Ivan Capelli

Ivan Franco Capelli (born 24 May 1963) is an Italian former racing driver who competed in Formula One from 1985 to 1993, participating in 98 Grands Prix and achieving three podium finishes during a career that saw him emerge as one of the most talented drivers of his generation, particularly during his spectacular performances with the Adrian Newey-designed Leyton House cars. Born in Milan, Italy, Capelli rose through the junior formulae with considerable success, winning the 1984 European Formula 3 Championship and catching the attention of Formula One teams with his aggressive driving style and natural speed. He made his Formula One debut at the 1985 European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, driving for Tyrrell, and showed immediate promise with a strong performance that hinted at his potential.

After limited opportunities in 1985 and 1986, driving sporadically for Tyrrell and the struggling AGS team, Capelli secured a full-time drive with the March team for 1987, beginning an association that would define his career. The 1988 season proved to be Capelli's breakthrough year, as he drove the Adrian Newey-designed March 881 powered by a Judd V8 engine to remarkable effect, scoring 22 championship points and achieving his first Formula One podium with a stunning second place at the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril, where he finished behind Alain Prost's McLaren after a brilliant drive that showcased his racecraft and speed. The March team, which had secured sponsorship from Japanese property development company Leyton House, was renamed Leyton House Racing for 1989, and while the new CG891 chassis initially struggled, the team showed flashes of the potential that would be realized the following season.

The 1990 season brought Capelli his finest moments in Formula One, driving the distinctive cyan-colored Leyton House CG901 designed by Chris Murphy and Gustav Brunner. At the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard, Capelli led his teammate Maurício Gugelmin in a sensational Leyton House 1-2 formation for most of the race, thrilling fans and team personnel alike, before being overtaken by Alain Prost's Ferrari with just three laps remaining, ultimately finishing second in what remains one of Formula One's most memorable 'nearly' stories. He followed this with another strong performance at the United States Grand Prix at Phoenix, again finishing second, this time behind Ayrton Senna's McLaren, demonstrating that his French Grand Prix performance was no fluke and establishing himself as a driver capable of challenging the sport's elite.

However, the 1991 season proved disappointing as Leyton House's ambitious Ilmor V10 engine programme failed to deliver the expected results, and off-track financial problems stemming from owner Akira Akagi's arrest in connection with the Fuji Bank fraud scandal cast a shadow over the team. Capelli, who had signed to join Ferrari for 1992, voluntarily stepped aside late in the 1991 season to allow paying driver Karl Wendlinger to take his seat and help the struggling team financially. His move to Ferrari for 1992 was greeted with tremendous excitement in Italy, as Capelli became the first Italian driver to secure a regular race seat with the legendary Scuderia since Michele Alboreto's departure in 1988, but the partnership proved deeply frustrating for both parties.

The Ferrari F92A was an uncompetitive car hampered by its semi-automatic gearbox and overall design deficiencies, and Capelli struggled to match teammate Jean Alesi's pace, managing only three championship points from two sixth-place finishes across the entire season. Dropped by Ferrari after just one disappointing year, Capelli signed with the Jordan team for 1993, partnering the rookie Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, but his Formula One career ended in ignominious fashion after he failed to qualify for the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos and was subsequently replaced by Thierry Boutsen after just two races. Since retiring from Formula One, Capelli has remained involved in motorsport as a commentator for Italian television, providing expert analysis and becoming a popular media personality in Italy, while his performances with Leyton House, particularly that magical afternoon in France where he came so close to victory, have secured his place in Formula One folklore as one of the era's most talented drivers whose career promised more than it ultimately delivered but who nevertheless provided some of the sport's most memorable moments during the early 1990s.