Gian Paolo Dallara
Encyclopedia
Gianpaolo Dallara is an Italian businessman and motorsports engineer. He is owner of Dallara Motorsports, a company that develops racing cars.
.
He graduated from Politecnico di Milano university, majoring in aeronautical engineering. He joined Ferrari
in 1960, and next year moved to Maserati
. In 1963 he was hired by Lamborghini
as their chief designer, where he designed the Lamborghini Espada
and Miura
. In 1969 he started to design race cars for Frank Williams, founder and manager of the WilliamsF1
Formula One
team.
In 1972, Dallara founded and established Dallara Automobili in Parma, Italy. Starting from 1974, Dallara and his company started designing a Formula One
car for the Williams Team
. Another project included designing a race car to Formula 3 standards. This resulted in victories in Italy
, France
, England
, Switzerland
, Germany
, Japan
, USA, Russia
, and Austria
.
In 1997 Dallara and his company expanded into IndyCar racing, with many victories from 1998 until 2003. Dallara later branched out into F1 projects in the mid-1990s, but by the end of 1998, Honda, coming to the new project as full constructor, called on Dallara to design the new F1 chassis for BAR
-Honda. Later Honda cancelled this project.
Begin in 2000, after the cancellation of the Honda project, Dallara embarked on a new project. He and his team were to build a race car for French team, Oreca
in Le Mans series
. In the August of 2004, it was announced that Dallara and his team were signed by Alex Shnaider
to build a chassis for the erstwhile Jordan team, Midland. Later, Dallara brought along Gary Anderson to handle this project. But by mid 2005, Dallara pulled out from the project.
In 2009, it was announced that Dallara and his team will begin a new project: building an F1 chassis for the new team, Campos Grand Prix
.
Biography
Dallara was born in ParmaParma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
.
He graduated from Politecnico di Milano university, majoring in aeronautical engineering. He joined Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
in 1960, and next year moved to Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
. In 1963 he was hired by Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
as their chief designer, where he designed the Lamborghini Espada
Lamborghini Espada
The Lamborghini Espada is a grand tourer which was built by Italian car manufacturer Lamborghini between 1968 and 1978.Based on the Marzal show car, displayed at the 1967 Geneva Auto Show, and the Bertone Pirana, a radically rebodied Jaguar E-type, it was to fill the spot of a true four seat car in...
and Miura
Lamborghini Miura
The Lamborghini Miura was a sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1966 and 1972. The car is widely considered to have begun the trend of high performance, two-seater, mid-engined sports cars...
. In 1969 he started to design race cars for Frank Williams, founder and manager of the WilliamsF1
WilliamsF1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
team.
In 1972, Dallara founded and established Dallara Automobili in Parma, Italy. Starting from 1974, Dallara and his company started designing a Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
car for the Williams Team
Frank Williams Racing Cars
Frank Williams Racing Cars was a British Formula One team and constructor.-Early years:Frank Williams had been a motor-racing enthusiast since a young age, and after a career in saloon cars and Formula Three, backed by Williams' shrewd instincts as a dealer in racing cars and spares, he realised...
. Another project included designing a race car to Formula 3 standards. This resulted in victories in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, USA, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
In 1997 Dallara and his company expanded into IndyCar racing, with many victories from 1998 until 2003. Dallara later branched out into F1 projects in the mid-1990s, but by the end of 1998, Honda, coming to the new project as full constructor, called on Dallara to design the new F1 chassis for BAR
British American Racing
British American Racing was a Formula One constructor that competed in the sport from 1999 to 2005. BAR began by acquiring Tyrrell, and used Supertec engines for their first year...
-Honda. Later Honda cancelled this project.
Begin in 2000, after the cancellation of the Honda project, Dallara embarked on a new project. He and his team were to build a race car for French team, Oreca
Oreca
Oreca is a French racing team, founded and run by Hugues de Chaunac, former team manager of F1 team AGS. Oreca has had success in many areas of motorsport including Formula Three where drivers including Alain Prost, Jacques Laffite and Jean Alesi have won the French Formula Three Championship for...
in Le Mans series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
. In the August of 2004, it was announced that Dallara and his team were signed by Alex Shnaider
Alex Shnaider
Alex Shnaider is a Russian-born Canadian entrepreneur and former commodities trader. He is co-founder with Eduard Shifrin of the Midland Group. He was educated at York University in Toronto....
to build a chassis for the erstwhile Jordan team, Midland. Later, Dallara brought along Gary Anderson to handle this project. But by mid 2005, Dallara pulled out from the project.
In 2009, it was announced that Dallara and his team will begin a new project: building an F1 chassis for the new team, Campos Grand Prix
Campos Grand Prix
HRT F1 Team, formerly known as Campos Meta 1 and Hispania Racing, is a Spanish Formula One team founded by former driver Adrián Campos. It was sold to José Ramón Carabante before its debut in 2010, and to then to investment group Thesan Capital in July 2011...
.