Team story
Origins
The Lambo 291 reached the 1991 World Championship after an earlier project had failed. Lamborghini Engineering had developed a single-seater for the Mexican GLAS programme; when the funding fell through, Carlo Patrucco took over the attempt. Mauro Forghieri oversaw the technical side and Mario Tolentino had designed the car.
The entrant was Modena Team, not a Lamborghini works team equivalent to Ferrari.
The Formula 1 journey
Nicola Larini was seventh on his debut at Phoenix, just outside the points awarded to the first six. Eric van de Poele came close to an even better result at Imola: he was running fifth when a fuel-pump problem stopped him near the end. The Belgian is listed ninth in the classification, but that position does not mean he completed the race normally.
Historical timeline
Three chapters in the story of Modena
Three episodes to revisit the people, cars and races that shaped this journey.
First appearance · United States Grand Prix
Nicola Larini · United States Grand Prix 1991. The recorded position is P7; this number alone does not show whether the driver completed the race distance. This is the first recorded race start, or the first entry if the team never started a race.
Sporting landmark · United States Grand Prix
Nicola Larini · United States Grand Prix 1991. The recorded position is P7; this number alone does not show whether the driver completed the race distance. This marks the first win or podium where one exists, otherwise the highest recorded placing for this constructor.
Latest recorded appearance · Australian Grand Prix
Nicola Larini · Australian Grand Prix 1991. The recorded outcome is DNF. This is the last race start attributed to this constructor in the archive, not necessarily the end of the organisation behind it.
A distinctive way of racing
The Lamborghini V12 and blue bodywork made the 291 recognisable among the small teams facing pre-qualifying. The same company supplied engines to other constructors: those results do not automatically belong to Modena. Larini and van de Poele used a specific chassis here, developed alongside the engine, but the programme lacked the resources to develop it as consistently as its rivals.
What remains
The team contested only 1991 and left the World Championship without points. The archive’s six races with at least one start must not be confused with the number of individual cars that started. Larini’s seventh place and the missed opportunity at Imola remain its clearest episodes: a single-seater with experienced designers, born from funding that changed before its debut had even taken place.