Michael May is a legendary figure in the world of motor racing. A former Swiss driver and engineer, he is famous for having revolutionised motor sport by adding an aerofoil onto competition cars, an innovation that changed the design of race cars forever.
But his link with Stanguellini goes well beyond the technical side. While driving a Stanguellini, May wrote an important page in the motor racing history books, claiming his first victory at the famous Monaco Grand Prix in 1959 in Formula Junior while also achieving brilliant results in other competitions, such as second place at Eifelrennen and Pau.
Alongside his success out on the track, Michael May was a key technician and engineer for Stanguellini, offering this car manufacturer his outstanding expertise and helping improve the quality and innovation of the cars it produced. This link made an unforgettable mark on the brand’s history.
A history-making name
Born in Stuttgart, Germany, on 18 August 1934, Michael May developed a keen passion for cars from a young age. Having graduated from high school, he decided to learn more about mechanical engineering by enrolling at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
In the mid-1950s, Michael moved into the world of motor racing, with some success. However, his career came to an abrupt end after an accident, but his legacy in the world of motor racing will stay forever.
His most significant contribution was adding an aerofoil onto competition cars, a revolution that changed racing car aerodynamics forever.
In 1956, at the Nürburgring 1000 km, Michael May brought a Porsche 550 RS onto the track fitted with an original orange aerofoil, designed and developed by hand in just three months. Tested on the roads around Bern, this aerofoil had a special set-up, featuring an inverted wing and shaped vertical profiles that reduced wingtip vortices and increased the aerodynamic load.
Together with his cousin Pierre, May recorded much faster lap times than the official cars thanks to the downforce generated by the aerofoil. However, he was not allowed to race with this set-up after a complaint was lodged by Porsche’s racing director.
Even though his driving career ended early, his influence in the automotive industry did not fade. His extraordinary technical expertise led him to start a career as a consultant for Bosch, helping develop fuel injection systems, before he was then hired by Ferrari, where he continued to make a valuable contribution to developing engine technologies.
