMO Doran Racing alongside teammates , Didier Theys, and Giampiero Moretti.

Early career

Rallying and domestic series

Mauro Baldi was born on 31 January 1954 in , . Baldi began his career in at the age of 18 in 1972, competing in local Italian events. He transitioned to circuit racing in 1975, entering the Italian Cup series with a LS and finishing with 3 wins and 7 podiums in 10 races. In 1976, Baldi finished third in the standings, securing one victory and five podium finishes across 11 races. The following year, he claimed the Italian Cup title with three wins and seven podiums, while also winning the European Coupe d'Europe Alpine championship with two victories and four podiums. From 1976 to 1977, Baldi competed in the Italian Formula 3 series, driving for teams such as Scuderia Everest. In 1976, he achieved one win and five podiums over 11 races, though he did not contend for the title. His performance improved in 1977, where he recorded five wins and 11 podium finishes in 10 races, establishing himself as a strong domestic contender without securing the championship. These results paved the way for his entry into the European Formula 3 series in 1978.

European Formula 3

Baldi entered the European Formula 3 Championship in 1978, driving a self-entered Ralt RT1 powered by a Toyota Novamotor engine. He competed in several rounds, including Monza and Vallelunga, scoring 4 points to finish 16th in the drivers' standings. The following year, Baldi switched to a March 793-Toyota chassis, marking a significant step forward in his single-seater progression. He achieved consistent results across the European series, culminating in fourth place overall with 22 points, highlighted by a second-place finish at Zandvoort. In parallel, he placed third in the Italian Formula 3 championship with 35 points, demonstrating his growing adaptability to international competition. Baldi's 1980 campaign further solidified his reputation, as he drove the Martini MK31-Toyota for the team in the , finishing fourth with 45 points and securing multiple podiums. A standout performance came at the Formula 3 Grand Prix, where he won, showcasing his speed on demanding street circuits. Although his Italian F3 results were more modest, ending eighth with 13 points, the season underscored his consistency against rising talents like Alain Ferté and Corrado Fabi. The pinnacle of Baldi's Formula 3 career arrived in , when he partnered with the Euroracing team to drive the March 813 chassis fitted with an Novamotor engine. This ground-effect design, an evolution of the prior year's March 803B, provided superior and handling, particularly on high-speed tracks with tires. Baldi mastered the car's , clinching the European Formula 3 Championship with 94 points from eight victories across 15 races. Key successes included a dominant win at the joint British/European round at in June, where he outpaced rivals like , securing an early title lead. His championship triumph, the first for an Italian since 1977, highlighted his precise racecraft and elevated him as a prime prospect for higher formulas.

Formula One career

1982 season with Arrows

Following his victory in the 1981 European Formula 3 Championship, Mauro Baldi was signed by the Arrows team as the second driver alongside the experienced for the 1982 season, marking his entry into the top tier of single-seater racing. The team, led by principal , aimed to leverage Baldi's recent success to bolster their midfield presence in an increasingly competitive field dominated by emerging turbocharged engines, though Arrows continued with the aspirated V8. Baldi's debut came at the at on January 23, where he completed his first official laps during practice sessions, although both he and teammate (standing in due to Surer's pre-event testing crash that sidelined him with foot injuries) failed to qualify for the race. Baldi secured his first race start at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Rio de Janeiro, finishing 10th after starting from 19th on in the Arrows A4 , but he encountered qualification failures at the subsequent United States West Grand Prix and due to the car's limited straight-line speed and setup challenges. Mid-season, Surer suffered another —a broken from a qualifying crash at the United States Grand Prix West in Long Beach—prompting Baldi to take on an expanded role as the primary second driver, sharing duties briefly with Henton before becoming the regular partner. Over the course of the 14-race season, Baldi started 11 events, primarily in the Arrows A4 early in the season, transitioning to the updated A5 chassis introduced at the , though reliability issues such as failures and suspension problems plagued the car, contributing to an average qualifying position of around 20th and multiple retirements. Despite these hurdles, Baldi demonstrated promise with consistent midfield running, achieving his best results with sixth-place finishes at the at Zandvoort—where he capitalized on late-race attrition to score his first career point—and the at the Österreichring, adding another point for a total of two championship points, placing him 20th in the final drivers' standings. Key incidents included a heavy crash during qualifying that damaged the A4 and resulted in another non-qualification, highlighting the steep in adapting to the high-stakes turbo era environment under Oliver's guidance, where Arrows struggled to match the pace of turbo teams like and Ferrari while managing budget constraints and mechanical gremlins. These experiences underscored the challenges of Baldi's rookie year, as the team focused on survival and development amid a season marked by dramatic incidents and regulatory changes.

1983–1985 seasons with Alfa Romeo and Spirit

In 1983, Mauro Baldi joined the Marlboro Team alongside , transitioning from his debut season with Arrows to a factory Italian effort. The 183T featured a newly developed 1.5-liter V8 turbocharged engine, but the powerplant suffered from significant reliability issues, including turbocharger failures and excessive fuel consumption that hampered race distance completion. Baldi contested 15 Grands Prix, marking his most active F1 season to date, though mechanical woes limited his results to sporadic finishes. His standout performance came at the at , where he started 23rd and charged through the field to finish fifth, earning 2 championship points after a fierce battle for a spot that saw him briefly challenge the leaders before being passed by Ferrari's and McLaren's John Watson. Earlier in the season, Baldi secured his second points finish with sixth place at the , adding 1 point to his tally for a seasonal total of 3. These results represented his career high-water mark in F1, though nine retirements—often due to engine or turbo problems—underscored the 183T's developmental struggles. Following Alfa Romeo's sponsorship shift to Benetton, which favored a younger driver lineup in 1984, Baldi moved to the underfunded British outfit , powered by Hart's 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the Spirit 101 chassis. Chronic funding shortages restricted the team's operations, frequently limiting entries to a single car and forcing Baldi to secure personal sponsorship to race. He appeared in 7 events but retired in all four attempts where he failed to finish, with no points scored; his best outcomes were three eighth-place classifications at the at , the at , and the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. In 1985, Baldi returned to Spirit amid the team's negotiations for a Honda engine supply, which ultimately collapsed, leaving them reliant on the less competitive Hart turbo unit in an updated Spirit 101D. Financial difficulties curtailed the program further, confining Baldi to just 3 starts with persistent turbo reliability issues plaguing the car. He retired from the Brazilian Grand Prix due to turbo failure, spun off from a promising mid-field position—having climbed to around 12th—during the rain-affected Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril, and exited the San Marino Grand Prix with electrical problems, yielding no points. Across his career, spanning 36 starts from 1982 to 1985, Baldi accumulated 5 points, with two retirements directly resulting from accidents amid a broader pattern of mechanical retirements.

IndyCar career

Baldi made a single appearance in the IndyCar World Series in 1994, driving for Payton/Coyne Racing at the Genuine Draft 200 at . He qualified 27th and finished 19th, completing all 89 laps for no points, placing 47th in the drivers' championship. This one-off outing occurred amid his successful endurance career and marked his only foray into American open-wheel .

Endurance racing career

World Sportscar Championship

Baldi began his career in 1982 with sporadic entries in the World Endurance Championship for the Team Momo in the , including a DNQ at the 1000 km of . These early outings marked his transition from single-seater racing to endurance prototypes, though results were modest amid competition from established entries. In 1984, Baldi joined the factory Martini Lancia team driving the new LC2, powered by a Ferrari-derived turbocharged . Teaming with , he finished 3rd at the season-opening 1000 km of , demonstrating the car's potential in Group C despite reliability challenges later in the year. The following season in 1985, Baldi continued with the evolved LC2, achieving another win at the 1000 km of Spa-Francorchamps alongside and , contributing to Lancia's constructors' efforts though the team struggled against dominance. Over these two years, he recorded two victories from 12 starts, highlighting his adaptability in long-distance strategy. After a period with privateer Porsche teams in 1986 and 1987, where he notched additional wins at Brands Hatch and Norisring, Baldi moved to the Sauber-Mercedes squad in 1988 with the C9 prototype. His partnership flourished in 1989 and 1990 with the updated C9 and C11 models, featuring the advanced Mercedes-Benz M119 turbocharged V6 engine that provided superior power and efficiency under fuel regulations. Co-driving primarily with Jean-Louis Schlesser, Baldi amassed nine victories across the two seasons, including a dominant run in 1990 with wins at Dijon-Prenois, the 1000 km of Nürburgring—where strategic pit stops and the engine's torque advantage secured a comfortable margin—and Donington Park. These results propelled the duo to the 1990 drivers' championship title, while Sauber-Mercedes claimed the constructors' crown, capping a near-perfect campaign with six wins from eight races. Baldi switched to Peugeot Talbot Sport in 1991 with the 905 prototype, a mid-engine V10 design emphasizing aerodynamics and lightweight construction. Partnered with Philippe Alliot, he earned three podiums but faced reliability issues with the new engine, finishing third in the drivers' standings with 64 points from eight starts. In 1992, as the championship transitioned amid declining entries, Baldi and Alliot secured two victories—including at Donington Park—despite ongoing mechanical setbacks, helping Peugeot to the constructors' title in its final Group C season. Across his tenure from 1982 to 1992, Baldi made 69 starts, achieving 17 wins and establishing himself as a championship-winning endurance specialist.

24 Hours of Le Mans

Mauro Baldi's debut came in 1984 driving the for alongside and Hans Heyer, where the team was classified 24th overall after retiring due to a failure after 275 laps. He returned in 1985 with the same team and car, now paired with , finishing a strong 7th overall and in the C1 class after completing 357 laps without mechanical issues. In 1986, Baldi switched to the for Liqui Moly Racing with Price Cobb and Rob Dyson, achieving 9th overall and 7th in C1 after 317 laps. The following year, he drove a for Equipe Liqui Moly but retired due to mechanical failure. Baldi joined Team Sauber Mercedes for 1988 in the with and James Weaver, but the entry did not start due to a tire issue. He remained with the team in 1989, now with Kenny Acheson and Gianfranco Brancatelli in the updated , securing a podium with 2nd overall after 384 laps. From 1991 to 1993, Baldi raced the for Talbot Sport, sharing with Philippe Alliot and . The team started on pole in 1991 but retired early due to engine failure after just 22 laps, missing a potential duel with the leading despite early pace. In 1992, the updated earned 3rd overall after 345 laps, and they repeated the podium in 1993 with the 905 Evo 1C, finishing 3rd after 367 laps. Baldi's crowning achievement came in 1994 with the Dauer Porsche Team's road-legal LM (entered in GT1), co-driving with Yannick Dalmas and to victory after 344 laps, taking the lead in the final hours when the Supra's engine failed. The win exploited GT regulations, marking Porsche's 13th success despite initial mechanical troubles. Baldi continued at Le Mans through 2000, with entries in 1997 (Porsche 911 GT1 for Franz Konrad Motorsport, retired due to suspension after 138 laps), 1998 ( for Moretti Racing, 14th overall and 3rd in LMP1 after 311 laps), 1999 (another for JB Compétition, retired due to engine after 71 laps), and 2000 ( LMP-1 Roadster S for Team Den Bla Avis, unclassified after 205 laps). Over his career, Baldi made 13 appearances at the , securing 1 victory and 4 finishes.

Daytona and Sebring victories

Mauro Baldi achieved significant success in American endurance racing through his victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, culminating in the informal triple crown of endurance racing alongside his 1994 Le Mans win. Baldi's breakthrough came in 1998 at the 24 Hours of Daytona, where he secured overall victory driving the No. 30 Ferrari 333 SP for Doran/Moretti Racing in the Sports Racing Prototype class. Teamed with Arie Luyendyk, Giampiero Moretti, and Didier Theys, the quartet completed 674 laps, covering 4,073.507 km to claim the win by a margin of one lap over the runner-up Riley & Scott Mk III. This marked Ferrari's return to dominance in American prototype racing after a long absence. Just weeks later, Baldi repeated his success at the 1998 , again with the entered by Momo/Doran Racing, this time co-driving with Moretti and Theys. The team overcame challenges to finish first overall, completing 319 laps in 12 hours, 3 minutes, and 6 seconds, holding off a late charge from the No. 4 in the final hour. This victory represented Ferrari's first overall Sebring win since 1962 and highlighted the 333 SP's reliability in the demanding conditions of the . Baldi returned to Daytona in 2002 for a repeat triumph, piloting the No. 27 SP1-Judd for Doran Lista Racing in the Sports Racing I class. Partnered with Theys, Fredy Lienhard Sr., and , the team started seventh on the grid but methodically advanced, ultimately winning by six laps after completing 716 laps. This success underscored Baldi's versatility across prototype machinery and contributed to his legacy of two Daytona victories and one Sebring win, all in prototype categories.

Racing records

Formula One results

Mauro Baldi entered 41 Grands Prix between 1982 and 1985, starting 36 of them and accumulating 5 championship points in total, with his best qualifying position of 7th achieved at the 1983 .
YearGrand PrixTeamGridFinishPointsNotes
1982South AfricanArrows-DNQ0Did not qualify
1982BrazilianArrows19th10th0
1982 WestArrows-DNQ0Did not qualify
1982BelgianArrows26thDNF0
1982Arrows-DNQ0Did not qualify
1982Arrows24thDNF0
1982CanadianArrows17th8th0
1982DutchArrows16th6th1
1982BritishArrows26th9th0
1982FrenchArrows25thDNF0
1982GermanArrows23rdDNF0
1982AustrianArrows23rd6th1
1982SwissArrows-DNQ0Did not qualify
1982ItalianArrows24th12th0
1982Arrows23rd11th0
1983BrazilianAlfa Romeo10thDNF0
1983 WestAlfa Romeo21stDNF0
1983FrenchAlfa Romeo8thDNF0
1983Alfa Romeo10th10th0
1983Alfa Romeo13th6th1
1983BelgianAlfa Romeo12thDNF0
1983Alfa Romeo25th12th0
1983CanadianAlfa Romeo26th10th0
1983BritishAlfa Romeo11th7th0
1983GermanAlfa Romeo7thDNF0
1983AustrianAlfa Romeo9thDNF0
1983DutchAlfa Romeo12th5th2
1983ItalianAlfa Romeo10thDNF0
1983EuropeanAlfa Romeo15thDNF0
1983South AfricanAlfa Romeo17thDNF0
1984BrazilianSpirit21stDNF0
1984South AfricanSpirit20th8th0
1984BelgianSpirit23rdDNF0
1984Spirit22nd8th0
1984FrenchSpirit22ndDNF0
1984Spirit-DNQ0Did not qualify
1984EuropeanSpirit24th8th0
1984PortugueseSpirit25th15th0
1985BrazilianSpirit24thDNF0
1985PortugueseSpirit24thDNF0
1985Spirit26thDNF0

IndyCar results

Mauro Baldi competed in the from 1986 to 1989, participating in 41 races across the four seasons. His standout performance came in 1986 with a 4th-place finish at the , contributing to his season-best 10th place in the drivers' championship standings that year. Baldi attempted qualification for the in 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1989, starting the race twice with a best result of 11th place in 1986. The following table summarizes Baldi's seasonal statistics in IndyCar:
YearStartsBest FinishPointsChampionship Position
1986154th (Michigan 500)6710th
1987156th1818th
1988612th0Unclassified
1989514th0Unclassified
Total414th85-
Baldi's results are detailed below:
YearTeamGrid PositionFinish PositionLaps CompletedStatusPoints
1986Truesports2411190Running15
1987 Enterprises2821165Running5
1988Kraco RacingDNQDNQ-Failed to qualify0
1989Payton-Coyne RacingDNQDNQ-Failed to qualify0

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Mauro Baldi competed in 12 editions of the from 1984 to 2000, securing 1 overall victory in 1994 along with 4 additional top-3 overall finishes.
YearTeamCo-driversCarClassLapsOverall FinishClass FinishNotes
1984Teo Barilla, C127524th11thRunning
1985Martini LanciaC13587th7thRunning
1986 EquipePrice Cobb, Rob DysonC13189th7thRunning
1989Team Sauber MercedesKenny Acheson, Gianfranco BrancatelliC13842nd2ndRunning
1991 Talbot SportPhilippe Alliot, C12236th (DNF)9thMechanical
1992 Talbot SportPhilippe Alliot, Evo 1BC13453rd3rdRunning
1993 Talbot SportPhilippe Alliot, Evo 1BC13673rd3rdRunning
1994Le Mans TeamYannick Dalmas, Dauer 962 Le MansGT13441st1stRunning
1997Konrad MotorsportFranz Konrad, Robert NearnGT113831st (DNF)16thAccident
1998Moretti Racing Inc.Gianpiero Moretti, Didier TheysLMP131114th3rdRunning
1999JB RacingJérôme Policand, Christian PescatoriLMP7141st (DNF)17thGearbox
2000Team Den Blå AvisJohn Nielsen, Klaus GrafPanoz LMP-1 Roadster-SLMP90020528th13thDisqualified (post-race)

References

  1. https://www.grandprix.com/gpe/drv-balmau.html
  2. https://www.museonicolis.com/en/mauro-baldi-1983-scuderia-alfa-romeo/
  3. https://mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com/marsClassic/en/instance/ko/Baldi-Mauro.xhtml?oid=7254
  4. https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/track-record/driver/mauro-baldi-4454
  5. https://newsroom.porsche.com/EN/History/Sonderausstellung-Museum-Le-Mans.html
  6. http://www.barchetta.cc/english/all.ferraris/whatsnew/980130.Ferrari_wins_Daytona.htm
  7. https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/03/22/ferrari-wins-12-hours-of-sebring/
  8. https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/mauro-baldi
  9. https://www.f1forgottendrivers.com/drivers/mauro-baldi/
  10. https://www.snaplap.net/driver/mauro-baldi/
  11. https://legacy.driverdb.com/championships/standings/renault-5-cup-italy/1976/
  12. http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/drivers/baldi.html
  13. https://www.racingyears.com/results/1978/European_Formula_3
  14. https://www.oldracingcars.com/f3/results/europe/1978/monza/
  15. https://www.oldracingcars.com/f3/europe/1979/
  16. https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1979-zandvoort-european-f3/
  17. https://www.oldracingcars.com/f3/europe/1980/
  18. https://forums.autosport.com/topic/99012-questions-about-mauro-baldi/
  19. https://www.oldracingcars.com/f3/europe/1981/
  20. https://www.f1forgottendrivers.com/mauro-baldi-f3/
  21. https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-drivers/mauro-baldi-information-statistics/
  22. https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/february-1982/58/kyalami-f1-testing/
  23. https://f1since81.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/1982-south-african-grand-prix/
  24. https://www.oldracingcars.com/arrows/a4/
  25. https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/october-2017/106/wrong-direction/
  26. https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/champcar-cart-mid-ohio-racetrak-results/1652533/
  27. https://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Mauro-Baldi-I.html
  28. https://www.stellantisheritage.com/en-uk/heritage/stories/lancia-lc2
  29. https://mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com/marsClassic/en/instance/ko/Baldi-Mauro.xhtml?oid=7254&ls=L2VuL2luc3RhbmNlL2tvLnhodG1sP29pZD00OTEyNTA2JnJlbElkPTEwMDEmZnJvbU9pZD00OTEyNTA2JmJvcmRlcnM9dHJ1ZSZyZXN1bHRJbmZvVHlwZUlkPTE3MiZ2aWV3VHlwZT10aHVtYnMmc29ydERlZmluaXRpb249bWFudWFsc29ydC0xJnRodW1iU2NhbGVJbmRleD0wJnJvd0NvdW50c0luZGV4PTU%21&rs=0
  30. https://www.thespeedjournal.com/peugeot-905-evo-1-bis-v10-engined-group-c-car-action-19bozzy92/
  31. https://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/Mauro-Baldi-I.html
  32. https://www.race-database.com/driver/career.php?driver_id=mbald1
  33. https://24h-en-piste.com/en/AfficherPilote.php?Pilote=112
  34. https://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Le_Mans-1989-06-11.html
  35. https://www.experiencelemans.com/contents/en-us/d146_1991_Le_Mans_24_Hours_Competitors_and_Results.html
  36. https://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Le_Mans-1991-06-23.html
  37. https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1994-le-mans-24-hours/
  38. https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-victorious-porsches-at-the-le-mans-24-hours-6-the-962-lm-12929
  39. https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-1994/46/le-mans-24-hours-6/
  40. https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/le-mans-daytona-dual-champions-2755
  41. https://www.sportscarworldwide.com/Tracks-Daytona-International-Speedway-Winners.html
  42. https://racer.com/2015/01/29/throwback-thursday-momo-ferrari-won-daytona-sebring-in-1998
  43. https://en.endurance-info.com/classic/article/106102-ferrari-sebring-history-endurance-racing-success
  44. https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/2002-daytona-24-hours/
  45. https://pitwall.app/drivers/mauro-baldi/races
  46. https://race-database.com/driver/career.php?driver_id=mbald1
  47. https://www.racingsportscars.com/grid/Le_Mans-1989-06-11.html
  48. https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/peugeot-at-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-2-1991-1993-45743
  49. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1846331625682983/posts/4057425221240268/
  50. https://formula1results.co.za/lemans/2000.htm
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