Carlo Maria Abate (10 July 1932 – 29 April 2019) was an Italian auto racing driver. He was one of the best Ferrari 250 GTO specialists. Abate preferred to be addressed as "Carlo Mario Abate" instead of his christened name.
Abate raced mostly for the private Italian team Scuderia Serenissima of Count Giovanni Volpi, but also for Scuderia Centro Sud, Scuderia Ferrari and the Porsche factory team. He won one of the rounds of 1962 World Sportscar Championship: The Trophée d'Auvergne on 15 July 1962.
In 1962, Abate tried participating in Formula One races, entering the 1962 Naples Grand Prix in a Porsche, finishing fourth. After crashing his Lotus 18/21 at his next race at Reims-Gueux, he withdrew his entry to his first World Championship event, the 1962 French Grand Prix, and later also entered and withdrew from 1962 German Grand Prix. He returned to the track for the 1962 Mediterranean Grand Prix, where he came third. The following year, he drove a Scuderia Centro Sud Cooper to fifth place in the 1963 Imola Grand Prix, and came third at the 1963 Syracuse Grand Prix. After withdrawing his entry to the 1963 Italian Grand Prix, he retired from the sport at the end of the year, his greatest year, culminating with a win at the Targa Florio in a factory Porsche with Jo Bonnier. Abate later became the director of a private clinic.
Career results
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLaps1961 Scuderia Serenissima Maurice TrintignantFerrari 250 GT SWBGT 3.0162DNFDNF1962 Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia Colin DavisFerrari 250 GT DrogoE 3.030DNFDNF1963 SpA Ferrari SEFAC Fernand TavanoFerrari 250 GTOGT 3.0105DNFDNF
Formula One World Championship results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 WDC Points 1962 Scuderia SSSRepublica di Venezia Lotus 18/21 Climax Straight-4 NED MON BEL FRA GBR GER ITA USA RSA NC 0 1963 Count Volpi Porsche Porsche Flat-4 MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER ITA USA MEX RSA NC 0
References