In the second half of the 1987 season, manager John Macdonald, a familiar figure in Formula 1 for having co-owned the RAM team with partner Mike Ralph between the late 1970s and early 1980s, attempted once again to enter the top racing series, this time with the support of the Japanese group Middlebridge. In the following seasons, Middlebridge would pursue further ventures in Formula 1 with Onyx and Brabham. The financial backing came from the Italian fashion brand Trussardi, which, having observed the strong results achieved by Benetton, decided to enter the racing world and use Formula 1 as a promotional platform.
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| Trussardi-Middlebridge B186 Megatron turbo |
With an agreement reached between Macdonald, Middlebridge, and Trussardi, the dream of fielding a team for the 1987 championship began to take shape. The only issue, however, was the lack of a car, a problem that the Italian brand's management sought to solve by negotiating with Benetton to acquire their B186 cars from the recently concluded season, fitted with BMW M12/13 L4 turbo engines. The cars were entrusted to the Middlebridge team, a British outfit backed by the Japanese financial group, which undertook the task of updating them to comply with 1987 regulations. Meanwhile, Trussardi handled the team’s operations, announcing its intention to participate in the final six races of the '87 season with a single car, in preparation for a full commitment in 1988.
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| Trussardi-Middlebridge B186 Megatron turbo |
The car was named the Trussardi-Middlebridge B186, and the drivers chosen for the final part of the 1987 season were Italian Emanuele Pirro, one of the standout performers in the F3000 championship, who would drive in the Grands Prix of Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Mexico, and Japanese driver Aguri Suzuki, who would race in the final rounds in Japan and Australia. Preparations were in full swing for the team’s imminent debut at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, the eleventh race of the 1987 World Championship and a home event for both Trussardi and Pirro. Within the new team, optimism was high: they had secured an excellent car, powered by one of the most potent turbo engines available, prepared this season by Megatron.
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| Trussardi-Middlebridge B186 Megatron turbo |
Once their registration was completed, the team was ready to take its first steps in Formula 1 at Monza, but a cold shower awaited: the FIA rejected the entry. The Trussardi-Middlebridge B186 was technically compliant, but since the early 1980s, a rule had been in place in Formula 1 stating that a team could not field a car previously built and raced by another constructor. This regulation, jointly introduced by Ecclestone and the FIA, was designed to eliminate the so-called "privateers", teams popular in the 1970s that would buy decommissioned cars from more established outfits to enter individual races just for the thrill of attempting to qualify for a Grand Prix. The car submitted by Middlebridge, despite its updates, was clearly a 1986 Benetton, and thus in violation of the rule. The Italian Grand Prix organizers were reportedly inclined to allow the car to race, likely because it was an Italian team, but the FIA was adamant in upholding the rule.
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| Trussardi-Middlebridge B186 Megatron turbo |
The Anglo-Italian team did not give up and tried to enter the car in subsequent races, but was repeatedly denied entry by the stewards for the same reason. The only alternative for the Trussardi-Middlebridge team was to build its own car or collaborate with a chassis specialist. What was clear, however, was that they could not race a car previously fielded by Benetton. At the end of 1987, the team decided to abandon the project, and Trussardi's dream of entering Formula 1, hoping to replicate Benetton’s success with its own team, came to a definitive end.
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