Claudio Lombardi is dead, Ferrari and Lancia in mourning

The motorsport world salutes with emotion Claudio Lombardi, who passed away at the age of 83. A highly talented engineer, he was among the protagonists of Lancia’s epic seasons in the 1980s and, later, of Ferrari’s engine department in Formula 1.

Formed at a time of profound technical change, Lombardi soon became an international reference for engine innovation. At Lancia he was instrumental in the development of the Delta S4 and the revolutionary Triflux powerplant, a 1986 Fiat patent featuring an innovative supercharging system and highly advanced technical solutions for the time. His career also took him to the role of team manager, guiding champions such as Miki Biasion, Juha Kankkunen and Didier Auriol during the Group B epic.

With Lancia’s withdrawal from competition, Lombardi landed at Maranello, where he took over as head of the Formula 1 engine department. For a period he also held the position of sports director of Scuderia Ferrari, marking a complex phase in the Cavallino’s history with his technical vision.

At the same time, he became the director of the Scuderia Ferrari.

After his experience in Formula 1, Lombardi did not abandon his passion for high-performance mechanics: starting in 2000, he was among the protagonists in the development of the Aprilia RSV 1000, the bike that would take the Veneto-based brand to the top of World Superbike.

The sporting career was accompanied by a strong civic commitment. Returning to his native Alexandria, from 2012 to 2017 he served as alderman for the Environment and actively supported the Stop Solvay Committee, fighting against industrial pollution. Those who knew him remember him as a lucid and tireless mind, capable of putting his technical expertise at the service of the community.

Claudio Lombardi leaves behind a legacy of victories, innovations and social commitment: a man who was able to combine his passion for speed with his responsibility to his local area.