Scuderia Coloni

Coloni Motorsport—also widely known as Scuderia Coloni—was one of Formula One’s most persistent underdog outfits. Founded in 1983 by former racer Enzo Coloni, the team built its reputation the hard way: through determination, improvisation, and a willingness to keep going even when the odds were firmly stacked against it.

Coloni began life in Formula Three, competing from 1983 to 1986, before stepping up to Formula One in 1987 under the banner “Enzo Coloni Racing Car Systems.” Over five seasons at the sport’s top level, the team attempted to qualify for 82 Grands Prix—but made the grid just 14 times, a statistic that perfectly captures both their ambition and their struggles.

After leaving Formula One, the story didn’t end. Under the leadership of Enzo’s son, Paolo Coloni, the team reinvented itself and found genuine success in junior categories such as Formula Three, Formula 3000, and GP2. Between 2006 and 2009, it even rebranded as Fisichella Motor Sport, backed by Formula One driver Giancarlo Fisichella and his manager Enrico Zanarini.

Formula One

1987 Season

Coloni’s Formula One debut came at the 1987 Italian Grand Prix. It was a modest start: the team failed to qualify.

Their first car, the FC187, was a bright yellow machine powered by a Novamotor-prepared Cosworth DFZ engine and designed by Roberto Ori, a former Dallara apprentice. Enzo Coloni himself handled the initial shakedown runs, while Nicola Larini was signed as the team’s sole driver.

Progress came quickly, at least on paper. Larini secured Coloni’s first race start at the 1987 Spanish Grand Prix—though mechanical trouble ended his race prematurely. That would be the team’s only appearance of the season; they skipped the overseas rounds and finished last in the Constructors’ Championship, the only team without a classified finish.

1988 Season

The 1988 season marked Coloni’s first full campaign—and, briefly, things looked promising.

The FC188 was little more than an evolution of the previous car, but new driver Gabriele Tarquini extracted solid performances from it. He qualified regularly and achieved the team’s best-ever result: 8th place at the 1988 Canadian Grand Prix.

But the early momentum faded. With limited funding, development stalled. As rival teams improved, Coloni slipped backwards. By season’s end, even qualifying became uncertain, and the team finished 15th—again without scoring points, though ahead of several struggling rivals.

1989 Season

In 1989, Coloni expanded to a two-car operation, fielding Roberto Moreno alongside French rookie Pierre-Henri Raphanel.

The updated FC188B was still rooted in the original 1987 design—and it showed. The cars were notoriously difficult to handle and roughly 20 km/h slower than the competition. Still, both drivers managed to qualify for the 1989 Monaco Grand Prix, a rare highlight.

A new car, the Coloni C3, arrived at the 1989 Canadian Grand Prix, designed by Christian Vanderpleyn. It was fundamentally sound, but the team lacked the testing resources to unlock its potential. Setup issues plagued performance, and results remained elusive.

Moreno managed three race qualifications that season—in Canada, Britain, and Portugal. His best grid position came at the 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix, where he started 15th after a front-wing upgrade. Unfortunately, his race ended early following a collision with Eddie Cheever and an engine failure soon after.

As results dried up, the team shrank. Vanderpleyn departed, Enzo Coloni took over engineering duties himself, and Raphanel was replaced late in the season by Enrico Bertaggia. Nothing changed the outcome: Coloni finished joint last in the standings, and Portugal marked their final race qualification for years.

1990 Season

In 1990, Coloni made a bold—and ultimately disastrous—move. A partnership with Subaru (part of Fuji Heavy Industries) saw the Japanese manufacturer take a 51% stake in the team and introduce a new flat-12 engine designed by Carlo Chiti.

On paper, it sounded transformative. In reality, it was chaos.

The engine produced barely 500 bhp and was hastily fitted into the existing C3 chassis. The car was literally assembled for the first time in the Phoenix paddock, with initial testing carried out in a supermarket parking lot. It lacked an airbox, carried bulky sidepods, and weighed around 140 kg more than its rivals.

Driven by Bertrand Gachot, the car never made it past pre-qualifying all season. Despite its flaws, Gachot later described it as “the most fun” car he drove in Formula One—a rare positive in an otherwise bleak campaign.

Subaru soon lost patience. By May, Enzo Coloni was removed from his leadership role, and shortly afterwards, the manufacturer exited entirely—returning the team to Coloni debt-free, but without engines or sponsors.

Switching to Ford-Cosworth engines mid-season brought minor improvements with the updated C3C, but not enough. The team ended 1990 without qualifying for a single race.

1991 Season

Coloni’s last Formula One season in 1991 was its most stripped-back. The entire operation consisted of just six people, and the team ran only one car—a rarity even by the standards of the time.

The car, now called the C4, was essentially a heavily reworked version of the ageing 1989 chassis, with input from students at the University of Perugia.

Originally, Coloni hoped to sign Andrea de Cesaris, but he instead joined Jordan Grand Prix. The seat went to Portuguese driver Pedro Chaves, fresh off a British Formula 3000 title.

It was an impossible task. The car was outdated, fragile, and difficult to drive, and Chaves struggled on unfamiliar circuits. He failed to pre-qualify at every attempt and left the team after the 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix.

Coloni couldn’t find a replacement immediately, leaving the team absent for the next race. For the final two rounds, Japanese driver Naoki Hattori stepped in—but the results didn’t improve.

At the end of the season, Enzo Coloni sold the team to Andrea Sassetti. Under its new ownership, it would return in 1992 under a new—and ultimately infamous—name: Andrea Moda Formula.

Coloni Formula One World Championship Records

First entry	1987 Italian Grand Prix
Races entered	65 (13 starts)
Engines	Ford Cosworth (1987–1991) Subaru (1990)
Constructors’ Championships	0
Drivers’ Championships	0
Race victories	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
Final entry	1991 Australian Grand Prix

Coloni Formula Constructors’ Championship Results

Year	Chassis	Engines	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Points	WCC
1987	FC187	Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5 V8	G		BRA	SMR	BEL	MON	DET	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	AUT	ITA	POR	ESP	MEX	JPN	AUS	0	NC
				Nicola Larini											DNQ		Ret
1988	FC188 FC188B	Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5 V8	G		BRA	SMR	MON	MEX	CAN	DET	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	ESP	JPN	AUS	0	NC
				Gabriele Tarquini	Ret	Ret	Ret	14	8	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	13	Ret	DNQ	11	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNQ
1989	FC188B C3	Ford Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8	P		BRA	SMR	MON	MEX	USA	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	ESP	JPN	AUS	0	NC
				Roberto Moreno	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	DNQ	Ret	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	Ret	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ
				Pierre-Henri Raphanel	DNPQ	DNPQ	Ret	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ
				Enrico Bertaggia											DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ
1990	C3B	Subaru 1235 3.5 F12	G		USA	BRA	SMR	MON	CAN	MEX	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	ESP	JPN	AUS	0	NC
				Bertrand Gachot	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ
	C3C	Ford Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8		Bertrand Gachot									DNPQ	DNPQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ
1991	C4	Ford Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8	G		USA	BRA	SMR	MON	CAN	MEX	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	ESP	JPN	AUS	0	NC
				Pedro Chaves	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ
				Naoki Hattori															DNPQ	DNPQ