Ivan Capelli

Ivan Franco Capelli is an Italian former racing driver and broadcaster who competed in Formula One between 1985 and 1993. A standout talent in the junior ranks, Capelli rose quickly through the sport, later becoming a Grand Prix podium finisher before transitioning into a long career in television.

Driver Bio

Nationality	Italian
Birthplace	Milan, Italy
Born	24 May 1963
First Grand Prix	1985 European Grand Prix
Last Grand Prix	1993 Brazilian Grand Prix
Years Active	1985–1993
Current/Last Team	Jordan

Early life and rise through the ranks

Born and raised in Milan, Capelli discovered motorsport early, beginning karting at the age of 15. His progression through the junior categories was rapid and impressive.

By 1983, he had dominated the Italian Formula Three Championship with nine victories, securing the title in commanding fashion. He followed this by winning the European Formula 3 Championship in 1984 with Coloni, establishing himself as one of Europe’s most promising young drivers.

In 1985, Capelli stepped up to the International Formula 3000, taking a race win with Genoa Racing. Despite an early Formula One debut that same year, he continued in Formula 3000 in 1986 while also competing in touring cars with BMW.

Formula One career

Tyrrell and AGS

Capelli made his Formula One debut with Tyrrell Racing at the 1985 European Grand Prix. He followed that up with an impressive fourth-place finish in Australia—an early sign of his potential.

Despite this, he did not secure a full-time drive for 1986. Instead, he made sporadic appearances with AGS, while his long-time supporter Cesare Gariboldi worked behind the scenes with designer Robin Herd to create a new Formula One project centred around Capelli.

March and Leyton House

Capelli’s full-time Formula One breakthrough came in 1987 with the reborn March Engineering team. Driving a Cosworth-powered car, he scored his first championship point with sixth place at Monaco, helping establish the team as a credible new entrant.

The following year marked the peak of his career. With a car designed by Adrian Newey, Capelli and teammate Maurício Gugelmin drove the innovative March 881 to several standout results. Capelli scored his first podium at Spa and finished second at the Portuguese Grand Prix, narrowly missing victory.

At the Japanese Grand Prix, he even led a race lap—becoming the first non-turbo driver since 1983 to do so—before mechanical failure ended his challenge.

However, financial difficulties saw the team evolve into Leyton House Racing, and results became inconsistent. The 1989 season was particularly tough, though Capelli managed to start every race.

In 1990, there was a brief resurgence. At the French Grand Prix, Capelli led much of the race and finished second after being overtaken late on by Alain Prost—one of the most memorable drives of his career.

The following year brought further instability, including financial turmoil within the team. With his future uncertain, Capelli stepped aside late in the season, even paying his own expenses to continue supporting the team.

Ferrari and final season

In 1992, Capelli achieved a career milestone by joining Scuderia Ferrari, becoming the first Italian driver to hold a regular seat with the team in several years.

Expectations were high, but the F92A proved uncompetitive. Struggling to adapt to Ferrari’s more rigid structure, Capelli found himself overshadowed by teammate Jean Alesi and was released before the end of the season.

He returned briefly in 1993 with Jordan Grand Prix, partnering rising star Rubens Barrichello. However, results did not improve, and after failing to qualify in Brazil, Capelli left Formula One for good.

Across his career, he competed in 98 Grand Prix, achieving three podium finishes.

Life after Formula One

After leaving Formula One, Capelli remained active in motorsport. He raced in touring cars throughout the 1990s, competing in series such as the German Super Tourenwagen Cup and the Spanish Touring Car Championship. He later enjoyed success in GT racing, becoming a race winner in both the Italian GT Championship and the Trofeo Maserati.

From 1998 to 2017, Capelli became a familiar voice to Italian audiences as a commentator and pundit on Rai 1, covering Formula One with insight drawn from his own experience.

Grand Prix Stats

Race Entries	98
Race Starts	93
Did Not Start	2
Best Race Start	3rd
Best Race Finish	2nd
Retirements	67
First-Lap Retirements	2
Not Classified	0
Disqualified	0
Did Not Qualify	3

Podiums

Podiums	3
First Podium	1988 Belgian Grand Prix
Last Podium	1990 French Grand Prix
1st Place	0
2nd Place	2
3rd Place	1
Most Consecutive Podiums	0
Most Podiums in a Single Season	2 (1988)
Seasons with Podiums	2

Qualifying

Qualifying Sessions	98
Reached Q3	0
Q2 Eliminations	0
Q1 Eliminations	0
Did Not Qualify	3

Points

Points Scored	31
Points Finishes	12
Most Points in a Single Season	17 (1988)
Seasons with Points	6

Stats by Season

Year	Constructor	Entries	Starts	Wins	Podiums	Poles	Fastest Laps	Front Rows	DNF	Best Start	Best Result	Pts Finishes	Points	Championship
1985	Tyrrell	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	22	4	1	3	17th
1986	AGS	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	25	—	0	0	NC
1987	March	16	15	0	0	0	0	0	9	18	6	1	1	19th
1988	March	16	15	0	2	0	0	0	6	3	2	6	17	7th
1989	March	16	16	0	0	0	0	0	15	7	11	0	0	NC
1990	Leyton House	16	14	0	1	0	0	0	10	7	2	1	6	10th
1991	Leyton House	14	14	0	0	0	0	0	12	8	6	1	1	18th
1992	Ferrari	14	14	0	0	0	0	0	11	5	5	2	3	12th
1993	Jordan	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	18	—	0	0	NC

Stats by Constructor

Constructor	Years	Entries	Starts	Wins	Podiums	Poles	Fastest Laps	Front Rows	DNF	Best Start	Best Result	Pts Finishes	Points
Tyrrell	1985	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	22	4	1	3
AGS	1986	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	25	—	0	0
March	1987–1989	48	46	0	2	0	0	0	30	3	2	7	18
Leyton House	1990–1991	30	28	0	1	0	0	0	22	7	2	2	7
Ferrari	1992	14	14	0	0	0	0	0	11	5	5	2	3
Jordan	1993	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	18	—	0	0

Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head

Teammate	Years	Races	Qualifying H2H
Martin Brundle	1985	2	0-2
Mauricio Gugelmin	1988, 1991	62	39-23
Jean Alesi	1992	14	1-13
Rubens Barrichello	1993	2	0-2