For the 1990 season, Enzo Coloni reached an agreement with Subaru, which joined the shareholding structure of Coloni SpA by acquiring half of the small Italian team. Subaru Coloni Racing thus became the official team of the Japanese manufacturer in Formula 1. With practically no experience in high-level motorsport, Subaru appointed Motori Moderni, led by engineer Carlo Chiti (known for designing Alfa Romeo's V12 Boxer engines in the '70s and '80s), to act as a “guide” in this new world.
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| COLONI FC189B, Bertrand Gachot Imola, San Marino GP 1990 |
Eager to return to the top racing series with his own power unit, Chiti accepted the task of developing a 180° V12 boxer engine, derived from an existing Subaru engine already used in Japanese supercar single-seaters and a mainstay of Subaru's sports cars in 4- and 6-cylinder versions. Despite the good intentions and commitment of the parties involved, the Subaru 1235 3.5-liter V12 boxer ended up highlighting only the disadvantages of this engine type when used in a Formula 1 car.
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| COLONI FC189B, Bertrand Gachot Interlagos, Brazilian GP 1990 |
The first issue was weight, a crucial factor in a sport like Formula 1. Once fully assembled with all its components, the engine weighed 100 kilograms more than a Ford Cosworth V8. This issue was compounded by the fact that the Subaru boxer engine could not produce more than 550 horsepower, resulting in a deficit of over 100 hp compared to competitors.
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| COLONI FC189B, Bertrand Gachot Interlagos, Brazilian GP 1990 |
But that wasn't all. Another issue arose during the installation in the Coloni FC189B: once the engine was mounted in the car, it became immediately apparent that the 180° V-angle of the cylinder banks required two side air intakes instead of the traditional intake above the driver's head. This solution forced the designer, British engineer Gary Anderson, to install two “periscopes” next to the rear wheels, significantly compromising the car's aerodynamics. Moreover, the width of the engine prevented optimal use of the diffuser, further reducing downforce. The only FC189B, driven on track by French driver Bertrand Gachot, proved to be slow and difficult to handle. After only eight races marked by attempts and failures, Enzo Coloni ended his collaboration with the Japanese manufacturer and with Motori Moderni. The season continued with a return to the old customer-spec Ford-Cosworth V8 from the previous year, as no DFR engines were available. This added insult to injury for the Coloni team, which not only had to “fight” with an underperforming engine but then had to race with a power unit that was at least one year behind in development compared to the competition.
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| COLONI FC189C, Bertrand Gachot Monza, Italian GP 1990 |
The Subaru name disappeared from the team, which also reverted to its classic yellow livery. The team went back to the earlier Ford-Cosworth-powered version of the car, slightly updated to the “C” version, and in the final six races of the season things slightly improved. The FC189C managed to get through pre-qualifying, although it still failed to make it onto the starting grid for Sunday’s race.
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