Enrique Scalabroni - Formula One

Formula One

Scalabroni moved to Italy in 1982, finding a job with the Dallara Automobili group. There he designed the first company wind tunnel and one of the pioneer carbon monocoque chassis for small single seaters: a trend setting Formula 3 car with rearward sloping sidepods, for the 1983 international and national European championships

In 1985, Williams F1 recruited Scalabroni as a designer. At Williams, Scalabroni contributed a substantial part of the six speed sequential gearbox design that Williams pioneered for F1 racing. As design leader, and under the directions of Patrick Head, he was critical in the team that developed the FW11 and FW11B Honda cars that won the F1 World Constructors Championships in 1986 and 1987.

After John Barnard's tenure at Ferrari (1987–1989), Scalabroni joined the Italian, Maranello based team as chassis and aerodynamics Chief Designer in September 1989. There he developed Barnard's Ferrari 640 carbon chassis. The Scalabroni 641 and 641/2 Ferraris were designed in collaboration with Steve Nichols and won six races in 1990 with Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell. Ferrari took second place in the Constructors Championship.

In 1991 Scalabroni was recruited by Lotus F1 Team, where he produced the Lotus 102B for drivers Johnny Herbert, Mika Häkkinen and Julian Bailey. Before leaving the Hethel team, Scalabroni left one audacious project: an F1 car with the four wheels set up as a cross or rhomboid, two at the sides, protruding from the middle section and one each at the front and rear. Lack of financing ended this project.

At the same time, the South American engineer was consultant for the De Tomaso Guará, in charge of chassis and suspension design. The De Tomaso company Scalabroni also worked in the Bigua development (model known also as Mangusta), model to be known as Q Vale Mangusta, after the De Tomaso family sold the firm assets to new American investors.