Pino Allievi: “The press officers killed Formula 1”

Hello Pino. It's always a pleasure to slip into a Porsche Carrera, but a Ferrari Wouldn't it have been more in line with your career?

I have always had an excellent relationship with Enzo Ferrari, but not to the point of obtaining a sufficient rebate for the purchase of a red car. (Laughs) And then, the 911 is still something. Come on, let’s take off…

So, how does motorsport come into your life? A childhood dream?

No, student, I dreamed of being a literary critic. I was – and still am – keen on literature, especially Italian. I then started to animate the 3rd page of La Provincia, a small daily newspaper from Como (Italy) where I come from. I was also passionate about cars, probably because my father held a managerial position at Alfa Romeo. At the newspaper, there was no prospect of hiring in the medium term, and I started looking elsewhere. There was a place at the Journal of Sport, but I didn't want to write about sports. I was told to try anyway, and that I could continue my literary criticism in other publications if I wished. The editorial team was looking for a journalist for motorsport; which was actually quite good since I was going to watch races at Monza and elsewhere. For me, it was a passion, not a job. It started like this, at the end of the 1960s. One day, there were tests reserved for Sport-Prototypes at Monza where Enzo Ferrari was present. There weren't many journalists there, three or four. He approached me and said he had seen me a few times before and wanted to know my name. “ Pino Allievi ”, I replied. “ I knew an Allievi, he replied. What is your father's name ?