Let's start back in 1966 to begin telling the story of the Life team founded by Ernesto Vita. That year, Ferrari engine designer Franco Rocchi, who had previously worked at the Officine Meccaniche Reggiane and gained substantial experience in the military aviation sector, designed and assembled a prototype 16-cylinder radial engine with a “double V” layout, four banks of four cylinders at 60° angles and an aircraft-type crankshaft. Rocchi believed that a W-configuration would offer advantages in terms of weight and dimensions. However, when the engine was bench-tested, it revealed structural weakness in the central cylinder head and, combined with further regulatory restrictions, the project was shelved by Ferrari's management. Toward the end of the 1980s, entrepreneur Ernesto Vita, fascinated by Rocchi’s project, convinced him to sell the rights to the innovative W12 engine designed two decades earlier, with the aim of entering Formula 1 as an engine supplier under the brand Life Racing Engines.
 |
| LIFE F190, Bruno Giacomelli Montréal, Canadian GP 1990 |
This led to the creation of the Life F35 engine, a 3500 cc W12 engine, shorter and lighter than a traditional V12, theoretically allowing for a more compact and agile car compared to those with standard twin-bank engines. The project was unveiled in Milan in 1988 during the Caschi d'Oro awards ceremony, but Vita's enthusiasm was quickly dampened by the widespread indifference of industry insiders, who were skeptical about the project's viability, particularly given that the engine produced only 480 hp on the test bench, compared to 600–700 hp from rival units. Unable to find a buyer for the W12 F35, Vita decided to go it alone and founded his own team for the 1990 season, also named Life (a literal translation of “Vita” in English). He contacted Lamberto Leoni, owner of First Racing, a team that had unsuccessfully attempted to enter Formula 1 in 1989 with its F189 car, which was derived from a Formula 3000 chassis and modified by engineers Gianni Marelli and Richard Divila.
 |
| LIFE F190 details of W12 F35 engine |
Leoni sold Vita the only F189 ever built, which was then modified to accommodate the new W12 engine. The car’s engine cover was reshaped to a more rounded and bulky form. In addition to the standard overhead air intake, auxiliary intakes were added on the sides of the cover, resembling those used by Benetton cars between 1987 and 1989. Installing the new W12 engine onto the First chassis was less complex than expected, thanks to Rocchi's foresight in designing mounting flanges compatible with standard V8 engine and gearbox fittings, anticipating the possibility of supplying the engine to other teams. The W12 F35 was paired with a six-speed Hewland gearbox and Goodyear tires. Ernesto Vita’s creation seemed ready to hit the track.
 |
| LIFE F190, Gary Brabham Interlagos, Brazilian GP 1990 |
On paper, the Life F190 appeared to be one of the most unique and ambitious newcomers in the 1990 Formula 1 season. However, Richard Divila, designer of the First F189 but unaffiliated with the Life F190, expressed serious doubts about the project, publicly warning of the dangers of driving such a car and questioning its performance potential. His dissatisfaction was so strong that he distanced himself from the project and took legal action to prevent his name from being associated with Life any further. The driver chosen for the F1 venture was Australian Gary Brabham, son of World Champion Jack Brabham. Due to the extremely limited budget and lack of spare parts, the F190 completed only a few laps at Italian circuits Vallelunga and Monza before heading to North America for the season opener. At the Phoenix street circuit, the first race of the 1990 championship, the car completed only four laps, repeatedly returning to the pits without ever posting a timed lap. Things went even worse in Brazil, where the car broke down exiting the pits and couldn’t be restarted. Disheartened, Brabham left the team, and Vita was forced to find a replacement, veteran Bruno Giacomelli, who had not competed since 1983. Giacomelli could do little with a car plagued by constant electrical and aerodynamic problems. The F190's top speeds were over 50 km/h slower than even the slowest competitors. The results were catastrophic, with gaps of 10 to 20 seconds per lap compared to other cars. At Monaco, the F190's lap time would not have even qualified it for a Formula 3 race.
 |
| LIFE F190, Bruno Giacomelli Spa-Francorchamps, Belgian GP 1990 |
After the Portuguese Grand Prix, the team abandoned the ambitious W12 project and reverted to a more conventional Judd CV V8 engine, cheaper but equally underperforming. Results did not improve, and after yet another humiliating outing in Spain, 24 seconds off pole and 21 seconds slower than the next-slowest car, Vita decided to withdraw the team from the championship, skipping the final two races. Years later, the only existing F190 was acquired by collector Lorenzo Prandina. Thanks to the efforts of former Life chief mechanic Oliver Piazzi, the car was re-equipped with the original W12 F35 engine. Since 2007, the fully restored single-seater has taken part in several editions of the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK.
Comments
Post a Comment