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In interviews at the time, Mario said that driving the car was a unique experience, especially considering it was the first time he had driven a car with such a small engine (2.0 liters). Despite lacking power compared to the Porsche 907s and the difficulties faced in the race, being part of the Autodelta team was something he would remember forever.
And so it was. Mario was always ready to get into the cockpit of an Alfa Romeo car and immediately responded to the next call he received in 1974, when he was entrusted with the 33TT12.
On April 25, in torrential rain and winter temperatures, Mario and the Alfa Romeo cars held off the reigning World Champions Matra, taking an epic victory with the first three places in the overall standings. Mario won in tandem with Arturo Merzario ahead of the cars of Rolf Stommelen and Carlos Reutemann, and Vittorio Brambilla and Jean-Pierre Jarier.
Legend has it that, at the end, someone saw engineer Chiti crying with joy and immediately telephone his old boss, President Giuseppe Luraghi, to inform him of the splendid result.
The 1974 context
We must remember that Alfa Romeo was a company belonging to the IRI, and that the IRI was the center of a political dispute within the center-left, which governed the country at the time.
The socialists wanted to replace President Luraghi with the president of the ACI Filippo Carpi de Resmini, while the Christian Democrats opposed it and managed to appoint a transitional president who would be in office from January 25 to October 2, 1974.
So, Luraghi was replaced by Ermanno Guani, while not hostile to the activities of Autodelta, but was above all careful not to discuss the orders of his superiors.
With the departure of Luraghi, Ing. Rudolf Hruska also left the company, where he directed the 'Alfasud' project and the construction of the Pomigliano d'Arco plant from 1967.
That year, Autodelta's fate entered a phase of uncertainty and cost reduction that, years later, led to the decision to abandon the races.
The energy crisis resulting from the Kippur War, which led to a sharp increase in the cost of gasoline, also supported the management's choices.
To stop the crisis, many governments introduced austerity measures, such as the use of the private cars on public holidays, the early closing of cinemas and theaters, and the reduction of public lighting.
Furthermore, the change in management led Autodelta to enjoy less autonomy, so much so that Ing. Carlo Chiti himself declared that, with President Luraghi's departure, the new administration did everything to convince the top management that the commitment to racing was a waste of money and that it no longer had the decision-making freedom it had previously enjoyed.
After describing the context, let's return to our interview.
Mario, what do you remember about the 1000 km of Monza in 1974?
"I have always had a good time with Alfa Romeo, and racing at Monza was something special. It was the track where, in 1954, I had attended an F1 Grand Prix for the first time. Racing on this track has always been a strong emotion, I felt at home.
"That race was a wonderful experience, also because everything went well.
"We started from pole and, even though the race was demanding and took place on a wet track, the car proved superior to the cars of the opponents. Arturo and I did not have any particular problems, something that the other two Alfa Romeo cars were not immune to, but in the end we obtained a crushing victory with three cars in the first three places.
"The team was fantastic and with Arturo, the Italian cowboy, I worked very well.
"In short, it was fantastic!
"In the team we worked in harmony, even with Chiti, a somewhat difficult character, but very good.
"I also got along well with the engineer Gianni Marelli, who unfortunately passed away last October. We were long-time friends, we grew up together, a bit like cousins.
"I always liked racing for Italian teams, because I felt comfortable and I had the opportunity to train with my Italian.
"Regarding this, I have a funny anecdote that also happened when I went to Ferrari: some mechanics didn't know I spoke Italian. When I took the measurements for the cockpit and the seat, talking to each other they said 'they are similar measurements to those for Merzario's seat'. The next day, when I arrived at the pits, and I spoke to the mechanics in Italian, they were left with a surprised face".
You also raced with the 33TT12 in 1975. How did it go and what difference do you remember with the 1974 car?
"In 1975, I only raced at Watkins Glen and I didn't have a great feeling with the car. I couldn't find the right balance in the car's set-up, having both mechanical and aerodynamic problems. I asked to do some tests on the rear suspension, but the team didn't agree. So I didn't find the ideal conditions (the 1975 car had different suspension and tyres than the 1974 car, ed.).
"The 1974 car was absolutely more effective and balanced. As for the engine, it always ran very well, without any appreciable differences compared to the one from the previous year. It was a shame that I couldn't exploit all the power of the engine, which was a nice engine, very robust.
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