The good old 1990s, perhaps the period the sport we loved thrived on its maximum. A lot of companies and people with too much money were looking to invest in a team. There were also shady constructions like Shannon that derailed Forti towards their early retirement. However, there were also serious attempts from companies and teams active in lower series. One of these attempts came from the Japanese Tetsu Ikuzawa,
Originally, Pacific Racing, later known as Pacific Grand Prix, planned their debut in the Formula One in 1993. Michael Bartels was the driver for the team and they came this far as a seat fitting. Even sooner, the dream shattered and their debut would be put on-hold for another year. In 1994 the team made it’s debut in the Formula One. They did not have a main sponsor. However, it
Barbara Behlau made it happen that Roland Ratzenberger made his debut in the Formula One in 1994 with Simtek. After Ratzenberger’s horrific dead in Imola, Barbara was impressed how the team kept the spirit for Ratzenberger alive within the team. This was one of the reasons she purchased 30% of the stakes in the team. Only a year later during the Monaco Grand Prix she became the true saviour of
It’s 28 years ago that we lost Ronald Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna in Imola. However, many seem to forget that May 1994 was a horrible month for the autosport, more terrible accidents happened. It would change the autosport and especially the Formula one permanently. The focus would shift mostly towards new safety measures to be taken. Let me take you back for a couple of minutes into a period that
Lola MasterCard debuted in 1997 on the grid with the Lola T97/30 badly designed because of a time pressure from MasterCard. As their original plan was to debut in 1998 assumable with their own Lola V10 engine. In 1994, they appeared with the Lola T95/30 on Silverstone where Allan McNish tested the car with no engine cover. However, did you know that the T95/30 would actually be the Lola T94/30?
You can’t imagine it now though there was a time a lot of drivers tested in the Formula One. Or teams tested in between races to test new aerodynamics or new engines. Or just to cash extra money by letting unknown drivers, who will never arrive, experience the Formula 1.As many of these drivers are long forgotten, and there isn’t a real overview of the test drivers, its all bits
In 1993, an article was published, assumable in Auto Motor und Sport, regarding an All German Formula 1 team. The car seen on the drawing has been appointed as the MiG 194. The interesting part of the car is the fact it is all German. Only German manufacturers were names in the article. Interesting to see is the name of Michael Schumacher on the car, as well the Audi V10
Nearly five years ago i published one of my first articles on unracedf1.com. The last twenty-Five years of Team Lotus Part 1. There are multiple reasons why it never came to a part two in those years. However, this article can be seen as Part 2. After the team went into bankruptcy the team was rumoured a couple of time to return to the paddock. Eventually the team made it’s
2005 was the last year that privateers, the small teams, appeared on the grid. Minardi was the last team of an era were many tried their luck in the Formula One. Due the coming ban on turbo engines in 1989 and the restrictions, it was financially attractive for teams to try their luck. Most of them failed to even complete two season, some only did a few races before they
One of the victims from a turbulent 1994 F1 season was Team Lotus, who finally succumbed to their financial struggles during the year. Like Brabham two years earlier, a once-great name would vanish from F1. Lotus was Jim Clark, Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi and Ayrton Senna first top team in F1, in the case of the former two…their legacies were associated with Ketteringham Hall. The upcoming 1983-1989 print book charts
