For passion, courage, tenacity, and love for racing, the story of Enzo Osella closely resembles that of another Enzo, born in Maranello several decades earlier. The way he built a successful and thriving company from scratch—transitioning from driver to team manager and eventually to constructor—firmly places Osella in the history of Italian motorsport.His passion for cars started at a very young age, leading him first to a racing career and then, thanks to his friendship with Carlo Abarth, to becoming a team manager in the mid-1960s, leading the official team of the Scorpion brand. When Abarth sold his business to Fiat, Osella acquired all of Abarth's equipment and founded Scuderia Osella, headquartered in Volpiano, near Turin.
 |
| OSELLA FA1, Eddie Cheever Zandvoort, Dutch GP 1980 |
Thus began a long history of success in prototype racing and hill climb competitions with the "Osella PA" sports cars. The transition to single-seaters was the next step, starting with Formula 3 and later moving to Formula 2 with the "FA2," designed by Antonio Tomaini in 1974. In 1977, Osella finished second in the World Championship for Makes with the "PA5," driven by Giorgio Francia, Lella Lombardi, and Gianfranco Palazzoli, who would later become the team manager for Osella's Formula 1 squad.
 |
| OSELLA FA1, Eddie Cheever Buenos Aires, Argentinian GP 1980 |
In 1979, when young American driver Eddie Cheever won three Formula 2 races with the "FA2B," Enzo Osella decided it was time to make the big leap into Formula 1. Thus, in 1980, the extraordinary story of the small Osella team in the top-tier category began, battling against major manufacturers with enormous budgets in an era that still left room for creativity and passion. The Osella FA1 was the first single-seater brought to the track by Osella Squadra Corse for the 1980 championship—a rather unconventional wing car with a somewhat old-school mechanical base: a steel tube chassis covered with aluminum panels and rocker arm suspension. As for the engine and gearbox, the choice was practically mandatory, adopting the Ford-Cosworth DFV V8 and the Hewland FGA 400.
 |
| OSELLA FA1, Eddie Cheever Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1980 |
The key figures of this new adventure in the top category were the same ones who had achieved success in Formula 2 for the Turin-based team: owner Enzo Osella, designer and technical director Giorgio Stirano, team manager Gianfranco Palazzoli, and driver Eddie Cheever. However, the beginning of Osella's Formula 1 adventure was far from easy, with a heavy and fragile car that suffered from repeated overheating problems, making it highly unreliable.
 |
| OSELLA FA1, Eddie Cheever Österreichring, Austrian GP 1980 |
On the rare occasions when Cheever managed to qualify, he never reached the finish line, always retiring early. At Imola, in the only Italian Grand Prix not held in Monza, Cheever was classified twelfth despite retiring three laps before the end. An updated version of the chassis was introduced for this race, featuring a lighter, reinforced frame and a new front suspension. This car was registered as the "FA1B," although visually, it still resembled the two previous chassis more than the FA1B models that would appear in 1981.
Comments
Post a Comment