ANDREA VESCO AND FABIO SALVINELLI WIN THE 1000 M MIGLIA.20 21
Andrea Vesco and Fabio Salvinelli are the winners of the 1000 Miglia 2021: after covering almost 1800 km through some of the most beautiful cities in Italy, they won the race at the wheel of the 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Super Sport.
Andrea Vesco already has three victories to his name, all with the same car. After his successes alongside Andrea Guerini and then last year with his father Roberto, he celebrated his victory this time with co-driver Fabio Salvinelli.
This year the race was exciting. The winning candidates regularly changed places even up to the last minute. Our compliments to the winners for giving it their all, making this year's race incredibly exciting right up to the last moment.
The edition was characterised by great weather, sometimes difficult due to the summer heat and a challenging track as for the first time three mountain passes - the Cisa, Futa and Raticosapass - had to be conquered.
Of the 375 cars in the race, 341 crossed the finish line. Second place went to Andrea Luigi Belometti and Gianluca Bergomi in a 1929 Lancia Lambda Spider Casaro.
Third place went to Gianmario Fontanella and Anna Maria Covelli in a 1927 Lancia Lambda Casaro. Silvia Marini and Lucia Filippelli once again managed to win the "Coppa delle Dame 2021" in a 1929 Bugatti.
Another excellent performance by the Dutch crew of John and Chelly Houtkamp, Silvia Marini's parents-in-law, who were the first foreign competitors to win the Nations Cup. The duo finished in eighth place in a 1929 Alfa Romeo 1750 Super Sport.
Thanks to the good weather conditions, there were no accidents worth mentioning, except for some material damage. Marc Behaegel was the unlucky one and had to abandon the race after fifteen minutes because of a blocked engine on his beautiful 1947 Fiat 1100 S MM 'Gonnone'.
Jochen Mass and Jacky Ickx were also back. Each in a Mercedes 300SL Gullwing.
There was a strong international presence, with 50% of the crews coming from all over the world: after Italy, the largest number of participants came from the Netherlands (146), followed by Germany (80). Alfa Romeo was the most represented brand, with more than 50 cars taking part.
To further enhance the international atmosphere of the 1000 Miglia, the 1000 Miglia Experience UAE 2021 will be held for the first time in the Middle East from 5 to 9 December, coinciding with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the United Arab Emirates. Of particular note is the participation of two UAE teams, accompanied by the Dubai police car, in a beautiful Mercedes SLS.
Alberto Ghelfi and Giordano Mozzi won the Ferrari Tribute with a 2020 Ferrari 488 Pista. The award ceremony took place at the Mille Miglia Museum in Brescia.
In order to make the Mille Miglia, "the most beautiful race in the world", even more well-known and protected, the Automobile Club of Brescia, in collaboration with the Municipality of Brescia and the Lombardy Region, undertook steps to obtain UNESCO recognition as an intangible cultural heritage.
"Crossing the future" was the theme of the 1000 Miglia 2021 and the challenge was to have not only vintage cars but also electric cars driving the "1000 Miglia Green", which completed the entire route without any problems.
Text and images: Dirk Ivens
