The simplest point is why on earth did Subaru think it best to link up with Motori Moderni. The engine for Minardi that they did was less reliable than Del Trotter. Chiti's main success had come in 1961 and that was because Ferrari was the only one that worked to the 1.5l formula, when everyone else got proper engines in 1962 Ferrari was suddenly nowhere. Otherwise his Alfa successes had come only after Ferrari, Matra, and of course Porsche had eschewed the sportscar championship, he was basically racing Osella.
It's a little more complicated than that, isn't it? By 1962 Chiti was no longer there and that year was all, or mostly about the 156 chassis, not the engine, which was good enough to be more competitive than the car demonstrated in that year. Innes' comments, if I remember correctly, were similar.
As for the rest, I'll just say this. Chiti was surely an 'accentratore' who lacked organisational skills and had an old-school conception of racing was done, but at Alfa (especially in F1) he was constantly fighting political fires and at Motori Moderni had no funds whatsoever (even depending on his links to Enzo Ferrari to get an old Magnetti electronic injection). I have never seen Giancarlo Minardi blame the engine design in itself, they simply lacked the money to develop it. Surely by the time he did the Subaru flat-12 he was past it, but at least he gave it a shot. With his health problems and at his age he was just as entitled to stay at home....
Edited by guiporsche, 04 February 2021 - 09:31.