Ivan Capelli
From Ferrari Wiki
 1991 United States Grand Prix | |
FIA Super Licence  Italy | |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
|---|---|
| Active years | 1985 Formula One season - 1993 Formula One season |
| Teams | Tyrrell Racing, Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives, March Engineering, Leyton House Racing, Ferrari and Jordan Grand Prix |
| Races | 98 (93 starts) |
| List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 3 |
| Career points | 31 |
| Pole position | 0 |
| Fastest lap | 0 |
| First race | 1985 European Grand Prix |
| Last race | 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Ivan Franco Capelli (born in Milan, May 24, 1963) is an Italy former Formula One driver. He participated in 98 Grands Prix, debuting on October 6, 1985. He achieved 3 podiums, and scored a total of 31 championship points.
Today he is an F1 commentator on the Italian TV station Rai Uno. He should not be confused with Brazilian journalist with same name, author of Blog do Capelli.
Contents |
Career
Capelli began his career as a Kart driver when he was 15 years old, and after four years he moved to the Italian Formula Three Championship.
In 1983 he became Italian Formula Three champion, after dominating the series with 9 victories. After that he moved with the Enzo Coloni Racing Car Systems team to the European Formula Three Championship, and here he was the champion again in 1984.
In 1985 he graduated to the European International Formula 3000 Championship with a Genoa Racing March Engineering-Cosworth and won one race. The same year he debuted in Formula 1, driving a Tyrrell Racing, and finishing a tremendous 4th in 1985 Australian Grand Prix. Despite this outstanding result, he was not picked up for a full time F1 drive in 1986.
Instead, he contested the 1986 Formula 3000 Championship, still with Genoa Racing, and also raced a BMW in the European Touring Car Championship. He also raced a couple of times in F1 with the Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives team. Meanwhile, Cesare Garibaldi, the boss of Genoa Racing, was working with Robin Herd of March to create a new F1 team - with Capelli as a core component in their plans. By now, Capelli and Garibaldi had an almost father-son relationship.
For 1987 Capelli was F1 full-time with the March team, led by Garibaldi and running Herd's new chassis with a Cosworth V8 normally-aspirated engine. Capelli also continued with BMW touring cars for the Schnitzer team, as the March budget was tight (so tight in fact that they raced at the Belgian Grand Prix with a detuned 3.3 litre sports car engine rather than the full 3.5l F1 unit), and the Schnitzer team had works status with BMW, allowing him to be on the German company's payroll. Capelli scored the F1 team's first point with 6th at the Monaco Grand Prix and March's return to F1 was generally seen as competent, professional and promising for the future. On to 1988, and Capelli had a new weapon at his disposal, a new March chassis designed by Adrian Newey - latter to find fame as designer at WilliamsF1 and Team McLaren - allied to the Judd (engine) V8 engine (derived from the Brabham-Honda CART engine and the Judd/Honda F3000 unit). March had hoped to be the favoured development partner for this engine but found themselves sharing it with Williams and Ligier, both of whom had lost their engine deals. Capelli was also joined in the team by British F3 Champion, Brazilian Maurício Gugelmin. Together, they made a strong team, and March was the revelation of the year. Capelli was outstanding, driving brilliantly in particular in British GP, Belgian Grand Prix, Portuguese Grand Prix and Japanese Grand Prix. At Autódromo do Estoril he scored his first podium with a second place behind Alain Prost's McLaren and at Suzuka he made a piece of history by being the driver of the only naturally-aspirated car to lead a Grand Prix in a season of Turbocharger dominance. The future seemed bright for Capelli and March.
Sadly, the momentum was not maintained. March were in financial problems and erstwhile sponsor, Leyton House, acquired a controlling interest in the team. Although Gugelmin finished 3rd in his home race at Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet in 1989, this was done in the 1988 car. The definitive 1989 Leyton House March was a disappointment, and neither driver troubled the leading cars for the rest of the year. However, the team spirit remained intact despite the death of Garibaldi in a car crash. 1990 started off little better. Newey's new car (given the prefix CG in honour of Garibaldi) had excellent aerodynamics but was intolerant of bumps. Things were so bad that on the notoriously bumpy Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez track neither driver could make the car work and both failed to qualify. But then, in one of the most amazing turnarounds in F1 history, at Paul Ricard in French Grand Prix at the very next race, Capelli led Gugelmin in a Leyton House 1-2 deep into the race. Sadly, Gugelmin retired and Capelli was overtaken close to the end by Prost, but a 2nd place was nothing short of miraculous. Revisions to the car had made it more competitive (ironically Newey was sacked shortly before the French race), but in truth it was the billiard table-smooth track which allowed Capelli to show his talent again. Despite some promising showings at Silverstone Circuit and Hockenheimring, the remainder of the year was unfulfilling.
In 1991, Leyton House was responsible not only for chassis development but also bankrolled the ambitious Ilmor V10 engine programme. With so many new ingredients, results were again thin on the ground although Capelli often qualified and raced well. When Leyton House's owner Akira Akagi was arrested in connection with the Fuji Bank fraud, the team was in a precarious state. Fortunately Capelli had signed for Scuderia Ferrari for the '92 season, so he voluntarily stepped down, allowing pay driver Karl Wendlinger to finish the season. As a mark of the man and his loyalty, he personally paid to attend the races he missed to offer support to the team and advice to his rookie substitute.
In 1992, Capelli's plans were laced with hope of a crowning glory. Arguably he had been too loyal to March and Leyton House, choosing to remain with them and their family atmosphere despite offers from more established teams and the inconsistent equipment he was receiving. Finally, however, he had made the break, and had signed for a top team, an Italian driving a Ferrari. The Scuderia had gone through a tough time in 1991, but with a new car, the FA92 (nicknamed the F-15 on account of its resemblance to the American fighter jet), expectations were high. Unfortunately, the new car was a disaster and before the season began Capelli was showing his disappointment. A driver who enjoyed the convivial atmosphere of a family-type team, he struggled to integrate with the bureaucratic structure of early 90s Ferrari. Losing motivation, the team in turn lost confidence in him and his teammate Jean Alesi gained the upper hand. While Capelli occasionally performed adequately, the season was a disaster punctuated with some embarrassing crashes. Capelli was sacked before the season's end.
This experience seemingly broke his spirit, but those who had worked with him at March still had faith, notably Ian Phillips, now Jordan team manager. Taking a Jordan Grand Prix seat for 1993, Capelli failed to rediscover the spark that not long ago had marked him as a champion of the future. After failing to qualify for the second race in 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix, he left the team by mutual consent. Capelli was distraught and Jordan was disappointed too - they knew Capelli had the ability, but he just couldn't muster it up any longer. His F1 career was over.
Following F1, he raced with mixed results in touring cars for Nissan and in the Maserati one-make series. He also became an F1 commentator on Italian TV station Rai Uno and remains a popular personality in the F1 paddock. Having come to terms with the disappointment of Ferrari, he has regained the happy disposition which had originally made him popular.
Complete Formula One results
(F1 driver results legend 2) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | WDC | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 Formula One season | Tyrrell Racing | Tyrrell Racing Tyrrell 014 | Renault F1 V6 engine Turbo-charged | 1985 Brazilian Grand Prix | 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix | 1985 San Marino Grand Prix | 1985 Monaco Grand Prix | 1985 Canadian Grand Prix | 1985 Detroit Grand Prix | 1985 French Grand Prix | 1985 British Grand Prix | 1985 German Grand Prix | 1985 Austrian Grand Prix | 1985 Dutch Grand Prix | 1985 Italian Grand Prix | 1985 Belgian Grand Prix | 1985 European Grand Prix Ret | 1985 South African Grand Prix | 1985 Australian Grand Prix 4 | 17th | 3 |
| 1986 Formula One season | Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives | Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives AGS JH21 | Motori Moderni V6 engine Turbo-charged | 1986 Brazilian Grand Prix | 1986 Spanish Grand Prix | 1986 San Marino Grand Prix | 1986 Monaco Grand Prix | 1986 Belgian Grand Prix | 1986 Canadian Grand Prix | 1986 Detroit Grand Prix | 1986 French Grand Prix | 1986 British Grand Prix | 1986 German Grand Prix | 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix | 1986 Austrian Grand Prix | 1986 Italian Grand Prix Ret | 1986 Portuguese Grand Prix Ret | 1986 Mexican Grand Prix | 1986 Australian Grand Prix | NC | 0 |
| 1987 Formula One season | Leyton House March Engineering | March Engineering March 871 | Ford Motor Company Cosworth DFV V8 engine | 1987 Brazilian Grand Prix DNS | 1987 San Marino Grand Prix Ret | 1987 Belgian Grand Prix Ret | 1987 Monaco Grand Prix 6 | 1987 Detroit Grand Prix Ret | 1987 French Grand Prix Ret | 1987 British Grand Prix Ret | 1987 German Grand Prix Ret | 1987 Hungarian Grand Prix 10 | 1987 Austrian Grand Prix 11 | 1987 Italian Grand Prix 13 | 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix 9 | 1987 Spanish Grand Prix 12 | 1987 Mexican Grand Prix Ret | 1987 Japanese Grand Prix Ret | 1987 Australian Grand Prix Ret | 19th | 1 |
| 1988 Formula One season | Leyton House March Engineering | March Engineering March 881 | Judd (engine) V8 engine | 1988 Brazilian Grand Prix Ret | 1988 San Marino Grand Prix Ret | 1988 Monaco Grand Prix 10 | 1988 Mexican Grand Prix 16 | 1988 Canadian Grand Prix 5 | 1988 Detroit Grand Prix DNS | 1988 French Grand Prix 9 | 1988 British Grand Prix Ret | 1988 German Grand Prix 5 | 1988 Hungarian Grand Prix Ret | 1988 Belgian Grand Prix 3 | 1988 Italian Grand Prix 5 | 1988 Portuguese Grand Prix 2 | 1988 Spanish Grand Prix Ret | 1988 Japanese Grand Prix Ret | 1988 Australian Grand Prix 6 | 7th | 17 |
| 1989 Formula One season | Leyton House March Engineering | March Engineering March 881 | Judd (engine) V8 engine | 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix Ret | 1989 San Marino Grand Prix Ret | NC | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| March Engineering March CG-891 | Judd (engine) V8 engine | 1989 Monaco Grand Prix 11 | 1989 Mexican Grand Prix Ret | 1989 United States Grand Prix Ret | 1989 Canadian Grand Prix Ret | 1989 French Grand Prix Ret | 1989 British Grand Prix Ret | 1989 German Grand Prix Ret | 1989 Hungarian Grand Prix Ret | 1989 Belgian Grand Prix 12 | 1989 Italian Grand Prix Ret | 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix Ret | 1989 Spanish Grand Prix Ret | 1989 Japanese Grand Prix Ret | 1989 Australian Grand Prix Ret | ||||||
| 1990 Formula One season | Leyton House Racing | Leyton House Racing Leyton House CG901 | Judd (engine) V8 engine | 1990 United States Grand Prix Ret | 1990 Brazilian Grand Prix DNQ | 1990 San Marino Grand Prix Ret | 1990 Monaco Grand Prix Ret | 1990 Canadian Grand Prix 10 | 1990 Mexican Grand Prix DNQ | 1990 French Grand Prix 2 | 1990 British Grand Prix Ret | 1990 German Grand Prix 7 | 1990 Hungarian Grand Prix Ret | 1990 Belgian Grand Prix 7 | 1990 Italian Grand Prix Ret | 1990 Portuguese Grand Prix Ret | 1990 Spanish Grand Prix Ret | 1990 Japanese Grand Prix Ret | 1990 Australian Grand Prix Ret | 10th | 6 |
| 1991 Formula One season | Leyton House Racing | Leyton House Racing Leyton House CG911 | Ilmor V10 engine | 1991 United States Grand Prix Ret | 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix Ret | 1991 San Marino Grand Prix Ret | 1991 Monaco Grand Prix Ret | 1991 Canadian Grand Prix Ret | 1991 Mexican Grand Prix Ret | 1991 French Grand Prix Ret | 1991 British Grand Prix Ret | 1991 German Grand Prix Ret | 1991 Hungarian Grand Prix 6 | 1991 Belgian Grand Prix Ret | 1991 Italian Grand Prix 8 | 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix 17 | 1991 Spanish Grand Prix Ret | 1991 Japanese Grand Prix | 1991 Australian Grand Prix | 18th | 1 |
| 1992 Formula One season | Ferrari | Ferrari F92A | Ferrari V12 engine | 1992 South African Grand Prix Ret | 1992 Mexican Grand Prix Ret | 1992 Brazilian Grand Prix 5 | 1992 Spanish Grand Prix 10 | 1992 San Marino Grand Prix Ret | 1992 Monaco Grand Prix Ret | 1992 Canadian Grand Prix Ret | 1992 French Grand Prix Ret | 1992 British Grand Prix 9 | 1992 German Grand Prix Ret | 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix 6 | 1992 Belgian Grand Prix Ret | 1992 Italian Grand Prix Ret | 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix Ret | 1992 Japanese Grand Prix | 1992 Australian Grand Prix | 13th | 3 |
| 1993 Formula One season | Sasol Jordan Grand Prix | Jordan Grand Prix Jordan 193 | Brian Hart Ltd. V10 engine | 1993 South African Grand Prix Ret | 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix DNQ | 1993 European Grand Prix | 1993 San Marino Grand Prix | 1993 Spanish Grand Prix | 1993 Monaco Grand Prix | 1993 Canadian Grand Prix | 1993 French Grand Prix | 1993 British Grand Prix | 1993 German Grand Prix | 1993 Hungarian Grand Prix | 1993 Belgian Grand Prix | 1993 Italian Grand Prix | 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix | 1993 Japanese Grand Prix | 1993 Australian Grand Prix | NC | 0 |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Enzo Coloni | Italian Formula Three Championship 1983 | Succeeded by Alessandro Santin |
| Preceded by Michel Ferté | List of Monaco Grand Prix Formula Three support race winners 1984 | Succeeded by Pierre-Henri Raphanel |
| Preceded by Pierluigi Martini | European Formula Three Championship 1984 | Succeeded by None |
| Preceded by Christian Danner | International Formula 3000 1986 | Succeeded by Stefano Modena |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by none | Lorenzo Bandini Trophy 1992 | Succeeded by David Coulthard (1995) |
