At the end of the 1970s, Arturo Merzario, after a long Formula 1 career always supported by his personal sponsor Marlboro, found himself without a seat for the 1978 season. The driver from Civenna, near Bellagio on Lake Como, decided to follow in the footsteps of Emerson Fittipaldi and create his own team, involving the experienced Swiss constructor Guglielmo Bellasi in the project. Bellasi's workshop was based in Novara, and he had already designed two Formula 1 single-seaters in the early 1970s.
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| MERZARIO A1, Arturo Merzario Buenos Aires, Argentinian GP 1978 |
Starting from the mechanical base of a March 761B, the new Merzario A1 single-seater was built, featuring the classic red livery typical of Italian race cars from the 1950s. It was equipped with the standard 2993cc Ford-Cosworth DFV V8 engine paired with a Hewland FGA 400 gearbox. The A1 introduced some original solutions, such as the radiators positioned at the beginning of its long side pods—an idea derived from the Italian driver's experience with other teams—and the engine air intakes on the sides of the cockpit, which were practically identical to those of the Ferrari 312T2.
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| MERZARIO A1, Arturo Merzario Buenos Aires, Argentinian GP 1978 |
The new team made its debut in the very first Grand Prix of the 1978 season in Argentina. However, after early failures, financial support from one of the sponsors was lost, making it difficult to further develop the car. As a result, the A1 struggled to qualify for each race. Furthermore, in those years, Formula 1 was moving away from the semi-professional structure that had allowed smaller teams to compete with some dignity, like Ensign, Surtees, Hesketh, and Wolf, to name a few, shifting instead towards a model sustainable only for teams with strong financial backing or major corporate support.
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| MERZARIO A1, Arturo Merzario Long Beach, USA West GP 1978 |
From the Austrian Grand Prix, the "B" version of the A1 was introduced. However, many suspected that it was merely a March 761B with the A1 bodywork installed, this time in an all-black livery. For the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, thanks to the collaboration of Autosprint magazine, where journalist Giorgio Piola, who had worked with Bellasi on the A1's design, wrote, the Merzario team fielded two cars. The second was entrusted to local driver Alberto Colombo, who, however, failed to pass pre-qualifying.
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| MERZARIO A1, Arturo Merzario Osterreichring, Austrian GP 1978 |
During the 1978 season, the Merzario A1 qualified for the race on eight occasions but reached the finish line only once, in Sweden. However, it was not classified, as it crossed the finish line eight laps behind the winner.
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