Osella FA1G

Osella FA1G

Osella FA1G in the livery for the 1986 Portuguese Grand Prix for Piercarlo Ghinzani
Constructor:	Osella
Designer:	Giuseppe Petrotta
Predecessor:	Osella FA1F
Successor:	Osella FA1H
Technical specifications
Chassis:	CFRP monocoque
Wheelbase:	2830 mm
Weight:	580 kg
Tires:	Pirelli Goodyear
Petrol:	Agip
statistics
Driver:	Piercarlo Ghinzani Huub Rothengatter Allen Berg Gabriele Tarquini Franco Forini
First start:	1985 French Grand Prix
Last start:	1987 Spanish Grand Prix
Starts Victories Poles SR 30th - - -
World Cup points:	-
Podiums:	-
Leadership laps:	-

The Osella FA1G was a Formula 1 racing car from the Italian racing team Osella Squadra Corse , which was entered by five drivers for more than 30 races in 1985 , 1986 and 1987 and reached the finish line seven times. It was a further development of the Osella FA1F presented in 1984 and, like this, was closely related to the Alfa Romeo 183T . Together with the FA1F, it shaped Osella's image in the turbo era. The team made two copies of the FA1G that could not score world championship points.

technology

The Osella FA1G used the same monocoque construction and the same overall technical layout as the FA1F. It differed from its predecessor primarily in a number of technical modifications developed by Giuseppe Petrotta for Osella. In order to improve driving behavior, Petrotta extended the wheelbase by 85 millimeters. The arrangement of the radiators had been redesigned as well as the shape of the side pods, which were now long and straight and made the FA1G appear smoother than its predecessor. The FA1G also had a so-called bottleneck tail with a small diffuser. In the course of the 1985 season, Osella finally changed the geometry of the front and later also of the rear suspension. The underbody was also the subject of modifications. All of this work was based on Petrotta's intuition; Wind tunnel tests were not carried out with the FA1G for reasons of cost.

The weight of the car was given as 575 to 580 kg. It weighed 35 kg more than the lightest Formula 1 cars of the 1985 season.

Nothing changed on the drive side. Like its predecessor, the FA1G used the 1.5 liter eight-cylinder turbo engine from Alfa Romeo ( Tipo 890T ). Initially they were still at the development level of 1983 . As of 1986, Osella was able to fall back on the Jofa system, an analog system for controlling mechanical fuel injection that had already been introduced at Alfa Romeo a year earlier. It was not until 1987 - two years after their debut in the now closed Alfa factory team - that the engines with fully electronic Bosch injection were finally available for Osella.

vehicles

In the course of 1985 two copies of the FA1G were created.

• The first FA1G was the youngest of the three FA1F produced in 1984 (chassis FA1F / 04), which was converted to the G specification in the winter of 1984/1985. It was driven by Huub Rothengatter at the Italian and Belgian Grand Prix and served as a replacement vehicle during the remaining races.
• The second FA1G, the chassis designation of which is inconsistent, was rebuilt in the first few months of 1985. He made his debut at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1985 and raced with various drivers until 1987.

Races

1985 Formula 1 season

Osella only used one vehicle in the 1985 season. The team's only driver until the British Grand Prix was Piercarlo Ghinzani ; then the Dutchman Huub Rothengatter drove for Osella.

After Ghinzani had contested the first two races of the year with the FA1F, the FA1G made its debut at the San Marino Grand Prix in May. In total, the FA1G was reported six times for Ghinzani. The Italian qualified five times and crossed the finish line twice. However, only the finish as 15th at the French Grand Prix was rated .

Ghinzani's successor Rothengatter was able to qualify seven times in eight attempts. He was canceled three times due to technical defects, four times he crossed the finish line. Rothengatter achieved his best result at the last race of the year in Adelaide , Australia , which he finished in seventh place (penultimate).

1986 Formula 1 season

In the 1986 season, the Osella team only had one copy of the FA1G available. With one exception, it was consistently driven by Osella's regular driver Piercarlo Ghinzani. Ghinzani was able to qualify  for every race with the car - apart from the Monaco Grand Prix ; his gap to the best qualifiers was between seven and twelve seconds. During the entire year, Ghinzani only crossed the finish line once: at the Austrian Grand Prix he finished eleventh, six laps behind. Six of his failures were due to defects in the engine and turbocharger, three to chassis problems.

Osella's other pilots Christian Danner , Allen Berg and Alex Caffi regularly drove the now very outdated FA1F in 1986. An exception was Berg, who received the FA1G once at the French Grand Prix . Ghinzani drove the new Osella FA1H for the first time in this race . Berg failed to finish the FA1G in France; his race ended prematurely after a fault in the turbocharger.

1987 Formula 1 season

Osella's regular driver in the 1987 season was Alex Caffi. In every race he used the new Osella FA1I , which was significantly more powerful than the FA1G, but was even more prone to defects. Caffi did not reach the finish line in any of 16 world championship races in 1987. It failed five times after an engine failure, four times due to a suspension or transmission defect. In addition, Osella reported the FA1G for a second driver for individual races:

• At the Grand Prix of San Marino the FA1G was registered for the debutant Gabriele Tarquini , who only drove this race for Osella. Tarquini qualified for last place on the grid, more than 17 seconds behind pole time, but retired early in the race after a gearbox defect.
• For the Grand Prix of Italy , Portugal and Spain Osella registered a second car for the Ticino racing driver Franco Forini . Individual internet sources claim that Forini, like Osella's regular pilot Caffi, used a current FA1I on these occasions. In the literature, on the other hand, it is predominantly assumed that Forini, like Tarquini before, used the now outdated FA1G again. Forini was able to qualify in Italy and Portugal, but was canceled before the end of the race after an engine or chassis defect.

There were no other uses of the Osella FA1G.

Race results

driver	No.	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	10	11	12	13	14th	15th	16	Points	rank
1985 Formula 1 season																		0	-
P. Ghinzani	24			NC	DNQ	DNF	DNF	15th	DNF
H. Rothengatter										DNF	9	NC	DNF	NC	DNQ	DNF	7th
1986 Formula 1 season																		0	-
P. Ghinzani	21st	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNQ	DNF	DNF	DNF		DNF	DNF	DNF	9	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF
A. Berg	22nd								DNF
1987 Formula 1 season																		0	-
G. Tarquini	22nd		DNF
F. Forini												DNF	DNF	DNQ

literature

• Ian Bamsey: The 1000 bhp Grand Prix Cars. Haynes Publications, Yeovil 1988, ISBN 0-85429-617-4 (English).
• Adriano Cimarosti: The Century of Racing. Cars, tracks and pilots. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-613-01848-9 .
• David Hodges: Racing cars from A – Z after 1945. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-613-01477-7 .
• David Hodges: A – Z of Grand Prix Cars. Crowood Press, Marlborough 2001, ISBN 1-86126-339-2 (English).
• Pierre Ménard: La Grande Encyclopédie de la Formule 1st 2nd edition. Chronosports, St. Sulpice 2000, ISBN 2-940125-45-7 (French).

Web links

• Piercarlo Ghinzani in the Osella FA1G at the 1986 Spanish Grand Prix

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The number of races has not been conclusively clarified. Depending on whether Franco Forini used an Osella FA1G or an FA1I in 1987, the FA1G was reported for either 31 or 34 races.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Hodges: AZ of Grand Prix Cars. 2001, p. 186.
3. ↑ ^{a b} Hodges: Racing Cars from A – Z after 1945. 1945, p. 206.
4. ↑ ^{a b c} For the technology cf. Bamsey: 1000 bhp Grand Prix Cars. 1988, p. 47.
5. ^ Ménard: La grande Encyclopédie de la Formule 1. 2000, p. 462.
6. ↑ Motorsport news . Issue 10, 1987, p. 23.
7. ↑ Sometimes there is talk of FA1G-85, sometimes of FA1G-01 or FA1G-02.
8. ↑ racing biography Franco Forinis at f1rejects.com (accessed on 13 January 2011).
9. ↑ Racing statistics at Motorsport-Total.com (accessed on January 13, 2011)