Petrolicious

Kessel: An Ongoing Family Racing Legacy (2019x11)

Air date: Mar 12, 2019

Loris Kessel received an Alfa Romeo Giulietta from his parents as a present for his 18th birthday—an auspicious beginning to his automotive adventure. He used that little Alfa to get his racing license, and it evolved into a wide-bodied hillclimber of sorts, with his first competitive event being a timed sprint through the hills between Bormio and Stelvio. He continued to pursue motorsports, and after some time in Formulas 3 and 2 Loris found an entry into the top tier of the sport. To race in F1—in any era—is something that few people experience and that many dream of, but to compete in 1976 when Lauda and Hunt were in the throes of their great rivalry surrounded by a grid of stacked talent? That’s something to cherish forever. Loris is sadly no longer with us, but his son Ronnie is keeping the enthusiasm rolling, campaigning his father’s favorite F1 machine in historic racing today.