COLONI C4 Ford-Cosworth DFR

   The disappointing trajectory of the tiny Coloni team, which began in 1987 when Enzo Coloni entered Formula 1 with a very rudimentary single-seater derived from a Formula 3 car, came to an end in 1991. That year, the team was still using the C3, a car originally designed for the 1990 season by Christian Vanderpleyn. The eccentric Enzo Coloni, managing to enter his own car in the 1991 Formula 1 World Championship on an almost laughable budget, reached his peak that same year when he entrusted the 1990 C3 to engineering students at the University of Perugia for development.

COLONI C4, Pedro Chaves
Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1991

   Naturally, the updates to the new C4 were minimal, focusing only on marginal elements like taller, boxier sidepods and a larger air intake to allow greater airflow to the engine. After the disastrous experience with the Subaru V12 Boxer engine in the first part of the 1990 season, Coloni had returned to the more traditional Ford-Cosworth DFR V8. This same engine was used again in 1991, this time prepared by Langford & Peck. Unfortunately for Coloni, this version of the Ford-Cosworth DFR proved even less powerful than the standard customer version and was replaced mid-season with units prepared by Hart, resulting in a significant power increase.

COLONI C4, Pedro Chaves
Interlagos, Brazilian GP 1991

   Even this improvement wasn’t enough to make the car competitive, due also to the underwhelming performance of Portuguese driver Pedro Chaves, the team's sole driver in 1991. After an unsuccessful attempt to hire veteran Andrea de Cesaris, who was instead signed by Jordan and would have brought along significant sponsorship money from Marlboro, Coloni had to settle for rookie Chaves, winner of the 1990 British Formula 3000 Championship but with no international experience. Driving an outdated, fragile, and difficult-to-handle car, Chaves faced an endless series of eliminations during Friday pre-qualifying sessions.

COLONI C4, Pedro Chaves
Phoenix, United States GP 1991

   After racing in Portugal in front of his home crowd, Chaves left the small Italian team, frustrated by the dismal results and the fact that only 10% of his agreed salary had been paid. During the summer of 1991, Enzo Coloni made a desperate attempt to approach Lamborghini for a merger between the two teams, but the effort came to nothing. Unable to afford another driver, Coloni skipped the next race at the Montmeló circuit in Spain. Enzo Coloni’s only remaining option was to sell the car and all team assets, which were acquired by Andrea Sassetti, an Italian fashion entrepreneur. To finish the season, the team kept the Coloni Racing name, and for the final two rounds in Japan and Australia, Japanese driver Naoki Hattori was hired. He was financially supported by minor Japanese sponsors whose logos appeared on the C4’s livery. Hattori had only Japanese Formula 3 experience and a few endurance races in Europe under his belt, driving a Nissan Skyline GT-R. His lack of competitiveness was immediately evident at his debut in Japan, where he posted a time nearly 20 seconds slower than the last qualifier.

COLONI C4, Naoki Hattori
Adelaide, Australian GP 1991

   Things improved only slightly in Australia, where he was still more than 5 seconds off the pace. At the end of the season, the Coloni team finished with 0 points and a dismal eighteenth and last place in the standings. The C4’s career continued into 1992, when Sassetti entered it in the new season under the banner of the Andrea Moda team.