Photo: Hans van Dijk for Anefo / CC0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Elio de Angelis was one of those rare racing drivers who seemed too cultured, too elegant for the brutal world of Formula One — a classically trained pianist from a wealthy Roman family who just happened to be genuinely, devastatingly quick behind the wheel. I always find myself drawn to his story: eight seasons in F1, two Grand Prix wins with Lotus, a third-place finish in the 1984 championship, and through it all this air of quiet sophistication that set him apart from the macho posturing of the era. He was a real artist in both senses of the word, and it makes the loss all the sharper — killed at a Brabham test session in France in May 1986, just 28 years old, right when he seemed poised for more. Formula One lost something genuinely irreplaceable that day.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Elio de Angelis
- Name (Japanese)
- エリオ・デ・アンジェリス
- Reading
- えりお・で・あんじぇりす
- Born
- March 26, 1958 – May 15, 1986
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Dog
- Origin
- Rome, Province of Rome, Italy
- Occupation
- motorcycle racer / racing automobile driver / Formula One driver / pianist
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Elio de Angelis born?
March 26, 1958 – May 15, 1986.
Where is Elio de Angelis from?
Elio de Angelis is from Rome, Province of Rome, Italy.
What does Elio de Angelis do?
Elio de Angelis works as motorcycle racer, racing automobile driver, Formula One driver, pianist.
Motorcycle racer — see all → · Racing automobile driver — see all → · More people from Italy →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.