Raniero Gianotti (above left), one of the best known driver physical trainers in F1 circles, who has worked with Sebastian Vettel, Rubens Barrichello and most recently the Toro Rosso drivers, died of a heart attack when out cycling.
The 46 year old was cycling with friends in Urbino, in the Marche region of Italy and was only a few kilometres into a ride.
Gianotti had been working in motorsport for many years. In F1 he was a well known and popular figure as the trainer of Barrichello, first at Stewart GP, then at Ferrari.
On Twitter Barrchello said, “It was so sad when I received the news that my great friend and fisio Raniero past away this morning. Heart attack while he was on his bike.”
After Ferrari he worked with Jarno Trulli at Toyota before moving to Toro Rosso, where he prepared Vettel the year he won the Italian Grand Prix for the team.
Our sincere condolences to his wife Nadia and young son Luca, whom he leaves behind.
Sebastian Vettel
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1. Posted By: Wayne
Date: January 9th, 2012 @ 11:49 am
Raniero Gianotti, God Bless. Rest in peace.
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2. Posted By: MISTER
Date: January 9th, 2012 @ 11:53 am
Not happy to hear these news.
Even thought I don’t know Raniero, I’m sure he was a great man. He was too young for this kind of tragedy.
Sincere condolences to his family.
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3. Posted By: Steveceve
Date: January 9th, 2012 @ 12:04 pm
What terrible news, such a shock and a huge loss.
RIP
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4. Posted By: mael
Date: January 9th, 2012 @ 12:10 pm
This is very sad & sobering… I’m the same age and not nearly as fit as Raniero.
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5. Posted By: Vipin
Date: January 9th, 2012 @ 12:33 pm
R.I.P to Raniero Gianotti
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6. Posted By: Adam T
Date: January 9th, 2012 @ 12:45 pm
The exact same thing happened to one of the guys I went out cycling with last year, my sympathies go to his family and friends
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Sebee Reply:
January 9th, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Can we learn anything from this? I wonder if this was some heart defect, if he pushed too hard, if he was at very high altitude. I find it highly unusual that a life fit person like this dies on a bicycle ride in mid 40s.
Sad news, but would be good to learn from such events.
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JB Reply:
January 11th, 2012 at 3:55 pm
He pushed to hard. He may be a trainer, but I don’t know how fit he was – a similar thing almost happened to me after jumping on a bike with no prior preparation and riding full steam uphill.
Sad, but at least he died doing what he loved.
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7. Posted By: Femi Akinz
Date: January 9th, 2012 @ 1:31 pm
To the families of Gianotti, please accept my heart felt condolences. May the Lord grant your family the strength to go through this.
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AndyK Reply:
January 9th, 2012 at 7:04 pm
Probably the least he could do. Considering the same lord to whom you refer must have deliberately struck him down in the prime of life and all that!!
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8. Posted By: Andrew Carter
Date: January 9th, 2012 @ 1:38 pm
46 is too young to go, RIP.
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9. Posted By: Rich C
Date: January 9th, 2012 @ 5:46 pm
Shocking, sad, terrible for his family. You’re never prepared for something like this, believe me. Hard to miss the irony, too.
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10. Posted By: David Ryan
Date: January 9th, 2012 @ 9:37 pm
Very sad news indeed – RIP Raniero and my condolences to his family and friends. Like Sebee above, I do wonder whether this was a case of pushing the body too far and whether we can learn from it. All the same, my thoughts and prayers are foremost with him and those who knew him.
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11. Posted By: Jay B
Date: January 10th, 2012 @ 12:55 am
It’s a cruel twist of fate when, in an effort to keep fit, exercise is the factor that takes your life. We hear of stories where seemily healthy people suddenly pass away and we ask ourselves, how? Perhaps it was an underlying condition of which he was unaware? Did he push himself too far?…sometimes though, these things are just idiopathic and could not have been predicted. But that shouldn’t stop us from pursuing our health and fitness goals; exercise is far more likely to improve your well-being than do damage to it. My thoughts are with his friends and family, as well as those at Scuderia Toro Rosso.
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12. Posted By: Jake Pattison
Date: January 11th, 2012 @ 2:23 am
As a 46 year old cyclist myself this is somewhat alarming.
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13. Posted By: Jack
Date: January 11th, 2012 @ 5:37 am
Too young…
Rest In Peace, Raniero.
Thank you for your service to the sport we love.
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14. Posted By: Phil
Date: January 11th, 2012 @ 1:40 pm
He told Jaime Alguersuari not to worry about his future as he WAS the future. Jaime seems very very upset at the loss of this man. Would be great for jaime to be on the grid this season. HE should be more to the point.
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15. Posted By: Andy C
Date: January 13th, 2012 @ 11:06 am
I heard about this from Adam Cooper and saying I was shocked is a bit of an understatement.
Tragic loss and my thoughts are with his family and friends. Very hard for them to come to terms with it I’m sure.
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