Ottorino Volonterio’s sporadic appearances in minor Formula 2 races during 1952 and 1953 proved equally unspectacular with private Ferrari 166F2 and modified Maserati 4CLT/48 alike.
The 1954 World Championship ended with the Spanish Grand Prix on Barcelona’s Pedralbes street circuit. Toulo de Graffenried’s Maserati A6GCM/250F was plagued by exhaust problems and he briefly handed over to Volonterio at one of his numerous stops. That gave his countryman a first GP appearance before they retired.
Volonterio bought the Maserati with which he had just made that brief debut and drove it in various non-championship Formula 1 races during 1955 and 1956 – invariably running at the back or retiring. Despite his lack of success or pace, Volonterio’s entry for the 1956 German GP was accepted although he was slowest in qualifying. He endured a chaotic and tardy pitstop to run last throughout, too far behind Juan Manuel Fangio’s winning Lancia-Ferrari to be classified.
He acquired a pukka Maserati 250F for 1957 which he increasingly entered for others to drive. Herbert MacKay-Fraser was due to race in the non-championship race at Reims but the American was killed in the supporting F2 event. Volonterio made a third and final GP appearance himself at Monza that year. André Simon started the race before handing over to the car owner who finished a distant 11th.
That last international race was largely in keeping with the rest of his racing career. He continued to work as a lawyer into the 1970s.
