Team story
Origins
Loris Kessel was looking for a way back into Formula 1 after his time with RAM. He bought an old Williams FW03 and commissioned Giacomo Caliri, through the Fly design office, to update it. The Apollon project therefore began by transforming an existing single-seater, with support from the Jolly Club of Switzerland.
The Formula 1 journey
Plans for other Grands Prix in 1977 did not lead to an actual appearance on track. The Fly appeared at Monza, where Kessel failed to qualify and went off the track in the final session. His name appears among the participants in the race weekend, not on the race grid.
Historical timeline
Three chapters in the story of Apollon
Three episodes to revisit the people, cars and races that shaped this journey.
First appearance · Italian Grand Prix
Loris Kessel · Italian Grand Prix 1977. The recorded outcome is DNQ. This is the first recorded race start, or the first entry if the team never started a race.
Sporting landmark · Apollon
No classified race result is documented for this part of Apollon’s record. The entries and cars listed elsewhere on the page provide the available reference points; they should not be read as completed races.
Latest recorded appearance · Apollon
No final race start is documented for this part of Apollon’s record. The entries and cars listed elsewhere on the page provide the available reference points; they should not be read as completed races.
A distinctive way of racing
The Cosworth DFV powered a heavily modified chassis of Williams origin. The Fly designation reflected the designer's work, while Apollon identified the Swiss initiative. It was not a new Williams team or a car built for Frank Williams's works programme.
What remains
After Monza, the project produced no further World Championship opportunities. Kessel's earlier career in Brabhams does not belong to Apollon, which never made a race start. Its story instead preserves a concrete example of how a privateer could attempt to enter Grands Prix by recovering and updating an available chassis.