Osella

Osella is an Italian racing car manufacturer and former Formula One team. They participated in 132 Grands Prix between 1980 and 1990. They achieved two points finishes and scored 5 championship points.

For other uses, see Osella (disambiguation).

Osella

Full name	Osella Squadra Corse
Base	Verolengo, Italy[1]
Founder(s)	Enzo Osella
Noted staff	Antonio Tommaini
Noted drivers	Eddie Cheever Piercarlo Ghinzani Jean-Pierre Jarier Jo Gartner Huub Rothengatter Nicola Larini
Next name	Fondmetal
Formula One World Championship career
First entry	1980 Argentine Grand Prix
Races entered	172 (132 starts)
Engines	Ford-Cosworth, Alfa Romeo, Osella
Constructors' Championships	0 (best finish: 12th, 1984)
Drivers' Championships	0 (best finish: 19th, Piercarlo Ghinzani, 1984)
Race victories	0 (best finish: 4th, 1982 San Marino Grand Prix)
Pole positions	0 (best grid position: 8th, 1990 United States Grand Prix)
Fastest laps	0
Final entry	1990 Australian Grand Prix

Early days

Osella placed second in the 1977 World Championship for Sports Cars with the Osella PA5 BMW.

Named after its founder Vincenzo "Enzo" Osella, the team began life by racing Abarth sports cars in local and national races in Italy in the mid-1960s. Though relatively successful (Osella eventually took over the factory Abarth sports car program), Osella expanded into single-seater racing in 1974 to further develop his business. In 1975, the team entered the European Formula Two Championship for the first time, achieving some success with its own car, the BMW-powered Osella FA2.

Osella continued in Formula Two in 1976, but financial problems meant that the team was not competitive and withdrew from the championship before the end of the season. In the following years, the FA2s were occasionally entered by privateers, one of them being the Swiss Charly Kiser.

The late 1970s

Enzo Osella tried to make some money by selling a self-penned Formula Three car, the Osella FA3, with little success. Only a few privateers were optimistic enough to buy the simple, untested machine, which with Toyota or Lancia engines competed in the 1976 German and Italian F3 championships without making any great impression. After this, the team concentrated on running in local sports car events during 1977 and 1978.

Osella returned to the European Formula Two Championship in 1979, with American driver Eddie Cheever racing the well-used FA2, again powered by a BMW engine. The car was good enough to win three races and take Cheever to fourth in the championship. This was enough for Enzo Osella to take the plunge into the cut-and-thrust world of Formula One.

Formula One

Early years

Osella Squadra Corse appeared in the world of Grand Prix racing with its first Formula One machine, the FA1. The car was designed by Giorgio Stirano. Powered by Ford Cosworth DFV, it was overweight and aerodynamically inefficient. The car was presented in a blue and white livery with large Denim branding on the sidepods. Many components were manufactured in-house which meant that they were cheap to produce but not always state-of-the-art. The driver was again Eddie Cheever who was able to finish just one race in whole season. Frequently, he had to suffer from the massive unreliability of his car. In the following seasons, the basic design was changed several times.

In the early years, most of the work was done by interim designers like Giorgio Valentini or Tony Southgate, but frequently Enzo Osella himself also worked on the cars. Most of these attempts brought no improvement as high-tech solutions could not be financed. Jean-Pierre Jarier finished fourth at Imola in 1982 (where only 14 cars started) and scored the first Championship points for the young team in a car that was by now dubbed Osella FA1C.

Despite this result, neither the financial nor the technical situation improved. Few sponsors were attracted by the tiny Italian team. Denim only stayed for the first two seasons, Kelemata was no more reliable, and others like Landis & Gyr vanished as quickly as they had come. Most of the other sponsors were small or mid-size companies from Turin or the region of Piemont.

Driver changes

The Osella FA1D at Bournemouth in 2016.

The lack of funding led to frequent driver changes as the team demanded that their drivers bring significant sponsorship to keep the team afloat. Some drivers started their F1 careers at Osella, such as Alex Caffi and Gabriele Tarquini, while Piercarlo Ghinzani had four stints with the team. Others disappeared as quickly as they had come, such as Allen Berg and Franco Forini. Enzo Osella gave the young Austrian Jo Gartner his one and only chance to drive a Formula One car in 1984. Riccardo Paletti also had high hopes, but was killed in a start-line accident at the 1982 Canadian Grand Prix.

None of these drivers were able to push the team forward. Finally, Osella continued to live hand-to-mouth each year, with little or no improvement in competitiveness.

Alfa Romeo

Alfa-Romeo derived FA1F at the 1984 Dallas Grand Prix, where Ghinzani achieved Osella's second and last points finish.

In the mid-1980s, Osella was the beneficiary of factory Alfa Romeo engines, both in naturally-aspirated (1983–84) and turbo (1984–88) forms. On one hand, the Alfa engine program helped the team to survive the increasingly professional turbo era; on the other hand, the heavy, unreliable and thirsty machines contributed to the team's lack of competitiveness. At least at first, Alfa offered some technical input to the team; the 1984 Osella FA1F was based on the 1983 works Alfa Romeo 183T, which had been loaned to the team for "design assistance" purposes. All the following Osella models up to the FA1L in 1988 had their origins in the initial Alfa design.

The Alfa turbo engine, the 890T, was not reliable. Chargers blew off regularly and power output had to be reduced down to the level of the non-turbo cars just to achieve the necessary reliability. On more than one occasion, Osella tried to replace the 890T with more up-to-date Motori Moderni turbos (which Minardi did not support) or with Cosworth engines. In the end, both were too expensive, so Osella had to stick with the increasingly outdated but cheap 890T.

For 1988 – the last year before turbos were banned – the team re-branded the 890T as the "Osella V8". This came about after Alfa's parent company, Fiat, grew tired of the negative publicity the team had given the 890T and, while allowing them to continue using the engine, refused to allow the Alfa Romeo name to be used.

After driver Nicola Larini managed some impressive times in pre-season testing at Monza, the team were quietly confident of a decent showing through 1988, as many teams had switched to naturally-aspirated engines in preparation for 1989. However, the reality was that the FA1L, with its outdated turbo, was not up to the challenge: Larini often failed to qualify or even pre-qualify, and was also excluded from the San Marino Grand Prix before practice after failing to get through scrutineering due to illegal changes made to the chassis. At the end of the season, Enzo Osella was more than happy to be finally rid of the old Alfa engine.

Cosworth power and Fondmetal

The 1989 season saw much improvement. The all-new, Cosworth DFR-powered Osella FA1M was a big step ahead, and ultra-sticky qualifying tyres from Pirelli brought some success, at least in the qualifying sessions (most notably in the Japanese Grand Prix, where Larini qualified 10th). The fine qualifying performance brought no results in the races; the Osella cars almost never saw the finish line due to several technical failures. The most tragic race was the Canadian Grand Prix in which Larini was third before the FA1M's electrics failed due to water ingress. Piercarlo Ghinzani re-joined the team for 1989 with limited success, often failing to qualify. He announced his retirement at the season ending Australian Grand Prix. While Larini failed to start the very wet race when his electrics were water-logged on the grid, Ghinzani's race and career came to a violent end when a high-speed collision with the Lotus of Nelson Piquet left Ghinzani with an injured ankle.

In 1990, after ten years in Formula One and still without any meaningful sponsorship, Enzo Osella sold shares in his team to metalwork magnate Gabriele Rumi, as part of a sponsorship deal with Rumi's Fondmetal company. During 1990, the team entered a single car for French driver Olivier Grouillard, who gained a reputation in F1 for being a "blocker", holding up faster cars and ignoring his mirrors. At the end of 1990, Rumi took over the remainder of the team and renamed it Fondmetal.

Sportscars

BMW-powered Osella PA20

The involvement of Gabriele Rumi meant the end of Enzo Osella's activities in Formula One. Instead he concentrated on the thing he knew best: sports car racing. During his Formula One years, he never gave up building sports cars; in fact this was one of the few projects that regularly brought work and money to Volpiano, especially in hillclimb races, with Maurpo Nesti many times winner of European and Italian Championship, and many other drivers, with PA9 and PA9/90 models.

A few of those sports cars even found their way to the Can Am series, although without much success. The most prestigious result was during the 1984 Can Am season with a third place in the championship for the 2-litre class; the car was the Osella PA10 driven by Armando Trentini, and was the only two-seater in the championship; the rest of the 2-litre class field comprised single-seater F2 cars with covered wheels.

In the 1990s, Osella moved to Atella in the south of Italy where he built a new ultra-modern facility to produce some very competitive sports cars. Many of them were sold to privateers, while others were entered in several classes by the Osella works team. The works team was particularly successful in hillclimb races. In 1995 for instance works team driver Pasquale Irlando won all 9 races of the European hillclimb championship using the Osella PA18. He won the title in 1997, 1998 and 1999 consecutively. His successor Fabio Danti died in one of Osella's cars when he was competing in the 2000 Championship. Hillclimb stars like Franz Tschager and Martin Krisam continue to use Osella cars.

Nowadays, the factory was transferred back near Turin, in Verolengo and continue activity building sport cars for hill climbing and minor sport race championship.

Racing record

Complete Formula Two results

(key)

Year	Chassis	Engine	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
1974	Osella PA2	BMW		BAR	HOC	PAU	SAL	HOC	MUG	KAR	PER	HOC	VAL
			Arturo Merzario										Ret
1975	Osella FA2 March 742	BMW		EST	THR	HOC	NÜR	PAU	HOC	SAL	ROU	MUG	PER	SIL	ZOL	NOG	VAL
			Giorgio Francia	4	10	5	6	Ret	5	5	DNS		4	9	5	Ret	Ret
			Diulio Truffo	5	6	8	Ret	6	6	Ret		5	5	Ret
			Roberto Filannino												15	Ret	DNQ
			Arturo Merzario											Ret			Ret
1976	Osella FA2	BMW		HOC	THR	VAL	SAL	PAU	HOC	ROU	MUG	PER	EST	NOG	HOC
			Giorgio Francia	DNQ	Ret	11
			Gianfranco Trombetti	Ret	Ret	DNQ
			Arturo Merzario												DNQ
1979	Osella FA2/79	BMW		SIL	HOC	THR	NÜR	VAL	MUG	PAU	HOC	ZAN	PER	MIS	DON
			Eddie Cheever	1	5	Ret	8	Ret	Ret	1	Ret	1	5	6	7

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

Year	Chassis	Engines	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	WCC	Points
1980	FA1	Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G		ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	BEL	MON	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	CAN	USA			NC	0
				Eddie Cheever	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	12	Ret	Ret
1981	FA1B FA1C	Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	M		USW	BRA	ARG	SMR	BEL	MON	ESP	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	CAN	CPL		NC	0
				Miguel Ángel Guerra	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	Ret
				Piercarlo Ghinzani					13	DNQ
				Giorgio Francia							DNQ
				Jean-Pierre Jarier									8	8	10	Ret	9	Ret	Ret
				Beppe Gabbiani	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ
1982	FA1C	Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	P		RSA	BRA	USW	SMR	BEL	MON	DET	CAN	NED	GBR	FRA	GER	AUT	SUI	ITA	CPL	12th	3
				Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ret	9	Ret	4	Ret	DNQ	Ret	Ret	14	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	Ret	Ret	DNS
				Riccardo Paletti	DNQ	DNPQ	DNQ	Ret	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNS	Ret
1983	FA1D	Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	M		BRA	USW	FRA	SMR	MON	BEL	DET	CAN	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	EUR	RSA		NC	0
				Corrado Fabi	Ret	DNQ	Ret	Ret	DNQ	Ret	DNQ	Ret
				Piercarlo Ghinzani	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ
	FA1E	Alfa Romeo 1260 3.0 V12		Corrado Fabi									DNQ	DNQ	10	11	Ret	DNQ	Ret
				Piercarlo Ghinzani				DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	DNQ	Ret	Ret	11	DNQ	Ret	Ret	Ret
1984	FA1F	Alfa Romeo 890T 1.5 V8t	P		BRA	RSA	BEL	SMR	FRA	MON	CAN	DET	DAL	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	EUR	POR	12th	2
				Piercarlo Ghinzani	Ret	DNS	Ret	DNQ	12	7	Ret	Ret	5	9	Ret	Ret	Ret	7	Ret	Ret
				Jo Gartner										Ret	Ret	Ret	12	5^‡	Ret	16
	FA1E	Alfa Romeo 1260 3.0 V12		Jo Gartner				Ret
1985	FA1F FA1G	Alfa Romeo 890T 1.5 V8t	P		BRA	POR	SMR	MON	CAN	DET	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	BEL	EUR	RSA	AUS	NC	0
				Piercarlo Ghinzani	12	9	NC	DNQ	Ret	Ret	15	Ret
				Huub Rothengatter									Ret	9	NC	Ret	NC	DNQ	Ret	7
1986	FA1G FA1F FA1H	Alfa Romeo 890T 1.5 V8t	P		BRA	ESP	SMR	MON	BEL	CAN	DET	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	AUT	ITA	POR	MEX	AUS	NC	0
				Piercarlo Ghinzani	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	11	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret
				Christian Danner	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	Ret	Ret
				Allen Berg							Ret	Ret	Ret	12	Ret	Ret		13	16	NC
				Alex Caffi													NC
1987	FA1I	Alfa Romeo 890T 1.5 V8t	G		BRA	SMR	BEL	MON	DET	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	AUT	ITA	POR	ESP	MEX	JPN	AUS	NC	0
				Alex Caffi	Ret	12	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	Ret	Ret	DNQ
				Gabriele Tarquini		Ret
				Franco Forini											Ret	Ret	DNQ
1988	FA1I FA1L	Osella 890T 1.5 V8t	G		BRA	SMR	MON	MEX	CAN	DET	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	ESP	JPN	AUS	NC	0
				Nicola Larini	DNQ	EX	9	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	Ret	19	Ret	DNPQ	Ret	Ret	12	Ret	Ret	DNPQ
1989	FA1M	Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8	P		BRA	SMR	MON	MEX	USA	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	ESP	JPN	AUS	NC	0
				Nicola Larini	DSQ	12	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	Ret	DNPQ	Ret	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	Ret	DNPQ	Ret	Ret	Ret
				Piercarlo Ghinzani	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	Ret	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	Ret	DNPQ	Ret
1990	FA1M-E	Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8	P		USA	BRA	SMR	MON	CAN	MEX	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	ESP	JPN	AUS	NC	0
				Olivier Grouillard	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	13	19	DNPQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNPQ	16	Ret	DNQ	Ret	DNQ	13

^‡ Not eligible for points.

Notes

1. originally (70s-80's) in Volpiano, Italy. After, until 2009 Atella, Italy

References

• Official Osella site https://www.osella.it/wrp/en/# Accessed 9 April 2020 (in English)
• Osella book - Enzo Osella (Italian) Hardcover ISBN 978-8882299217, English version ISBN 8882299279
• Osella results at Motor Sport Magazine https://database.motorsportmagazine.com/database/teams/osella Accessed 9 April 2020
• Official Formula One site: Archives 1980 – 1990 https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1980/races.html Accessed 9 April 2020