For Irish motorsports fans, a little known legend named Henry Morrogh from Cork, has sadly passed away, RIP. An accomplished racer in his own right, he later taught many future F1 drivers as students, 1997 Champion Jacques Villeneuve, and Indy 500 winner Eddie Cheever, amongst many others.

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1. Some footage from 1962.

   [Audition For Racing Drivers (1962)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6ODSFN0aTc)

   And a good article from Italy, [google translated](https://autosprint-corrieredellosport-it.translate.goog/amp/news/sterzi-a-parte/2023/08/28-6620838/ciao_henry_morrogh_e_grazie_per_le_lezioni?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp)

   >The rain in Zandvoort has shuffled the cards a bit, giving some more emotions, yet in my opinion the biggest shock comes from Italy and not only thanks to the wonders of Minardi Day , but, unfortunately, also because of the things in life, those that are as bad as they are inevitable, though. Henry Morrogh passed away at almost 92 and immediately a wave of emotion shook the world of Motorsport , with Italy as its epicenter.

   >Because right in our home the Irish driving instructor had found a dimension as a highly authoritative teacher and great talent discoverer. Henry, in addition to representing an irreplaceable point of reference for anyone who dreamed of becoming a driver for no less than four decades and being a great friend of Autosprint, has always been an intelligent, open and direct man.

   >And I like to remember him by quoting some of his phrases called on & off record , with the recorder on or off.«Jacques Villeneuve? When he arrived to us, at the pilot school in Magione, he was absolutely ignorant of the fundamentals. He didn’t even boast any history in karting and the only thing he had racing was his surname. With him I was forced to start again from the fundamentals, from the first things, but it is also true that I found an absolutely humble boy, very willing to recognize that there was a lot of work he had to do. At the same time I soon realized that everything I managed to teach him he learned well and immediately. And so it was that one of my students who was most immature of notions and arrived late to the racing approach became world champion. A very interesting thing, if you think about it. Obviously he couldn’t have been a precocious natural talent, but a very good one capable of building himself step by step, with elasticity, realism, many sacrifices and application. His success in Indy and in F1 was a great surprise and also a good life lesson for everyone after he had shown how much he had gained.”

   >At the first signs of success for Red Bull in F1, I had spoken to Henry about these many super-prestigious academies and he had clear ideas from this point of view. That is these:«The most important thing I did as a driver was take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, even if without luck. Then I realized that my path was elsewhere and I concentrated on becoming a driving instructor, first in France and then in Italy. Honestly, I’ve always believed so much in piloting courses, in good teachers and in good will, as well as in the ability and humility of those who try to learn something. And I have never believed much or too much in the academies carried out by some strong subjects. You see, great talent breaks through anyway, it’s everyone else who finds themselves with little real chance to learn. Rather, in the races, even among the debs I see a lot of politics and a certain prevalence of the rich, in initiatives like these. I remain of the opinion that we need to study, travel and analyze ourselves a lot, beyond big names and big brands. Pilots are created by making them apply and study, not by promoting them as if they were commercial products. If one studies and puts in the effort, something happens. In addition to making Jacques world champion, I also transformed the stupendous Fabrizio Frizzi into a racing driver, with the irreplaceable Formula Ford Van Diemen RF89s, the same ones that taught Ayrton Senna to race and win in single-seaters».

   >Among his other principles, that of a great all-round motorsport enthusiast . When he learned that I loved frequenting the circles of the Tourist Trophy and the Manx Grand Prix of the Isle of Man, Henry immediately went into a frenzy, indulging in rather surprising confidences.«Do you know what the real dream of my life was? Ride a motorbike and not a car. And take part in a race on the mountain circuit of the Isle of Man. So it was that at the beginning of the 1950s I found myself signed up for the Manx Grand Prix and the mere idea didn’t let me sleep at night. But when there were a few days to go, the bank that was supposed to support me went bankrupt. You realize? A bank blows up and I’m left on foot. Out of disappointment, I give up on the bikes and decide that that sign of fate meant that I shouldn’t race on the Mountain. Destiny means a lot, in reality. In any case, I don’t make a difference between cars and motorbikes, I continue to like both, as do women, without distinction: is a beautiful brunette different from a beautiful blonde?” .

   >People like Emanuele Pirro, Andrea De Cesaris, Elio De Angelis and Nicola Larin owe so much to the teachings of Henry, who at the time of the Autosprint editorial team in San Lazzaro di Savena was a regular in our house, welcomed with such enthusiasm and always interesting in the analysis of the races that he gave us at lunchtime, over a good plate of tortellini. Because in the aplomb, in the tastes and even in the culinary sensitivity, in addition to being a great gentleman, he also knew how to prove himself to be a perfectly naturalized neo-Italian. The endless jokes and the little scenes with his partner Margareth will remain among the sweetest and nicest things ever seen by those who frequented him in his heyday. Before giving up the driving school, he also participated in the Italian Federal Formula 3 championship, fielding his own team and continuing to promote young talents on the racing fields. A true gentleman from another eraand also a beautifully Anglo-Saxon representative of the heyday racing fraternity. Now there are the Academy, which sometimes look like coops for farmed chickens. Once upon a time there was Henry Morrogh, with anorak, headphones and radio, amidst the treacherous rain and bad winds of the old Magione racetrack. And world champions were also created this way, together with many other beautiful names who made some the history and some the chronicle of our motoring.

   >Next week in an episode of Cuore da Corsa I will talk about your whole life, but for now I just want to say hello, on behalf of everyone, dear gentleman. Thank you very much for everything, wonderful Henry.

   I believe he will be being buried in Cork in the coming week. RIP.