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Full Name | Giuseppe ‘Beppe’ Gabbiani | |
| Nationality | Italian | ||
| Born | 2 January 1957, Piacenza (ITA) | ||
| Died | |||
| Website | Official Website | ||
| First Grand Prix | 1978 United States Grand Prix | Last Grand Prix | 1981 Caesars Palace Grand Prix |
| Grands Prix | 3 | Non-starts | 14 (all DNQ) |
| Wins | 0 | Podiums | 0 |
| Best Finish | DNF (x3) | Points | 0 |
| Fastest Laps | 0 | Best Qualifying | 20/30, 1981 San Marino GP |
| Retirements | 3 | Laps Led | 0 |
Career Highlights
| 1978 | Formula 1, Team Surtees Cosworth V8 TS20, 2 entries, 2 DNQ |
| 1979 | European Formula 2, BMW Junior Team, 10 races, 3 podiums, 5th overall |
| 1981 | Formula 1, Osella Cosworth V8 FA1B, 15 entries, 12 DNQ, 3 DNF, 0 points, Not Classified |
| 1982 | European Formula 2 Championship, Maurer Motorsport, 10 races, 4 podiums, 5th overall |
| 1983 | European Formula 2 Championship, Onyx Racing, 12 races, 4 wins, 3rd overall |
Biography
Born in the Italian town of Piacenza to wealthy parents, ‘Beppe’ spent seven years in karting before trying his hand at Formula 3 in 1977, and he showed immediate promise by winning first time out at Paul Ricard.
His success propelled him into Formula 2, and before the end of the 1978 season, he found himself in Formula 1, failing to qualify in his two outings for the Surtees team in place of the injured Vittorio Brambilla.
It wasn’t enough to earn him a call-up to the Grand Prix scene in 1979, so he remained in Formula 2 and earned himself something of a reputation as a crasher, despite the promise he showed with second-placed finishes at Mugello and Misano.
Staying on in Formula 2 for another season, he raised enough money to join the Osella F1 squad for the 1981 season, but he was found wanting in the largely uncompetitive car. He qualified just three times all season.
He returned back to Formula 2 for the next few years – again, frustratingly, showing the promise that he just couldn’t bring into Formula 1 – and he was a frontrunner, giving Stefan Bellof a run for the 1982 title, and narrowly missing out on the 1983 title to Jonathan Palmer and Mike Thackwell after leading the points race early on.
His career stumbled after that, and subsequent years only saw him make occasional open-wheel outings while he made the switch to the domestic touring car and endurance racing scene.
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