In September 1991, Italian shoe entrepreneur Andrea Sassetti, owner of the Andrea Moda brand, decided to invest in motorsport to promote his business, following the successful example of the Benetton textile group. The closure of the Coloni Formula 1 team presented the perfect opportunity for Sassetti, who acquired the team's equipment and part of its staff to create his own racing team, which he named after his company and entered in the 1992 World Championship as Andrea Moda Formula. In preparation for the team's debut, Sassetti struck a deal with Judd to supply GV V10 engines and commissioned Simtek Research, an engineering consultancy founded in 1989 by Max Mosley and Nick Wirth, to design a car. The project was entrusted to French engineer Michel Costa, who had previously worked with Coloni in 1989, while Nick Wirth, serving as technical director, revived some studies that Simtek had conducted in 1990 for a potential, unrealized entry of BMW into Formula 1, adapting them to the 1992 regulations.
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| ANDREA MODA S921, Perry McCarth Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1992 |
The development of the new car took far longer than expected, and the team appeared at the season opener in South Africa with two interim cars. These were hastily assembled by combining the old Coloni C4 chassis with a Dallara-manufactured rear end fitted with the Judd V10 engine. These cars, named Andrea Moda C4B, were entrusted to Italian drivers Alex Caffi and Enrico Bertaggia. After completing only a few laps in Thursday's extra free practice, both cars were disqualified because Sassetti failed to pay the entry fee required for new Formula 1 teams. Sassetti mistakenly believed he was exempt, assuming he had "inherited" Coloni’s rights. At the second race in Mexico, delays in shipping materials from Europe, likely due to missed payments, prevented the mechanics from assembling the car, which never even left the garage. Following these two unfortunate incidents, growing internal tensions led to the dismissal of both drivers for making “inappropriate” remarks. They were replaced by Brazilian Roberto Moreno and English rookie Perry McCarthy. Finally, at the Brazilian Grand Prix in early April, Andrea Moda Formula managed to show up with a complete lineup and the new car ready to debut.
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| ANDREA MODA S921, Roberto Moreno Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1992 |
The S921, as the new Andrea Moda car was called, was built on a tight budget and in a context of severe disorganization. It is remembered as one of the least competitive cars ever to race in Formula 1. Its design was rather conventional, with a sloping nose and violin-box-style side pods, lacking innovative solutions or electronic aids, and its performance was poor due to the clear technical limitations of the small team. Only Roberto Moreno was able to race in Brazil, as McCarthy had not yet been granted a FIA superlicense. Moreno’s best lap time was 18 seconds slower than the last car to qualify. McCarthy’s licensing issues prompted Sassetti to consider replacing him with Bertaggia, who also brought sponsorship. However, regulations allowed only two driver changes per team per season, and Andrea Moda had already used up its quota by dropping Caffi and Bertaggia at the previous Grand Prix. Thus, McCarthy was retained, and starting from the Spanish Grand Prix, both S921 cars were on the track, though Sassetti, disappointed at not being able to replace McCarthy, instructed the technical staff to focus solely on Moreno, effectively ignoring the second driver.
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| ANDREA MODA S921, Perry McCarthy Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1992 |
The car's performance, both aerodynamically inefficient and mechanically fragile, was extremely modest. Andrea Moda only passed pre-qualifying once, in Monaco, where Moreno set the last time good enough to race, but retired after just 11 laps due to engine failure. In the following weeks, the team’s situation worsened further: lack of funds and materials prevented the car's proper development. The team was also chronically understaffed, and Sassetti often had to call in workers from his shoe factory to help the racing team. Further problems arose from financial and operational missteps. In Canada, delayed payments to Judd left the cars without engines; only Moreno could drive thanks to a borrowed engine from Brabham, although he was more than 20 seconds slower than the last qualifier. In France, the team’s trucks failed to reach the circuit due to a French truckers' strike, against which other teams had protected themselves with "ad hoc" exemptions. In Britain, the lack of resources resulted in a bizarre scene during pre-qualifying: McCarthy had to drive using wet-weather tires, the only ones available, on a hot, sunny day.
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| ANDREA MODA S921, Roberto Moreno Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1992 |
In the following races in Germany and Hungary, McCarthy didn’t even take to the track. The team's disastrous run came to an end at the Belgian Grand Prix, when Sassetti was arrested in the paddock by Belgian police under an international warrant issued by Italy, related to charges of invoice fraud in his business. As a result, at the next race in Monza, the team showed up but was disqualified from the Formula 1 World Championship for damaging the sport's reputation.
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