He had the look of a boxer together with his strong construct, however a look at his eyes revealed his sort nature. Umberto Benassi, identified to everybody merely as “Benny,” left us far too quickly. He joined Ferrari’s racing division in 1969 and served as chief mechanic. Following the passing of Pietro Corradini final 12 months, one other unsung hero of the Prancing Horse’s historical past has departed.
“Benny” belonged to a technology of mechanics with “golden fingers”: in the present day in F1, any damaged half is changed, however again then, each effort was made to restore parts to make them reusable. Ingenuity, expertise, and flashes of brilliance have been used to rebuild automobiles that in any other case won’t have made it to the grid. Overlook the curfews that now require groups to go away the paddock at set occasions; in these days, it was frequent to work via the night time rebuilding automobiles after drivers had crashed them. Many meals have been swiftly eaten on the sidepods of the crimson automobiles to save lots of time.
Umberto Benassi succumbed to a just lately found sickness on the night of Friday, January 3, on the age of 78. He was born on January 17, 1947, however his delivery was registered the next day, a apply not unusual within the Modena area. Enzo Ferrari himself, born on February 18, 1898, was additionally registered two days later, reportedly attributable to snow.
Lately, “Benny” had retired, leaving his function at Ferrari to his son. He had joined Maranello when the Scuderia was nonetheless a “craft-like” construction with a small core staff and left within the mid-2000s when it had grown into an organization with over 800 staff.
Over almost 40 years, he witnessed all of Ferrari’s drivers and will have shared numerous anecdotes and tales. However he was a person of few phrases and solely opened up when he felt comfy, sharing reminiscences that deserved to be documented in a e book.
In 1989, as Nigel Mansell’s chief mechanic, and with out the data of designer John Barnard, Umberto Benassi reportedly adopted Giorgio Ascanelli’s recommendation to create two small air intakes to chill the alternator. The alternator’s overheating had triggered points with the Moog solenoids that powered the primary semi-automatic paddle-shift gearbox, changing the normal gear lever.
Some might keep in mind him on the Ferrari World Finals in Vallelunga in 1999. He appeared dressed as a Disney cartoon character from the Beagle Boys, humorously reenacting the disappearance of a tire throughout Eddie Irvine’s pit cease on the Nürburgring, an incident that possible value the Irish driver the championship.
In 2023, director Michael Mann included Umberto Benassi as an additional within the movie Ferrari. He portrayed a mechanic—primarily himself—alongside Pietro Corradini throughout a pit cease on the tragic Mille Miglia of 1957.
The funeral will happen in Montale on Monday, January 6, at 11:15 a.m. The ScuderiaFans.com editorial staff extends its condolences to the Benassi household and pals.
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