When a very small team like Osella Squadra Corse wants to continue its adventure in Formula 1, it has to get used to wasting nothing. Especially when money is tight, every opportunity to save even a little cannot be missed. Thus, ahead of the 1983 World Championship and while awaiting the development of the new car powered by the Alfa Romeo engine, Enzo Osella decided to tackle the new season with the FA1D, a merely updated version of the 1982 car.
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| OSELLA FA1D, Corrado Fabi Montréal, Canadian GP 1983 |
The two official drivers, Italians Piercarlo Ghinzani and Corrado Fabi, were entrusted with a revised version of the old FA1, originally conceived in late 1981 by Giorgio Valentini and developed in 1982 by Hervé Guilpin. The update for the 1983 regulatory changes was this time assigned to an external engineer, Tony Southgate. The British designer, who had previously worked on Formula 1 cars for Lola, BRM, and more recently for Shadow, Lotus, Arrows, and Theodore, worked from his workshop in Coventry, UK, mainly to redesign the front section and suspension of the old FA1, as well as improve the aerodynamics to comply with the new flat-floor regulations introduced by the Federation.
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| OSELLA FA1D, Corrado Fabi Jacarepaguà, Brazilian GP 1983 |
Southgate’s work also involved the chassis, which was now made with aluminum honeycomb panels, a step forward compared to the usual Avional tube frames with riveted aluminum panels typically used on previous Osella cars. Despite the new construction technique, the chassis remained “old-style” and already outdated due to the advent of carbon fiber.
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| OSELLA FA1D, Corrado Fabi Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1983 |
The FA1D was equipped with the classic naturally aspirated Ford-Cosworth DFV V8 engine, which had also become obsolete with the rise of turbo engines, coupled with a Hewland FGA 6-speed gearbox. The suspension system had moved on from rocker arms to a more modern setup with double wishbones and pull-rod actuators. The new aerodynamic package, especially at the front, gave the car a softer and sleeker appearance.
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| OSELLA FA1D, Corrado Fabi Spa-Francorschamps, Belgian GP 1983 |
However, the results remained highly disappointing, given the evolution of turbo engines. On the rare occasions when the two drivers managed to qualify, they never saw the checkered flag. The FA1D was used by Fabi until the Canadian Grand Prix, the eighth race of the season, while Ghinzani only used it in the first three races before switching to the more competitive FA1E.
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