The Rome Grand Prix ( it, Gran Premio di Roma), also known as the ''Premio Reale di Roma'' (1925–1932) and ''Gran Premio di Roma'' (1947–1991), was an
automobile race
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organi ...
held in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
from 1925 until 1991.
Through the years a number of different regulations and circuits were used, with the majority being
Formula Two
Formula Two (F2 or Formula 2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009–2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name retur ...
races at the
ACI Vallelunga Circuit
The Autodromo Vallelunga Piero Taruffi is a racing circuit situated north of Rome, Italy, near Vallelunga of Campagnano. Vallelunga was built as a sand oval in 1951.
From 1963 the circuit held the Rome Grand Prix, and in 1967 a new loop was ...
. In 1954 and 1963 the Rome Grand Prix was run to
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
rules, but neither event was included in the World Championship.
The 1947 race was notable as it marked the first win for
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
with a car of their own construction, the
Ferrari 125 S
:''See also the Ferrari 125 F1, a Formula One race car sharing the same engine''
The Ferrari 125 S (commonly 125 or 125 Sport) was a 1.5 litre race car built in 1947 by automaker Ferrari of Modena, Italy, its first vehicle. Only two were made.
...
.
In 1985 the
European Grand Prix
The European Grand Prix (also known as the Grand Prix of Europe) was a Formula One event that was introduced during the mid-1980s and was held every year from to , except in . During these years, the European Grand Prix was held in a countr ...
was originally scheduled to take place in the
EUR
The euro (symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . Th ...
district of Rome as a round of the
1985 Formula 1 World Championship
The 1985 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 39th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It began on 7 April and ended on 3 November after sixteen races. The World Championship for Drivers was won by Alain Prost,1986 FIA Yearbook, Re ...
scheduled to take place on the 6th October but the race was moved to the UK where it was held at
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in West Kingsdown, Kent, England, United Kingdom. Originally used as a grasstrack motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently host ...
. But in the late 2000s this was revived, as plans were being made for a Rome Grand Prix to be added to the Formula One World Championship in 2013. A
street circuit
A street circuit is a motorsport racing circuit composed of temporarily closed-off public roads of a city, town or village, used in motor races. Airport runways and taxiways are also sometimes part of street circuits. Facilities such as the p ...
around the
EUR
The euro (symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . Th ...
district of Rome was to be the location of the race. However, speculation that the race would threaten the
Italian Grand Prix
The Italian Grand Prix ( it, Gran Premio d'Italia) is the fifth oldest national Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix (after the French Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix and the Russian Grand Prix), having been he ...
at
Monza
Monza (, ; lmo, label=Lombard language, Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po River, Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capit ...
, as well as a lack of support from local residents, led to the plans being abandoned in early 2011. Since 2018,
Formula E
Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is a single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The series was conceived in 2011 in Paris by FIA president Jean Todt and Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag, who is ...
has held the
Rome ePrix
The Rome ePrix is an annual race of the single-seater, electrically powered Formula E championship held at the Circuito Cittadino dell'EUR in Rome, Italy. The race became official when local government unanimously approved of the race. It f ...
in the area, using some parts of the route proposed for the Formula 1 race.
Race winners
The winners of the Rome Grand Prix from its inception in 1925 are:
References
{{reflist
Pre-World Championship Grands Prix
Formula One non-championship races
European Formula Two Championship
Formula races
Sports car races
Auto races in Italy
Sports competitions in Rome