Every now and then, you uncover some complete new information about teams or drivers. This happened to me when I was doing some side research about the Forti Corse team. In a magazine, a small note with a small photo was published stating, “Gianluca Paglicci tested for Forti Corse”. This was in 1995, I never heard of this test while I knew Paglicci’s name from the Marlboro Masters in 1996 where he raced for the infamous Shannon Racing Team. It was time to seek contact with Gianluca and hear about his career and of course, how he ended up with a test for Forti Corse. Trust me, you will love this story!
It took me a bit to get in contact with Gianluca, after some research I found out he works at the Paglicci Group where he joined his father in the 2000s in the management role. After using the contact form in the website, I got a reply back from Gianluca himself. A special thanks to Gianni who helped with translating the questions and helped with the communication.
Gianluca Paglicci is one of the many Italian drivers that appeared in the late 80s and early 90s in the Formula 3 and International Formula 3000. Born in Arezzo in 1971 Gianluca told me that his career started at the age of 12 when his parents took him one evening to an amusement park. There they told him to try the removable oval-shaped track, which happened to have two parabolic curves. It seems that his father saw he enjoyed it a lot therefore; he got him 100cc kart just a week later. There Gianluca Paglicci’s career started in karting locally in many Italian villages between hay balers to delimit the track from possible impacts.
In 1989, he managed to win the European Championship in the 125cc International Premier Class in Olomouc in former Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic. In 1990, he appeared with a Kali in the 20° Torneo delle Industrie – 125 Internaz. 1990 Championship.Where he finished second behind Donato Cicconetti. Results can be found here. The same year he appeared also in the FIA World Championship – Formula C 1990 where he appeared also with the Kali. He finished the series in third place in the standings.
The move to the Single-seaters was made for 1991 when he made his debut in the Italian Formula 3 with Forti Corse in a Dallara 391. Forti Corse together with Coloni are the two teams that kept on coming back during his career. Via Forti Corse, Piemme Motorsport and Scuderia Escolette he signed a deal with Coloni to drive for them in the Italian Formula 3 in 1994. It was a good move, during the weekend at Magione, this circuit is also linked with Gianluca, and he won the first race and finished second during the second race. Two more races would be won that year and Gianluca would finish fifth overall. During the Marlboro Masters that year he finished as 20th and 12th during the Monaco Grand Prix.
Gianluca stayed with Coloni in 1995 for another year in the Italian Formula 3. This would become his best season in the series. Winning both race 1 and race 2 during the weekend at Magione, 3rd at Monza and winning at Binetto Autodromo Bari, and some more podiums and two fastest laps would be good enough to finish the season as fourth. While he did not compete during the Marlboro Masters this season, he did start at Monaco during the Formula 3 race. He finished that race as fourth and had the fastest lap during the race. The best part of the 1995 season is yet to be told.
Gianluca remembered that Guido Forti started talking with him for an eventual seat in the Formula One for the 1996 Season. In 1991, he drove for the team in the Italian Formula 3 Championship and since then their friendship grown and kept in contact with each other. This eventually resulted in a call from the team with the question if he was willing to test for the team.
The test happened with the Forti FG01 at Magione in late 1995 where Gianluca completed 20 laps with the car, he recalled the engineers and team members were enthusiastic after he came out of the cockpit. This was around the same time as Jarosław Wierczuk tested for the Forti team.
It was a dream coming true, an unreal moment to be in a Formula One car. The adaptation of your eyes when the car reaches 300km/h, the blurriness, the force while breaking. It felt like travelling through time inside the cockpit of the Forti. While pushed in the seat because of the G forces. In those days, teams like Forti did not have traction control; Forti still had a poke in the car at that point. The difficult was switching gear without letting the car spin.
However, Gianluca told me as well that there was more than just the Forti test in 1995. During that season, he also spoke with Luca di Montezemolo at that time the President at Ferrari. The talks were about to become a test driver for the team. The teams told him that he could become their test driver for a fifth of the budget usually asked for. However, Gianluca thanked for the offer. As he told me, he believed at that time he would not pay to appear in the Formula One. Looking back at it, he regret it, a year as test driver in 1996 could always be a step to reach more. There were also talks with McLaren, Williams and Sauber at that time.
For 1996, Gianluca made the move to the French Formula 3 season with Shannon Racing from the mysterious Ben Gartz. In 1996, Shannon Racing appeared in the international Formula 3000, and in the Italian and French Formula 3. Gianluca explained me that Shannon Racing choose from several nations the best drivers and let them drive without paying a single penny. The team appeared that year with the Dallara-Opel 396. In his first race, he finished ninth. During the races at Dijon and Val de Vienne he finished second. While finishing twice at the podium his best race would be the next one during the Marlboro Masters. He qualified for the race as 20th. After an amazing race, he finished as fifth. It would be the last race of the season.
A bit of background information. Shannon Racing became the saviour of the Forti Corse team during the 1996 season. The team had financial struggles as Pedro Diniz had left for Ligier in 1996.Therefore taking all his sponsors with him. Which left Forti Corse without money. Shannon, via FinFirst, offered the lifeline for the team, became their sponsor, and eventually took the team over. However, not a single penny was paid.
Shannon Racing stopped existing after the debacle with Forti Corse. This meant as well that Gianluca’s season was over. He told me that Ben Gartz told him in early 1996 already that his seat would be secured for 1997 via sponsor Sokol. All the activities from the team were halted and many drivers stranded after Ben Gartz disappeared. Gianluca told me that it was a shame the team stopped in the French Formula 3. His team had highly qualified members in the paddock, as well their relation with engine engineering Ludwig was perfect.
For 1997 the focus shifted to the family company, his father started the jewellery company Gimar in the 1960s. At the time Gianluca drove for Shannon Racing the family Gruppo Paglicci had become a big company with several brands in their portfolio. While the focus was on the family business, around the summer of 1997, Gianluca’s name appeared again on the surface.
His name was linked with HMS-Hoffmann Team who were active in the International Formula 3000 championship. It was said he would race for the team at Silverstone. However, due to sponsorship issues the team was unable to appear at the start, the next race the team seemed not to have ordered cars from Lola.
The team tried to lease one of the cars from newcomer DKS Racing for Gianluca. They couldn’t materialise the deal and therefore Gianluca was without a seat. However, later in the season Nordic Racing asked him to test their car at Donington to replace one of their drivers. The team was impressed after the test and Gianluca would race for the team at Mugello. He would finish the race as 20th; it was also the only start in the season.
In 1998, the focus went fully onto the family business. As Gianluca told me, he could have continued racing, even if the necessary budget was only growing. The opportunity to become a well-paid driver was there, both as an instructor for Alfa Romeo and BMW. While having his father manage the growing company. He could not sacrifice this in favour to perhaps become a well-paid driver and probably lose a lot of money. While there was interest from Japanese racing teams. As well from teams in the IndyCar Championship he stayed with his family. There are enough examples the last two decades of driver who tried to win it all though lost it all.
Yet, in July 1998 Gianluca’s name was linked with Alfa Romeo. The company tested four drivers at Mugello in their 156 Super Tourer. Besides Gianluca also Andrea Boldrini and Andrea Piccini. The reason for this was the fact that Alfa Romeo was gearing up to race per 1999 in the BTCC and the German Super Touring Championship. He also tested for BMW a couple of times.
In 1999, Gianluca would eventually race for the Euroteam (Alfa Romeo) in the German Super Touring Championship. This was a competitive championship though it was the championship’s last year. As per 2000, it became the DTM. Gianluca debuted half way in the season during the race weekend at Nürburgring where he finished 7th and 12th in the races. He finished the championship as 16th with 141 points. It would be the last year he appeared in the Autosport. From 2000 onwards, he fully joined his families company and focused on a more simple life. Enjoying family, friends and motorcycles.
When I asked Gianluca which races were memorable for him. He told me he had the fond memories when he stood on the podium in Monaco next to prince Rainier. As well the races in the Italian Formula 3 and his early days in the karts he has fond memories. To summarise his career in the autosport and his life he had a perfect quote. “For 20 years I lived an amazing life with unique and fantastic moments and emotions. Words can describe the exact feeling. ”
Last words for Gianluca;
I would like to thank my father Mario. For all these life experiences, motors and adrenaline, who dedicated time and financial effort with sacrifices, which nevertheless brought great satisfaction. Without him, i would not have experienced these unique situations, knowledge and experiences.
