After decades of waiting, in 1979, Alfa Romeo returned to Formula 1 as a constructor. Since 1968, the racing department of the "Biscione" had been operating from the Autodelta workshops in Settimo Milanese, on the eastern outskirts of Milan, under the direction of engineer Carlo Chiti. In 1977, Chiti launched the "177" project, named after the year of its inception.
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| ALFA ROMEO 177, Bruno Giacomelli Dijon-Prenois, French GP 1979 |
Chiti developed a Formula 1 single-seater equipped with the historic 115-12 F12 engine, a 2995 cc, 12-cylinder boxer engine with a 180° V configuration, originally designed for the Alfa Romeo 33TT12 and 33SC12 sports cars. This engine had been powering Brabham cars in Formula 1 since 1976. The car featured a modified Hewland gearbox by Alfa Romeo, a wheelbase of 2740 mm, and a weight of 610 kg. It underwent its first tests in May 1978, with the aim of debuting at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza later that year.
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| ALFA ROMEO 177, Bruno Giacomelli Dijon-Prenois, French GP 1979 |
At the end of August, the 177 hit the track at the French Paul Ricard circuit with Vittorio Brambilla at the wheel for private testing, where Brabham and Niki Lauda were also present. The Italian car tested Goodyear tires after using Pirelli ones in the May tests. Following two days of testing, Alfa Romeo officially announced that its debut would be postponed to the 1979 season. This decision was made due to the need for further aerodynamic development, as the advent of modern ground-effect cars had rendered the 177 obsolete before it even raced.
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| ALFA ROMEO 177, Vittorio Brambilla Monza, Italian GP 1979 |
At Brabham's request, engineer Chiti developed a new V12 engine with a 120° V angle, better suited for wing cars than the flat-12 installed in the 177. However, the new V12 proved unreliable, prompting the British team to abandon the Milanese engines and pushing Alfa Romeo to enter the 1979 championship independently. The team made its debut in the sixth race of the season, at the Belgian Grand Prix in Zolder, with the 177 still powered by the proven 180° boxer engine and driven by Bruno Giacomelli.
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| ALFA ROMEO 177, Vittorio Brambilla Monza, Italian GP 1979 |
The 177 was also used at the French Grand Prix, again driven by Giacomelli, and for the third and final time at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, this time piloted by Vittorio Brambilla, exactly one year after his horrific crash at the 1978 Monza race, which left him in a coma. From the following races, the Milanese team switched to the new Alfa Romeo 179, equipped with the newly developed "narrow" V12 engine, which I will discuss in detail in the posts about the 1980 season.
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