Photo: Formulanone / CC BY-SA 3.0. Shinji Nakano in the Minardi M198 at the 1998 Spanish Grand Prix. (CREDIT LINKS AT THE END OF THE CONTENT)
We continue our journey through the forgotten drivers of Formula One’s past with Part 4. This time, we look at the forgotten F1 drivers of 1997 to 2000, racers whose careers lasted only a handful of Grands Prix before they disappeared from the grid far sooner than expected.
For this series, we have focused mainly on drivers who made fewer than 20 Formula One race appearances. That has been our approach throughout the previous parts, covering the forgotten names of the early 1990s up to 2000.
Forgotten F1 Drivers
Below are the drivers we found from the 1997–2000 period. We may have missed a few names, but we have tried to gather as many as possible to continue this journey through Formula One’s forgotten drivers. After this, we plan to move on to Part 5, covering the early 2000s, from 2001 to 2010. The list may be larger, but that reflects how Formula One was changing, with fewer opportunities for new drivers to reach the grid and establish long careers.
Gastón Mazzacane
The last name on the list, Gaston Mazzacane, he competed in 21 raced between 2000 and 2001, backed by major sponsorship the Panamerican Sports Network, he secured a seat with Minardi in 2000 before moving to Prost GP the following year.
While reliable, Mazzacane struggled to match the pace of his teammates and was released by Prost after only four races in 2001.
One memorable moment came at Indianpolis in 2000, where changing conditions briefly allowed him to run 4th and fighting Mika Hakkinen.
After losing both his seat and financial backing; his F1 career came to an end, although he later enjoyed considerable success in Argentine touring car racing.
Vincenzo Sospiri
Vincenzo Sospiri
One entry… never raced!
Vincenzo Sospiri is one of the rare drivers who entered F1 weekend but never started a Grand Prix.
The 1995 Formula 3000 champion joined the new MasterCard Lola team for the opening race of 1997, only to find himself driving one of the least competitive cars in modern era.
The Lola was so slow that Sospiri failed to qualify for the Australian GP under the 107% rule; before the next race could take place, the team collapsed financially and disappeared from F1, his F1 career was effectively over before it had truly began.
Shinji Nakano
Shinji Nakano completed in 33 GPs across the 1997 and 1998 seasons, his F1 career was closely linked to Mugen-Honda, which helped place him at Prost GP for his debut season.
Nakano scored points twice in 1997 and earned a reputation as a reliable driver.
However, when Prost switched engine suppliers for 1997, he lost his seat and moved to Minardi, the uncompetitive car prevented him from making an impact, and after 33 starts he quietly disappeared from the F1 grid.
Stéphane Sarrazin
Another name that disappeared quickly; Stephane Sarrazin’s F1 career consisted of just a single race, he replaced Luca Badoer, Sarrazin immediately impressed by out-qualifying his teammate and running strongly during the race.
His promising debut ended when a front-wing failure sent him into the barriers at high speed.
Although highly respected as a test driver, he never secured a permanent race seat in F1, Sarrazin later built an outstanding career in endurance racing, rallying, and Formula E, becoming far more successful outside F1 than within it.
Luciano Burti
Known for many fans of F1, but his career lasted 15 Grand Prix entries between 2000 and 2001.
He first appeared as a substitute for Eddie Irvine at Jaguar during the 2000 Austrian GP, impressing enough to earn a full-time seat the following season.
But he lost his seat after only four races in 2001, but Burti quickly found a new opportunity at Prost Grand Prix, where he often matched or even outpaced experienced teammate Jean Alesi.
His promising season came to a devestating halt at the 2001 Belgian GP when a high speed collision at Blanchimont sent him heavily into the barriers.
Although he recovered from the crash, he never raced in F1 again and later became a Ferrari test driver returning to Brazil.
Norberto Fontana
The man with four entries
Yes, his F1 career lasted just four races in 1997; the Argentine was Sauber’s test driver and only received an opportunity after Gianni Morbidelli suffered injuries during the season.
Despite showing flashes of potential; he lacked the financial backing needed to secure a full-time seat.
His final F1 appearance at Jerez became controversial years later when he claimed he had been encouraged to hinder Jacques Villeneuve during the title deciding race.
Whether true or not; Fontana never received another opportunity in F1 and eventually returned to touring cars and endurance racing!
FEATURED IMAGE CREDITS: Photo: Formulanone / CC BY-SA 3.0. Shinji Nakano in the Minardi M198 at the 1998 Spanish Grand Prix via Wikimedia Commons
Previous Three Parts:
PART 1: Forgotten F1 Drivers 1990 to 1992
PART 2: Forgotten F1 Drivers 1993 to 1994
PART 3: Forgotten F1 Drivers of 1995 and 1996
