Middlebridge Trussardi

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Middlebridge-Trussardi was a UK- based motorsport team that tried unsuccessfully to compete in the Formula 1 World Championship in 1987 .

History of the team

Benetton B186 (in factory team livery from 1986)

The initiator of the efforts was the Italian racing driver Emanuele Pirro , who had not received a cockpit in an established Formula 1 team for the 1987 season. From April 1987 Pirro pursued the idea of ​​debuting in Formula 1 with his own racing team. The concept was developed in collaboration with John Macdonald, who headed the RAM Racing team until 1986 , and the British company Middlebridge. The team wanted to use a Benetton vehicle . It was not a current model - the Benetton B187 with turbo engine from Ford was reserved for the Benetton factory team - but a Benetton B186 from 1986 , which was powered by a 1.5 liter turbo engine from Megatron . The Italian clothing manufacturer Trussardi , whose name was included in the name of the team, was won as a sponsor . Benetton supported the project in the hope of additional championship points in the constructors' championship.

The Italian Grand Prix in Monza in 1987 was planned as a debut . The Middlebridge-Trussardi team reported the car called Trussardi B186 for Emanuele Pirro and published presentation photos of the black and white painted car in advance. The existing teams had given their consent to the use of a third Benetton at that time.

A few days before the Italian Grand Prix, FISA denied the team participation in the race. She pointed out that due to the regulations, if a third car of a team were to be used, this had to be registered three months before the planned use; Middlebridge-Trussardi had not met this deadline.

Middlebridge also registered for the remaining races of the year, with Emanuele Pirro also being named for Portugal ; Aguri Suzuki was the driver for the remaining races . The team was not allowed to participate in these races either. After that, Middlebridge and Macdonald stopped efforts. Middlebridge later had a Formula 3000 team and took over the British Formula 1 team Brabham in early 1990 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Motorsport aktuell, issue 25/1987, p. 38.
  2. ^ Autosport, September 17, 1987.
  3. ^ Note on John Macdonald on the website www.grandprix.com (accessed February 21, 2011).
  4. ↑ Motorsport aktuell, issue 45/1987, p. 22.
  5. ↑ Motorsport aktuell, Issue 36/1987, p. 23
  6. ↑ Motorsport aktuell, issue 45/1987, p. 22.
  7. ↑ Overview of the history of the Trussardi B186 on the website www.statsf1.com (accessed on February 21, 2011).