Mairesse teamed with Herbert Müller to win the 1966 Targa Florio.
He was the kind of fighter Enzo Ferrari adored. Another of those Tazio Nuvolari types, who wouldn’t rest until he had wrung the absolute maximum out of a car or crashed it in the process—and he often did. Before he was shoe-horned into Maranello in 1960 with the help of Jacques Swaters, Ferrari’s representative in Belgium, he had laid to rest the crumpled ruins of a Porsche 1500, a Peugeot 203, a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and three Ferrari berlinettas.
But this hyper-determined, energetic hustler with his burning intensity won. An observer of Willy’s demonic determination was Peter Revson. He once craned his neck into Mairesse’s car during a 24 Hours of Spa and saw Willy’s face contorted with unrequited commitment. Afterwards, the young American famously said it was almost like looking at the devil.
Become a Member & Get Ad-Free Access To This Article (& About 6,000+ More)
Access to the full article is limited to paid subscribers only. Our membership removes most ads, lets you enjoy unlimited access to all our premium content, and offers you awesome discounts on partner products. Enjoy our premium content.