FEBRUARY 6, 1995

Forti - getting ready for action

Details of the new Forti F1 team are now emerging.

Details of the new Forti F1 team are now emerging. Founded by Guido Forti in 1978, the team is likely to carry sponsorship from Brazilian beer company Kaiser, Brazilian supermarket firm Arisco (a longtime supporter of Rubens Barrichello, but not on the Jordan-Peugeot this year) and Italian dairy company Parmalat, which supported the Brabham team and later enjoyed a close relationship with Niki Lauda.

The deal are all believed to have come about thanks to driver Pedro Diniz, whose family controls one of Brazil's largest food distribution companies. The second driver will either be Brazilian Roberto Moreno, or either Emanuele Naspetti or Andrea Montermini - if they can bring greater sponsorship to the team.

The Ford ED-engined FG01-95 chassis is currently being built up at the team's Alessandria, Italy, base. It was designed by Giacomo Caliri, who was technical director of Minardi between 1980 and 1989. Caliri's lack of success at Minardi has obscured what was a very impressive early racing career, which began in 1966 when Caliri graduated from Turin Polytechnic with a prize-winning thesis on aerodynamics. He joined Ferrari to head of aerodynamic studies in the racing department and by 1974 was head of the design office at Fiorano. He left Ferrari in 1976 and set up FLY Studio in Bologna, working in conjunction with Autodelta on the design of competition cars. Since leaving Minardi, he has continued with FLY Studio.