Olivier Beretta
Racing driver & one of Monaco's favourite sons
Monaco racing driver Olivier Beretta is often known as a Formula One driver from the 90’s, but it is in endurance racing that he has really risen to prominence, taking out Le Mans class wins no less than 6 times racing for Corvette and later Ferrari.
Growing up in Monte Carlo, that famous Grand Prix city that comes to a standstill each May as the cars whine and roar around its hairpin bends, perhaps there was a sense of inevitability about him becoming a racing car driver: his grandmother lived at ‘turn one’ and his parents at ‘turn two’. Unsurprisingly, he never went to school on Grand Prix days.
Beretta’s long career began in karts in 1983, moving into Formula 3 in ’89 and then onto Formula 3000. His break into F1 came in 1994 when he drove for the Larousse team with Erik Comas, but gained no championship points, and his only other Formula One experience was testing for Williams in 2003 and 2004.
In 2005 he switched to endurance racing and his star quickly rose, becoming one of the most successful GT drivers of the 21st century. As well as his six class wins in Le Mans 24 Hours, he also won overall victory in 2000 Rolex 24 at Daytona and two FIA championships. Beretta is also the five-time ALMS GTS/GT1 champion, and holds ALMS records for most career wins (41) and most career poles (23).
After 8 great years at Corvette, he was offered the chance to drive for Ferrari in 2012 and jumped at the opportunity. In an interview with Gary Watkins on autosport, Beretta explained the move saying, ‘I didn’t have to think for a second’…’When I was a kid my uncle had a Ferrari Daytona [365 GTB/4]. It was riding in this car that gave me my first feeling of speed, and don't forget I am half Italian.’
The 45 year old now races in a Ferrari 458 GT3 Italia for AF Corse and remains consistently at the top of the table, taking out the Pirelli World Challenge in April 2015.
He is engaged to Chrystal Beretta and has one son named Riccardo. They live in Monaco, and he is considered one of that great racing city’s favourite sons. I expect his son won’t go to school on Grand Prix days either.
