Loris Kessel

Loris Kessel (1 April 1950 - 15 May 2010): Swiss racing driver from Lugano, Ticino who participated in six Formula One World Championship Grands Prix from 1976 to 1977, scoring no championship points and achieving just one classified finish. Kessel is better remembered for establishing Kessel Racing, which became one of Ferrari's most successful GT racing teams, winning the 2007 FIA GT3 European Championship. Born in Lugano in the Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland, Kessel began his motorsport career in rallying after receiving an Alfa Romeo Spider as an 18th birthday present from his parents. He used the car to obtain his racing license, with his first competitive event being a timed sprint through the hills between Bormio and Stelvio.

The thrill of competition captivated him, and he soon progressed to circuit racing. Kessel moved into single-seater racing, competing in the Swiss Formula Three Championship in 1973 and 1974 with a Brabham BT41. His performances earned him graduation to European Formula Two in 1975, racing a March 742-BMW for Ambrozium H7 Racing Team. At the opening F2 race of 1975, Kessel had a commanding lead for 16 laps before broken gear linkage denied him what would have been a sensational debut victory.

The near-win demonstrated his speed, even if mechanical fragility prevented him from capitalizing. Kessel made his Formula One debut on 2 May 1976 at the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder, driving a Brabham BT44B-Ford entered by RAM Racing. He qualified 22nd but retired after just seven laps with engine failure. Over the remainder of 1976, Kessel attempted to qualify for four more races with RAM's aging Brabham, succeeding only at the Belgian Grand Prix.

His best result came at that race where he finished 14th, the only time he was classified as a finisher in a Formula One World Championship race. For 1977, Kessel attempted to run his own Formula One car, the Apollon-Williams, which despite its name was a heavily modified Williams FW04 that Kessel purchased and entered under the Apollon name. The project was hopelessly underfunded and the car was not competitive. Kessel attempted to qualify for the 1977 Monaco Grand Prix but failed, ending his Formula One career with six race entries, two starts, one classified finish, and zero points.

Following his unsuccessful Formula One foray, Kessel returned to Formula Three, making occasional appearances through the late 1970s before moving back to Formula Two in 1981. Racing for Horag Hotz Racing in a March 812-BMW, he finished 12th in the fourth round of the European F2 Championship at the Nürburgring, a creditable result though nothing spectacular. Beyond single-seaters, Kessel competed extensively in sports car racing. His most notable achievement came at the 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans when he drove an Obermaier Racing Porsche 962C with co-drivers Otto Altenbach and Jürgen Oppermann to a very respectable seventh overall finish, demonstrating that his talents were better suited to endurance racing than the cutthroat competition of Formula One.

Kessel's greatest contribution to motorsport came after his driving career ended. In 1995, Ferrari approached him with a proposal to establish a Ferrari dealership in the Lugano area. Kessel accepted, and Loris Kessel Auto S.A. was appointed the official Ferrari agent for Ticino and Grisons. The dealership thrived, and Kessel expanded into racing, establishing Kessel Racing.

Kessel Racing quickly became synonymous with Ferrari's GT racing program, competing in FIA GT Championships, Le Mans Series, and various endurance races. The team achieved its greatest triumph in 2007 when drivers Gilles Vannelet and Henri Moser won the FIA GT3 European Championship driving a Ferrari F430 GT3. The championship validated Kessel's vision and established Kessel Racing as one of the premier customer racing teams in Europe. Kessel named his son Ronnie in honor of his friend and contemporary Ronnie Peterson, the Swedish Formula One star who died following an accident at the 1978 Italian Grand Prix.

The gesture reflected Kessel's deep connection to the motorsport community and the friendships he formed despite his own limited success as a driver. Tragically, Kessel was diagnosed with leukemia in the late 2000s. He fought the disease bravely but passed away on 15 May 2010 in Montagnola, Switzerland, at the age of 60. His death was mourned throughout the motorsport community, particularly in Switzerland and among Ferrari racing circles.

Following his death, Kessel Racing continued operating under family management, maintaining its position as one of Ferrari's leading customer racing teams and ensuring Loris Kessel's legacy endures. Known for his passion for racing, business acumen in establishing a successful Ferrari dealership and racing team, and dedication to motorsport despite his own limited success as a driver, Loris Kessel represents the many drivers whose greatest contributions came not from their time behind the wheel but from their work building motorsport infrastructure and opportunities for future generations.