Before the start of the 1989 championship, despite having a three-year contract, the Coloni team lost its main sponsor, Himont from the Italian chemical group Montedison. This had a significant impact on the finances of the small constructor from Perugia. Enzo Coloni, accustomed to dealing with financial constraints, nonetheless decided to continue his team’s adventure in Formula 1, registering two cars as had been planned the previous year. However, lacking the financial means to proceed with the new FC189 project, commonly referred to as the C3, or even to further develop the FC188B used in the last five races of 1988, the team had no choice but to start the season (up to the fifth round) using the same car with which they had finished the previous championship.
 |
| COLONI FC189, Enrico Bertaggia Estoril, Portuguese GP 1989 |
With the arrival of new sponsors, Coloni SpA was able to breathe a sigh of relief, and the two engineers Christian Vanderpleyn and Michel Costa, who had been tasked with building the new FC189, could continue their work and complete the new carbon fiber and Kevlar monocoque chassis. This car was fitted with the new Ford-Cosworth DFR V8 engine (3494 cc), which was more powerful and higher-performing than the previous DFZ, and made its debut at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit during the Canadian Grand Prix.
 |
| COLONI FC188B, Roberto Moreno Phoenix, United States GP 1989 |
Due to the chronic lack of funds, the new car was inevitably very conventional and lacked any significant technical innovations, although visually it was more appealing, featuring a narrow, curved nose equipped with a refined front wing with dual side elements in the style of Dallara. The sidepods were also sleeker and more tapered towards the rear, but the major difference was the new engine cover, which lost the bulky and unattractive shape of the FC188 and adopted a more streamlined form, with the classic air intake positioned above the driver’s head. Despite high hopes, the FC189 turned out to be worse than its predecessor and one of the slowest single-seaters of 1989 in terms of top speed. Given the limited resources available to the small Italian team, many aspects were overlooked, particularly the study of internal airflow, which resulted in significant aerodynamic drag.
 |
| COLONI FC189, Roberto Moreno Estoril, Portuguese GP 1989 |
The two official drivers for the 1989 season were Brazilian Roberto Moreno, reigning F3000 champion and Ferrari test driver, and young French rookie Pierre-Henri Raphanel, backed by a group of French sponsors. With turbo engines banned from this season onwards, no fewer than 39 cars lined up at the start, meaning that for many small teams, qualifying, not only for the race but even for official practice, became an insurmountable challenge. In the first ten Grands Prix of 1989, Moreno managed to qualify for the Sunday race only three times, while Raphanel did so only once, always retiring during the race.
 |
| COLONI FC189, Roberto Moreno Hungaroring, Hungarian GP 1989 |
In the final six races of the season, a change in technical director, with Gary Anderson replacing Vanderpleyn, and in the second driver, with rookie Italian Enrico Bertaggia taking Raphanel’s place, did not lead to any improvement in results. Out of 12 attempts, the car managed to pass pre-qualifying only once, again with Moreno. Needless to say, Team Coloni SpA ended the season with zero points in the Constructors' Championship, although they did finish ahead of Zakspeed and Eurobrun thanks to the four successful qualifications.
Comments
Post a Comment