Alex Caffi

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For the Italian ice hockey goaltender, see Alex Caffi (ice hockey).
Alex Caffi
File:Alex Caffi 1991.jpg
Caffi in 1991.
Born (1964-03-18) March 18, 1964 (age 60)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality Italy Italian
Active years 19861991
Teams Arrows/Footwork, Dallara and Osella
Entries 77 (56 starts)
Championships 0
Wins 0
Podiums 0
Career points 6
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
First entry 1986 Italian Grand Prix
Last entry 1991 Australian Grand Prix

Alessandro "Alex" Caffi (born March 18, 1964) is a former Formula One driver from Italy. He participated in 75 Grands Prix, debuting on September 7, 1986. In 2006 he raced in the inaugural season of the Grand Prix Masters formula for retired Formula One drivers.

Biography

Caffi was born in Rovato (province of Brescia), in Northern Italy.

He spent three years in Italian Formula Three from 1984 to 1986, finishing runner-up in 1984 and 1985, then third in 1986. 1986 also saw him land a one-off drive with the Osella Formula One team, and Caffi scored a rare finish for them, coming home 11th.

The small Italian team were impressed by his sensible approach, and signed him for a full season for 1987. The Alfa Romeo powered car was uncompetitive and unreliable, Caffi never finishing once, though he was classified 12th at the San Marino Grand Prix. Nevertheless, the quiet Italian drew good notices for his attitude and skill in such a poor car (notably qualifying 16th for the Monaco Grand Prix).

For 1988, he switched to the new Scuderia Italia team who were running a Dallara chassis, again drawing good notices and peaking with seventh place at the Portuguese Grand Prix. In 1989 the team expanded to two cars, with Andrea de Cesaris taking the other, and a switch to Pirelli tyres. Caffi impressed, finishing fourth at the Monaco Grand Prix, and running second at the United States Grand Prix before de Cesaris knocked him off. The second half of the season was less impressive as Pirelli struggled to find consistent race tyres, but was distinguished by Caffi starting third at the Hungarian Grand Prix (though the aforementioned race tyres saw him finish seventh).

Caffi was noted as a promising talent, and was tempted to Arrows for 1990. The team had been bought by the Japanese Footwork Corporation, and were planning a major championship assault in 1991 with a new Porsche V12 and Michele Alboreto, while 1990 was to be an interim year. Caffi injured himself in a pre-season cycling accident, missing the first race of the season, retiring from the second with exhaustion and failing to qualify for the third. His best finish of the year was fifth place at the attrition-filled Monaco Grand Prix, but Caffi generally gave solid, if unspectacular, displays elsewhere[citation needed].

1991 was to be an unmitigated disaster, sadly. The Porsche V12 was grossly overweight and seriously underpowered, and Caffi failed to qualify for the first four races. He then broke his jaw in a road car accident following the Monaco Grand Prix, ironically after he had escaped injury in a serious crash during the race weekend. Footwork then drafted in Stefan Johansson to cover, and when Caffi returned to fitness, he found the team were trying to keep the Swede on. He managed to get back into his seat via a legal injunction, but then failed to qualify for the next six races. He finally got through to the Japanese Grand Prix, finishing 10th, but Aguri Suzuki had already been announced as a replacement for 1992. He again got through for the Australian Grand Prix, but had no drive for the following season.

He had no option but to sign for the new Andrea Moda team. However, registration problems with the FIA meant he managed no more than a few practice laps at the South African Grand Prix, and the team arrived late for the Mexican Grand Prix and were not allowed to run. After this, Caffi was replaced by Roberto Moreno, and his time in Formula One was over.

After a brief career in Spanish and Italian Touring Cars, Caffi found his niche in sportscars, racing in GTs, FIA Sportscar, and ALMS.

Caffi returned to International motorsport in the IRC Rally Monte-Carlo 2011, driving a Skoda Fabia S2000.

Racing record

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 WDC Points
1986 Osella Squadra Corse Osella FA1G Alfa Romeo V8 BRA ESP SMR MON BEL CAN DET FRA GBR GER HUN AUT ITA
NC
POR MEX AUS NC 0
1987 Osella Squadra Corse Osella FA1I Alfa Romeo V8 BRA
Ret
SMR
12
BEL
Ret
MON
Ret
DET
Ret
GBR
Ret
GER
Ret
HUN
Ret
AUT
Ret
ITA
Ret
POR
Ret
ESP
DNQ
MEX
Ret
JPN
Ret
AUS
DNQ
NC 0
Osella FA1G FRA
Ret
1988 Scuderia Italia Dallara 3087 Cosworth V8 BRA
DNPQ
NC 0
Dallara 188 SMR
Ret
MON
Ret
MEX
Ret
CAN
DNPQ
DET
8
FRA
12
GBR
11
GER
15
HUN
Ret
BEL
8
ITA
Ret
POR
7
ESP
10
JPN
Ret
AUS
Ret
1989 Scuderia Italia Dallara 189 Cosworth V8 BRA
DNPQ
SMR
7
MON
4
MEX
13
USA
Ret
CAN
6
FRA
Ret
GBR
DNPQ
GER
Ret
HUN
7
BEL
Ret
ITA
11
POR
Ret
ESP
Ret
JPN
9
AUS
Ret
19th 4
1990 Footwork Arrows Racing Arrows A11B Cosworth V8 USA BRA
Ret
SMR
DNQ
MON
5
CAN
8
MEX
DNQ
FRA
Ret
GBR
7
GER
9
HUN
9
BEL
10
ITA
9
POR
13
ESP JPN
9
AUS
DNQ
16th 2
1991 Footwork Grand Prix International Footwork A11C Porsche V12 USA
DNQ
BRA
DNQ
NC 0
Footwork FA12 SMR
DNQ
MON
DNQ
CAN MEX
Footwork FA12C Cosworth V8 FRA GBR GER
DNPQ
HUN
DNPQ
BEL
DNQ
ITA
DNPQ
POR
DNPQ
ESP
DNPQ
JPN
10
AUS
15
1992 Andrea Moda Formula Coloni C4B Judd V10 RSA
EX
NC 0
Andrea Moda S921 MEX
DNP
BRA ESP SMR MON CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR JPN AUS

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1999 France Courage Compétition Italy Andrea Montermini
Italy Domenico Schiattarella
Courage C52-Nissan LMP 342 6th 5th
2004 Germany Seikel Motorsport Italy Gabrio Rosa
Netherlands Peter van Merksteijn Sr.
Porsche 911 GT3-RS GT 148 DNF DNF
2007 Netherlands Spyker Squadron b.v. Italy Andrea Belicchi
Switzerland Andrea Chiesa
Spyker C8 Spyder GT2-R GT2 145 DNF DNF

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
New race
FIA European Formula Three Cup winner
1985
Succeeded by
Stefano Modena