Many teams have made misguided attempts at Formula 1 success, but few can rival the farcical Andrea Moda effort of 1992. After months of proceeding from one disaster to the next the team was thrown out of the World Championship permanently.
Coloni Sold to Andrea Moda for 1992 F1 Season
Andrea Sassetti was the figure behind Andrea Moda. The Italian had made his money in the shoe industry, hardly an ideal background for Formula 1. In 1991 he purchased the Coloni team, with plans to race an updated version of their C4 in 1992. Crucially, the team’s entry into the Formula 1 World Championship was not part of the deal, which caused problems at the first round of the 1992 season in South Africa.
Cars Fail to Run and Drivers are Fired
Sassetti was informed in South Africa that they were considered to be a new team and therefore eligible to pay the relevant entry fee. The ruling also meant they couldn’t race the Coloni chassis, which had been painfully slow the previous year anyway.
By the time of the next round in Mexico, Andrea Moda had a new car, the S921. The plans had been purchased from Nick Wirth, who had originally designed the machine for BMW’s proposed entry into Formula 1. Unfortunately, the two cars were far from ready and neither driver made it onto the circuit. Alex Caffi and Enrico Bertaggia had both been signed by Sassetti for 1992 but quickly lost patience after two meetings and no track time. Sassetti’s abrupt response was to fire both of them.
Moreno and McCarthy Join Andrea Moda
An Andrea Moda finally turned a wheel in anger during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, driven by a new recruit, the affable Roberto Moreno. The new car looked sleek and fast, but it wasn't. Pre-qualifying was as far as he got, many seconds off the pace. Perry McCarthy had also been signed but was soon to discover that he was not a priority for Sassetti. In Brazil McCarthy was given a superlicense and then had it removed again, due to his lack of experience in lower formulae. It was eventually reinstated after McCarthy received support from influential members of the Formula 1 paddock.
Bertaggia was also back in the frame, approaching his old employer Sassetti with a view to getting his drive back. He came with considerable sponsorship, which appealed to Sassetti very much. The boss’s hopes were dashed, however, when the FIA pointed out that he had already made the maximum number of driver changes permitted in a season.
The Spanish Grand Prix weekend was another disaster for the team. Moreno managed a handful of laps before breaking down, but McCarthy only lasted the length of the pit-lane. A predictable failure to pre-qualify followed in San Marino, before the championship moved to Monaco.
The second part of the Andrea Moda F1 saga.
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