F1 Driver Roberto Moreno
Brazilian Grand Prix Star Raced with Benetton in Formula 1
Regarded as one of motor racing’s nice guys, Roberto Moreno’s talent was never in question. Despite this the ever cheerful Brazilian was hampered throughout his career by uncompetitive machinery and simple bad luck.
Early Formula 1 Drives with Lotus and AGS
Moreno’s first Formula 1 opportunity arrived early, perhaps too early. In 1982 he was called up to replace an injured Nigel Mansell at Lotus for the Dutch Grand Prix. It was a huge step up, and it showed, as he failed to qualify the car.
It was 1987 before Moreno received another offer of a Formula 1 drive, this time for the tiny AGS team. In the season-ending Australian Grand Prix he showed his ability by finishing sixth, scoring the team’s first ever World Championship point.
Formula 3000 Champion and Formula 1 Driver
With no Formula 1 drive for 1988 Moreno concentrated his efforts on the European Formula 3000 championship, a series he duly won. For 1989 he was back in Formula 1, albeit driving a very slow Coloni. A switch to Eurobrun for 1990 brought no improvement in Moreno’s fortunes, but he unexpectedly found himself in a competitive car near the end of the season.
Highs and Lows with Benetton
Towards the end of 1990 Moreno was hired by the Benetton team to replace Alessandro Nannini, after the Italian had been terribly injured in a helicopter crash. Moreno grasped the opportunity, finishing second on his debut for the team in Japan, behind his great friend and team-mate Nelson Piquet.
Moreno did enough in the final two races of 1990 to be kept on full-time by Benetton for 1991, as Piquet’s team-mate. The new car was not as competitive as had been hoped, and both drivers struggled for results. At Spa Moreno set the fastest race lap but, despite this, he was dropped by the team after the event. His place was taken by the young German driver Michael Schumacher, who had been the talk of the paddock in Belgium after a stunning qualifying performance on his Formula 1 debut for Jordan.
Moreno’s Formula 1 Career Ends
By the next race in Italy Moreno was in a Jordan, but it was a short-lived relationship. He also drove for Minardi at the end of 1991, by which time his Formula 1 career was in serious decline. In 1992 he signed to drive the disastrous Andrea Moda, performing miracles in Monaco to qualify for the race, the only time the team ever did so. Moreno’s final Grand Prix outings came in a Forti Corse during 1995, but the car was far from competitive.
After Formula 1 Moreno continued his career by racing in America. His first CART outing had actually occurred as long ago as 1986. Beginning in 1996 he became a stalwart of Champcar and the Indy Racing League, earning the nickname “supersub”, due to the many times he replaced injured drivers and performed impressively.
Roberto Moreno in Forti Corse F1 car
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