Hello to all!!!
I am planning some new articles - I don't know when and how they will be released, for the moment I am just doing research and writing. And as Nicola Larini doesn't have a topic, I think it's appropriate to create one about this rather unlucky driver, as he had far more potential than he showed on F1, but soon became a legend of Touring Cars until his retirement as a full-time driver.
I have some questions I'm sure here is the right place to ask them and promote some discussion about Larini.
- From the data I have, Larini started his career in 1983, driving on Formula Italia. Is this championship strongly related with Formula Fiat Abarth, as I think? Larini drove on the latter in 1984, I'd like to know it was a different denomination for the base championship in Italy, just like most countries had Formula Ford or Formula Vee, or of it was something up on the ladder.
- Larini won the Italian F3 title after strong performances the whole season, and in 1987 took the logic step to F3000 with rival team Forti Corse, but the team only entered on the second half of the season. I read they were running an experimental Dallara, but EuroVenturini also drove the same Dallara and they entered the whole season.
- Is it true Larini had real chances to become Ferrari second driver in 1996, after being test driver for the team since 1992? The question is, was Schumacher afraid an Italian would divert attention from his unqesutionable Number 1 status, or was Larini regarded as being no material for a top team?
- Ferrari finally helped Larini with a race seat when they signed a deal with Sauber to provide them engines under Petronas branding. I read several versions about his unsuccesfull stint with Sauber. It seems he wasn't the sole one not to drive Turn 5 in Melbourne flat on, and Sauber immediately decided he was already past his prime (well, after driving just 4 races in 4 seasons with Ferrari, he would certainly lack some competitive pace, because a race is different from being an excellent test driver). Others say that Sauber preferred Morbidelli since the beginning and disliked Larini. I think it's obvious Peter Sauber and Larini were never in good terms since the beginning, and he was released as soon as possible (was there any Ferrari manouevering behind it?).
- On my research, I see Larini was nowhere to be found in 2004. I was already a fan of ETCC and I remember to watch the races, but was he released for any motive by Autodelta, after more than 10 years of loyal services, or he took the decision to take a gap or even thought about retirement? Or was he engaged by the Chevrolet programme and spent the whole season testing?
I hope it might start some kind of discussion about Larini, which belongs to a family of drivers. His father was a driver (I presume on the national scene only), his uncle was a renowned touing car driver and even drove for Autodelta until his demise at the tragic 24h of Spa in 1973? And his brother Andrea is also a touring car/GT driver, mainly on the national scene.
