It all began with Andrea Sassetti, a flashy Italian businessman who’d made his money in shoes. Flush with cash and big dreams—but not much sense for how F1 really worked—he bought what was left of the bankrupt Coloni team in late ’91. In his mind, it was a clever shortcut: grab a team, dodge the $100,000 new-entry fee, and hit the grid. But the FIA took one look and said, “Not so fast.” They decided Sassetti hadn’t acquired Coloni’s actual entry rights. So, when his freshly named “Andrea Moda Formula” showed up for the first race in South Africa, they got kicked out before even turning a lap. No debut. No mercy. Just a very bad omen.
A Masterclass in Mayhem
What came next wasn’t just bad—it was cartoonishly chaotic. The kind of slow-motion disaster you couldn’t look away from.
The “Garage? What Garage?” Episode (Mexico): When the circus rolled into Mexico City, Andrea Moda wasn’t ready. Like, at all. While other teams were fine-tuning setups, Sassetti’s crew was still bolting cars together—literally in the pit lane. It looked more like a last-minute science fair than a Grand Prix weekend. Not a single lap completed.
Drivers In, Out, and Back Again: The original line-up—Alex Caffi and Enrico Bertaggia—dared to complain about the team’s disarray. So Sassetti fired them. Instantly. Enter Roberto Moreno and Perry McCarthy. But McCarthy’s arrival was… on-brand. The FIA initially rejected his Super Licence. Sassetti’s solution? Rumor has it he simply forged one. Because, of course.
Silverstone Slapstick: The team reached peak absurdity in Britain. During qualifying at a bone-dry Silverstone, McCarthy’s car was somehow fitted with full wet-weather tires. Why? Some whispered they didn’t even have dry tires. Still, he was sent out, sliding around like Bambi on ice. Unsurprisingly, he failed to qualify.
The Final Flameout
Believe it or not, they eventually did start a race—Monaco. Moreno actually made it 11 laps before the engine gave up. But the real fireworks came in Belgium. At Spa, Andrea Sassetti was arrested right there in the paddock. The charge? Allegedly forging financial documents. The FIA, already fed up with the rule-breaking and general circus behavior, had enough. Andrea Moda wasn’t just banned from that weekend. They were kicked out of the entire championship.
What can we say more?
Andrea Moda’s brief, disastrous season wasn’t just a flop—it became legend. Not the kind you brag about, but the kind whispered about in back rooms when someone asks, “What’s the worst F1 team ever?” Their failure wasn’t just technical—it was spectacularly theatrical. While plenty of teams have folded, none did so with such glorious chaos.
They weren’t just uncompetitive—they were a performance art piece in how not to run a Formula 1 team. To this day, even seasoned F1 veterans wince—and maybe chuckle—at the mention of Andrea Moda. It was a circus, all right. And they lit their own tent on fire.
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