Five forgotten Formula 1 projects that never made it to the starting grid.
Over the years, many projects have attempted to reach Formula 1, but most failed before ever making it to the starting grid. Some managed to reach the race weekend but were never allowed to compete, while others simply failed to qualify. This is exactly the kind of forgotten motorsport history we cover here at CarsRave. We have previously featured several of these projects individually on our website, but this time, under the title Pre-2000 Unraced F1: 5 Rare Projects, we wanted to bring them all together in one place for fans to discover and enjoy.
In this first volume of the article, we will cover the stories of F1 projects that never made it to the starting grid or even reached a Grand Prix weekend. Most remained projects on paper, while others progressed further, with parts of their cars already built. However, none of them ever made it to the Formula 1 grid.
Pre-2000 Unraced F1: 5 Rare Projects
Before 2000, several fascinating F1 projects came remarkably close to becoming reality. Some had experienced engineers, promising chassis designs and even potential driver line-ups, while others struggled to get beyond the planning stage.
Berta F1 Project: Argentina’s Dream of Building Its Own F1 Car
The Berta story is particularly special because the ambition was to build everything from scratch. The ultimate goal was to bring an entirely Argentine-built car to the Formula 1 grid.
The project was led by respected engineer and designer Oreste Betra, aiming to make its debut at the opening race of the season in 1975, representing a major opportunity for Argentine motorsport.
Berta developed the car at his workshop in Cordoba, nicknamed La Fortaleza. Known for his engineering abilities and previous achievements in South American racing, he wanted to create a F1 car using as much domestic technology as possible.
BERTA LR car was adapted from a locally developed Formula 5000 chassis, its most distinctive feature was the engine; a specially designed 3.0-litre Berta V8, rather than the familiar Cosworth DFV used by many of its competitors.
Although the chassis showed potential during testing, the project soon encountered serious technical difficulties. The homemade V8 suffered from severe vibrations in its valvetrain, making it unreliable and preventing the team from completing testing programme.
During testing sessions ahead of the season, Berta reportedly ran out of engines, and with the Argentine Grand Prix approaching, the situation became desperate for the team. There was still one possible solution: Wilson Fittipaldi reportedly agreed to lend Berta a competitive Cosworth DFV engine, potentially giving the Argentine project a chance to compete in its home Grand Prix. However, the agreement came with an extremely difficult condition. Fittipaldi wanted the engine returned in good condition, an unrealistic expectation for a powerplant used in Formula 1 competition.
The team never made it to the Argentine Grand Prix. Although Berta was officially included on the entry lists for both the Argentine and Brazilian Grands Prix, the car never appeared in the pit lane at either event.
The Berta F1 project never reached the starting grid, but it remains a remarkable example of South American ambition and one of the most interesting attempts to build a national F1 car outside European motorsport industry.
Middlebridge-Trussardi: The Privateer Entry That Formula 1 Rejected
The Middlebridge-Trussardi project was an unusual attempt to enter F1 during the 1987, the combining British racing ambitions with the commercial influence of an Italian fashion house.
Inspired by the commercial success achieved by Benetton in F1, the partners wanted to establish a competitive privateer operation using existing machinery rather than developing an entirely new car.
Their plan involved acquiring two former Benetton B186 chassis from the previous season, cars that had already demonstrated their competitiveness in 1986, powered by the BMW M12/13 turbocharged engines.
The proposed entry also had an unusual visual identity; the car were intended to carry an asymmetrical black-and-white livery reflecting Trussardi’s fashion branding, giving the project a distinctivve appearance.
There were even plans for an interesting driver line-up. Future Le Mans legend Emanuele Pirro was reportedly targeted for a seat with the Middlebridge-Trussardi team, while Japanese driver Aguri Suzuki was expected to take part in the final flyaway events.
The project appeared to have a realistic chance of becoming a Formula 1 entry, but everything changed at the last moment. The biggest obstacle wasn’t engineering or funding, but the championship’s regulations.
The Formula One Constructors’ Association refused to approve the proposed entry for Middlebridge-Trussardi. The rules surrounding customer chassis and the use of additional cars from previous seasons prevented from proceeding with its plans.
The rejection reportedly came just days before the Italian GP in 1987, effectively ending the project before it could make its planned debut.
Ekström Grand Prix: The Phantom Formula 1 Team
Few failed F1 projects were as unusual as Ekström Grand Prix. The team reportedly planned during the winter of 1985-1986, the Swiss-based operation promised a two-car entry for the 1986 championship but failed to produce a racing car.
The project was founded by Swedish sponsor Cecilia Ekstrom and her husband George Paulin, their ambitions were considerable, with plans to establish a new team capable of cometing in F1.
The proposed car was known as the GP86-01, the project involved several designers, including Wiet Heidekoper, Christian Vanderpleyn and Dave Kelly, who were approached to contribute to the technical development.
The team also explored the possibility of using a Motori Moderni V6 turbocharged engine; hoping to secure affordable engine for its planned entry.
Ekstrom team appeared to be moving towards a Formula 1 debut, but behind the announcements and promotional material, the organisation was struggling with fundamental problems.
The team lacked the financial resources and sponsors needed to move the project forward. As a result, the GP86-01 never progressed beyond the planning and design stages. No completed F1 chassis was ever produced, and the operation gradually disappeared.
Dywa F1 Project: An Italian Garage-Built Formula 1 Machine
The Dywa F1 project was a highly unusual attempt to built a F1 machine outside the established racing industry.
The project was created by Pietro Monguzzi, better known as Dydo. Initially involved in lower-category racing projects, Monguzzi eventually turned his attention towards Formula 1. In 1979, he developed the Dywa 008, a single-seater designed around the widely used Cosworth DFV V8 engine.
Unlike the sophisticated cars being developed by F1 constructors, Dywa 008 was a remarkable basic creation, its construction featured an aluminium monocoque surrounding by a framework of square tubing, giving the car an unconventional appearance.
The project eventually received an opportunity to compete in the Aurora British F1 Championship, a series that allowed older F1 cars and other F1-specification cars to race outside the official World Championship.
Unfortunately, the performance was far from competitive. However, Monguzzi didn’t abandon his dream of building racing cars. He continued developing further versions of the project, eventually exploring its potential in Formula 3000.
Dywa never became a serious contender, it remains an entertaining example of the independent engineering spirit that existed in motorsport during that period.
Ikuzawa F1 Project: The Japanese Dream
The Ikuzawa F1 project was arguably the most professionally developed of these five attempts on the list.
Unlike other unrealised entries, it had experienced F1 personnel, serious engineering resources and a promising technical foundation; the team came remarkably close to becoming a genuine constructor before circumstances brought everything to an unexpected end.
The project was initiated by Japanese racing pioneer and businessman Tetsu Ikuzawa during 1993-1994. His ambition was to establish a Japanese F1 team capable of competing in Formula 1 towards the end of the 1990s.
To make the idea a reality, Ikuzawa reportedly assembled an impressive group of experienced motorsport professionals, among them were former Williams manager Peter Windsor and respected designer Enrique Scalabroni, who had previously worked with major F1 teams.
The technical development was undertaken in collaboration with Hawtal Whiting in England, the team invested considerable time in wind tunnel research and developed an ambitious chassis known as the Ikuzawa HW001.
There were also discussions over securing a Ford-Cosworth engine partnership, which would have provided the project with a competitive powerplan for its planned F1 entry.
However, the team lacked the financial backing and support needed to continue its operations, leaving the project without the resources required to reach the grid. As a result, the Ikuzawa F1 Project was abandoned before its planned debut.
Unraced F1 project stories
Although there are many more unrealised Formula 1 projects from before 2000, we have now reached the end of the first volume. It will take some time to bring more volumes to our website, but we will do our best to publish the next instalments as soon as possible. The five projects featured in this article demonstrate just how difficult it was to establish an F1 team, even when ambition, engineering talent and financial backing were present.
Each project had its own reasons for failure. Berta was defeated by technical problems that could have taken a year or more to solve, without any guarantee that the engine would eventually work as intended. Middlebridge-Trussardi was stopped by regulations before its planned debut, while Ekström Grand Prix struggled with financial and organisational difficulties. Dywa, meanwhile, simply lacked the competitiveness needed to challenge established machinery.
Some never progressed beyond initial plans, while others produced actual racing machinery or came close to securing a place on the grid; yet all five remain fascinating reminders of the F1 projects that history almost forgot.
