In 1961, Gabriele Rumi, a Brescia native and motor enthusiast, took over his father's well-established foundry, which produced automotive components for companies such as Maserati, Iveco, Fiat, OM, and Magneti Marelli. Thanks to the success of his work, Rumi could afford the luxury of competing in hill climb races and Formula Monza, both very popular in the 1960s. Following the oil crisis of the 1970s and a drop in orders from car manufacturers, Rumi made the bold decision to launch his own product line. Thus, in 1972, the Fondmetal brand was born, which over the years established itself as a leader in the design and production of light alloy wheels for sports cars. In 1983, Fondmetal made its first appearance in Formula 1 as the personal sponsor of Italian driver Piercarlo Ghinzani, and in the following years became a wheel supplier for prestigious teams such as Williams, Tyrrell, and Ligier, as well as the main sponsor for the small Turin-based team of Enzo Osella.
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| FONDMETAL FOMET 1, Olivier Grouillard Hungaroring, Hungarian GP 1991 |
From 1990, Rumi became the majority shareholder of the Osella team and took over full ownership in 1991, renaming it Fondmetal Corse. The historical headquarters in Volpiano, near Turin, was abandoned, and all operations were moved to the Fondmetal facilities in Bergamo. These changes inevitably delayed the development of the new single-seater, which was commissioned to a British atelier (Fomet) led by Robin Herd, a historic figure from March Engineering. This was common practice in the 1980s and 1990s, when British engineers were considered the best in motorsports. Fomet, founded by Herd and Rumi, was based in Bicester, UK, and included engineers such as Tim Holloway, another former March designer, and Tino Belli, who assumed the role of chief designer.
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| FONDMETAL FOMET 1, Olivier Grouillard Magny Cours, French GP 1991 |
At the start of the 1991 season, the new car was not yet ready, so the team had to compete in the first two races with the old FA1ME, a former Osella model now in its third racing season, driven by Frenchman Olivier Grouillard, who had also raced for Osella in 1990. The new Fondmetal Fomet 1 made its debut at the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, the first car entirely developed by the Fondmetal team, designed by Belli and Holloway and later updated during the season under the care of Richard Divila. The car had a very simple design, incorporating some elements from the FA1ME but featuring a completely revised aerodynamics package, a narrower chassis, and an extended wheelbase that made the Fomet 1 sleeker and cleaner-looking than its predecessor. The suspension was very traditional, using push rods both front and rear. The car was powered by a Ford-Cosworth DFR V8 engine prepared by Brian Hart, used successfully by Tyrrell the previous season, paired with a six-speed transverse gearbox developed by Fondmetal based on a Hewland unit.
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| FONDMETAL FOMET 1, Olivier Grouillard Monza, Italian GP 1991 |
Despite the efforts made by the British Fomet atelier in designing the new single-seater, the car differed little from the F1ME, replicating its very poor performance. Unsurprisingly, Grouillard failed to qualify for eight of the first ten races of the season. Finally, at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, the Fomet 1 crossed the finish line in tenth place, one lap down and last among the finishers. After retiring at the Italian Grand Prix and failing to qualify again in Portugal, Grouillard was dismissed and replaced by Italian driver Gabriele Tarquini, who drove the car in the last three races but was unable to improve the poor performance and difficult situation of the underwhelming Fomet 1.
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| FONDMETAL FOMET 1, Gabriele Tarquini Barcelona-Catalunya, GP di Spagna 1991 |
Thus, Fondmetal's first year ended in complete disappointment, with the car qualifying for only six out of 14 races. Of the eight failed qualifications, the Fomet 1 was eliminated during Friday pre-qualifying in seven of them. In the six races it did start, only three were completed, with none finishing in the points.
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