Team story
Origins
Lamberto Leoni prepared FIRST's move from Formula 3000 to Formula 1 for 1989. Gabriele Tarquini, already his driver in the junior categories, was earmarked for the F189. Richard Divila laid out the design around a Judd V8: a physical car therefore existed, not merely the announcement of a future team.
The Formula 1 journey
The car was tested and appeared at the Bologna Motor Show, but Leoni withdrew before the championship opened in Brazil. FIRST took part in no championship Grand Prix, not even through an attempt to qualify. The reference to 1989 in the directory identifies the year of the planned programme, not a season of race starts.
Historical timeline
Three chapters in the story of FIRST Racing
Three episodes to revisit the people, cars and races that shaped this journey.
First appearance · FIRST Racing
No race appearance is documented for this part of FIRST Racing’s record. The entries and cars listed elsewhere on the page provide the available reference points; they should not be read as completed races.
Sporting landmark · FIRST Racing
No classified race result is documented for this part of FIRST Racing’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 · FIRST Racing
No final race start is documented for this part of FIRST Racing’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
Monocoque construction encountered problems, and reinforcement work increased the car's weight. The Judd V8 was a conventional choice for the new turbo-free Formula 1; the difficulty lay in turning the design into a competitive car. Leoni redirected resources and activity to Formula 3000, where the team had already raced.
What remains
Ernesto Vita bought material from the project and used it for the 1990 Life, modified for his W12 engine. FIRST and Life were different programmes, with different engines and people in charge. Life's subsequent pre-qualifying attempts therefore do not become FIRST appearances: the inheritance was technical, while FIRST's championship record remained without entries or starts.