Nicola Larini
From Ferrari Wiki
 Larini in 2006, as a World Touring Car Championship driver | |
FIA Super Licence  Italy | |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
|---|---|
| Active years | 1987 Formula One season - 1992 Formula One season, 1994 Formula One season, 1997 Formula One season |
| Teams | Enzo Coloni Racing Car Systems, Osella, Ligier, Modena (racing team), Ferrari, Sauber |
| Races | 75 (50 starts) |
| List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 1 |
| Career points | 7 |
| Pole position | 0 |
| Fastest lap | 0 |
| First race | 1987 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last race | 1997 Monaco Grand Prix |
Nicola Larini (born March 19, 1964) is a Racing driver from Italy. He participated in 75 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on September 6, 1987. He achieved 1 podium, and scored a total of 7 championship points.
Larini was born in Lido di Camaiore, Tuscany. He began car racing in Formula Italia in 1983, then moved up to Formula Abarth in 1984, placing third overall. He also started in Italian Formula Three the same season. In 1986 he won the title for Enzo Coloni Racing Car Systems in a Dallara, and briefly drove for the same team in International Formula 3000 the following year. His rapid ascendancy continued when Coloni entered the final two European rounds of the 1987 Formula One season. Larini failed to qualify for the 1987 Italian Grand Prix, but got into the 1987 Spanish Grand Prix, only to retire early on.
For the 1988 Formula One season he was signed by the Osella Formula One team, and drew good notices for his valiant performances in the hugely uncompetitive car, with a best result of 9th in the Monaco Grand Prix. He would continue with Osella in the 1989 Formula One season, their much-improved car suffering from the lottery of pre-qualifying. However, Larini continued to shine, running 6th at the 1989 San Marino Grand Prix until a hub failure, and running third at the 1989 Canadian Grand Prix until an electrical failure. He would also qualify 10th for the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix.
The 1990 Formula One season saw a move up the grid to the Ligier team, but the well-funded French team were at a creative dead-end and the car was a distinct midfielder. A brace of seventh places were Larini's best results in a low-key year, although he easily outshone Philippe Alliot in the other Ligier.
Larini then moved to the new Modena (racing team) team for the 1991 Formula One season, once again having to face pre-qualifying. He got through in the opening round, the 1991 United States Grand Prix, and held on for seventh place, but the team would develop acute financial difficulties, and were unable to progress. As a result, Larini would only qualify for four more races.
For the 1992 Formula One season, he was out of luck for a Grand Prix drive, but was signed by Ferrari to develop their active suspension system. Larini kept his racing instincts sharp by winning the Italian Touring Car Championship for Alfa Romeo in motorsport, and was called up to the Ferrari Formula One team for the end of the year, replacing Ivan Capelli to race-test the active suspension car. He made a fair impression, but started both races from the back of the grid for technical reasons. However, 1993 Formula One season saw more Ferrari testing and touring cars, this time taking the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft title in Germany for Alfa Romeo.
In 1994 Formula One season, he would have another chance with Ferrari in Formula One, replacing the injured Jean Alesi early in the season. He qualified seventh at the 1994 Pacific Grand Prix, but along with Ayrton Senna was eliminated at the first corner by Mika Häkkinen. Then at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix he took second place, but his first points score was overshadowed by the tragic deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna. It was back to touring cars with Alfa for the rest of the year, with Larini placing third in the German series.
Alfa would drop off the pace for the next two years, with Larini placing sixth in the German series in 1995, and 11th in the Italian series in 1996. However, 1997 would see his Ferrari connections land him a seat with Sauber, who were using rebranded Ferrari engines. Larini scored a point on his return at the 1997 Australian Grand Prix, but left after five races after a series of disagreements with Peter Sauber.
Since then Larini has been a stalwart in touring cars, for Alfa Romeo for many years, and since 2005 for Chevrolet.
Complete Formula One results
(F1 driver results legend 2)
| Year | Team | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 Formula One season | Enzo Coloni Racing Car Systems | Ford Motor Company | 1987 Brazilian Grand Prix | 1987 San Marino Grand Prix | 1987 Belgian Grand Prix | 1987 Monaco Grand Prix | 1987 Detroit Grand Prix | 1987 French Grand Prix | 1987 British Grand Prix | 1987 German Grand Prix | 1987 Hungarian Grand Prix | 1987 Austrian Grand Prix | 1987 Italian Grand Prix DNQ | 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix | 1987 Spanish Grand Prix Ret | 1987 Mexican Grand Prix | 1987 Japanese Grand Prix | 1987 Australian Grand Prix | NC | 0 | |
| 1988 Formula One season | Osella | Osella | 1988 Brazilian Grand Prix DNQ | 1988 San Marino Grand Prix DSQ | 1988 Monaco Grand Prix 9 | 1988 Mexican Grand Prix DNQ | 1988 Canadian Grand Prix DNQ | 1988 USA East Grand Prix Ret | 1988 French Grand Prix Ret | 1988 British Grand Prix 19 | 1988 German Grand Prix Ret | 1988 Hungarian Grand Prix DNPQ | 1988 Belgian Grand Prix Ret | 1988 Italian Grand Prix Ret | 1988 Portuguese Grand Prix 12 | 1988 Spanish Grand Prix Ret | 1988 Japanese Grand Prix Ret | 1988 Australian Grand Prix DNPQ | NC | 0 | |
| 1989 Formula One season | Osella | Ford Motor Company | 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix DSQ | 1989 San Marino Grand Prix 12 | 1989 Monaco Grand Prix DNPQ | 1989 Mexican Grand Prix DNPQ | 1989 United States Grand Prix DNPQ | 1989 Canadian Grand Prix Ret | 1989 French Grand Prix DNPQ | 1989 British Grand Prix Ret | 1989 German Grand Prix DNPQ | 1989 Hungarian Grand Prix DNPQ | 1989 Belgian Grand Prix DNPQ | 1989 Italian Grand Prix Ret | 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix DNPQ | 1989 Spanish Grand Prix Ret | 1989 Japanese Grand Prix Ret | 1989 Australian Grand Prix Ret | NC | 0 | |
| 1990 Formula One season | Ligier | Ford Motor Company | 1990 United States Grand Prix Ret | 1990 Brazilian Grand Prix 11 | 1990 San Marino Grand Prix 10 | 1990 Monaco Grand Prix Ret | 1990 Canadian Grand Prix Ret | 1990 Mexican Grand Prix 16 | 1990 French Grand Prix 14 | 1990 British Grand Prix 10 | 1990 German Grand Prix 10 | 1990 Hungarian Grand Prix 11 | 1990 Belgian Grand Prix 14 | 1990 Italian Grand Prix 11 | 1990 Portuguese Grand Prix 10 | 1990 Spanish Grand Prix 7 | 1990 Japanese Grand Prix 7 | 1990 Australian Grand Prix 10 | NC | 0 | |
| 1991 Formula One season | Modena (racing team) | Lamborghini | 1991 United States Grand Prix 7 | 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix DNPQ | 1991 San Marino Grand Prix DNPQ | 1991 Monaco Grand Prix DNPQ | 1991 Canadian Grand Prix DNPQ | 1991 Mexican Grand Prix DNPQ | 1991 French Grand Prix DNPQ | 1991 British Grand Prix DNPQ | 1991 German Grand Prix Ret | 1991 Hungarian Grand Prix 16 | 1991 Belgian Grand Prix DNQ | 1991 Italian Grand Prix 16 | 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix DNQ | 1991 Spanish Grand Prix DNQ | 1991 Japanese Grand Prix DNQ | 1991 Australian Grand Prix Ret | NC | 0 | |
| 1992 Formula One season | Ferrari | Ferrari | 1992 South African Grand Prix | 1992 Mexican Grand Prix | 1992 Brazilian Grand Prix | 1992 Spanish Grand Prix | 1992 San Marino Grand Prix | 1992 Monaco Grand Prix | 1992 Canadian Grand Prix | 1992 French Grand Prix | 1992 British Grand Prix | 1992 German Grand Prix | 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix | 1992 Belgian Grand Prix | 1992 Italian Grand Prix | 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix | 1992 Japanese Grand Prix 12 | 1992 Australian Grand Prix 11 | NC | 0 | |
| 1994 Formula One season | Ferrari | Ferrari | 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix | 1994 Pacific Grand Prix Ret | 1994 San Marino Grand Prix 2 | 1994 Monaco Grand Prix | 1994 Spanish Grand Prix | 1994 Canadian Grand Prix | 1994 French Grand Prix | 1994 British Grand Prix | 1994 German Grand Prix | 1994 Hungarian Grand Prix | 1994 Belgian Grand Prix | 1994 Italian Grand Prix | 1994 Portuguese Grand Prix | 1994 European Grand Prix | 1994 Japanese Grand Prix | 1994 Australian Grand Prix | 14th | 6 | |
| 1997 Formula One season | Sauber | Petronas | 1997 Australian Grand Prix 6 | 1997 Brazilian Grand Prix 11 | 1997 Argentine Grand Prix Ret | 1997 San Marino Grand Prix 7 | 1997 Monaco Grand Prix Ret | 1997 Spanish Grand Prix | 1997 Canadian Grand Prix | 1997 French Grand Prix | 1997 British Grand Prix | 1997 German Grand Prix | 1997 Hungarian Grand Prix | 1997 Belgian Grand Prix | 1997 Italian Grand Prix | 1997 Austrian Grand Prix | 1997 Luxembourg Grand Prix | 1997 Japanese Grand Prix | 1997 European Grand Prix | 19th | 1 |
External links
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Franco Forini | Italian Formula Three Championship 1986 | Succeeded by Enrico Bertaggia |
| Preceded by Roberto Ravaglia | Italia Superturismo Championship 1992 | Succeeded by Roberto Ravaglia |
| Preceded by Klaus Ludwig | Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft 1993 | Succeeded by Klaus Ludwig |
