Life (Racing Team)
Encyclopedia
Life was a Formula One
constructor from Modena, Italy
. The company was named for its founder, Ernesto Vita ("Vita" is Italian for "Life"). Life first emerged on the Formula One
scene in 1990, trying to market their unconventional W12
3.5 Litre engine.
The team had a disastrous single season, and failed to make the grid in all 14 attempted starts during the 1990 season, often clocking in laps many seconds slower than its next competitor.
engineer Franco Rocchi, who had been responsible for, among others, Ferrari's famous 3-litre V8 for the 1970s 308 GTB and GTS. There were rumours that Rocchi's W12 plans dated back to the early 1970s when he was a highly regarded Ferrari man; but it is doubtful if those plans - if they did exist - found the approval of Enzo Ferrari. After his dismissal in 1980, Rocchi worked privately on an engine in a W12 configuration. According to his concept, the engine had three banks of four cylinders; hence it was short like a V8 but taller than a regular V-banked engine. In France, Guy Nègre from Moteurs Guy Nègre worked on a similar machine that saw the light of day in 1989 before being tested privately in an out-dated AGS
JH22 chassis. Apart from the W12 configuration, both engines bore no other similarities, nor were there any links between their designers.
Franco Rocchi's W12 was ready in the first half of the 1989 Formula One season
. It was the time when turbocharged engines finally had faded away and everybody needed a normally aspirated motor. New engine manufacturers entered Formula One (such as Ilmor
, Judd
and Yamaha
), and new ideas broke through. Carlo Chiti
's Motori Moderni
unsuccessfully tried to revive flat-12 engines, badged as Subaru
s and used by the Coloni
team, whilst Renault
and Honda developed V10
engines, propelling the Williams
and McLaren teams to great success.
In this situation, the Italian tradesman Ernesto Vita hoped for fast money. He bought the rights to the W12 from Franco Rocchi and tried to supply the engine to a well-funded Formula One team. During 1989, Vita searched for a partner without any success. Finally, he gave up his search and decided to run the engine on his own in the 1990 Formula One season
.
that had been designed by Richard Divila
for Lamberto Leoni
´s Formula 3000
team. The car had been built up by January 1989 but the promising project was abandoned soon after an initial test with Gabriele Tarquini
had taken place. In late 1989, Vita purchased the single chassis and fitted his W12 engine. The major engineering work had been done by Gianni Marelli, another former Ferrari man. The car - now dubbed Life L190 - was ready by February 1990, and tested briefly at Vallelunga
and Monza
.
, it would have been outclassed, much less Formula One.
Initially Sir Jack Brabham
's son Gary Brabham
was signed to drive but when he failed to prequalify twice he left the team for good, in the second of his two races the car coasted to a halt after 400 yards with the mechanics on strike revealing they never put oil in the engine. In came Bruno Giacomelli
, an Italian veteran who had last raced in Formula One in 1983. Not surprisingly, things did not improve. The car did not get faster, in fact it never managed to run more than eight laps before exploding. At 1990 San Marino Grand Prix
Giacomelli was even noted for saying that he was scared he might be struck from behind as his car was so slow. For the Portuguese Grand Prix
, the team replaced their own engine with a more conventional Judd
CV V8, but then found that the engine cover did not fit and flew off the car on its first lap of Estoril.
They withdrew before the final two Grands Prix, and were never heard from again.
Source:
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...
constructor from Modena, 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...
. The company was named for its founder, Ernesto Vita ("Vita" is Italian for "Life"). Life first emerged on the 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...
scene in 1990, trying to market their unconventional W12
W12 engine
A W12 engine is a twelve cylinder piston internal combustion engine in a W configuration. W12 engines are manufactured in two distinct configurations. One configuration uses four rows of three cylinders merged into two 'cylinder banks' , coupled to a common crankshaft - as in Volkswagen Group W12...
3.5 Litre engine.
The team had a disastrous single season, and failed to make the grid in all 14 attempted starts during the 1990 season, often clocking in laps many seconds slower than its next competitor.
The W12 adventure
Life's W12 machine had been designed by the former FerrariFerrari
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...
engineer Franco Rocchi, who had been responsible for, among others, Ferrari's famous 3-litre V8 for the 1970s 308 GTB and GTS. There were rumours that Rocchi's W12 plans dated back to the early 1970s when he was a highly regarded Ferrari man; but it is doubtful if those plans - if they did exist - found the approval of Enzo Ferrari. After his dismissal in 1980, Rocchi worked privately on an engine in a W12 configuration. According to his concept, the engine had three banks of four cylinders; hence it was short like a V8 but taller than a regular V-banked engine. In France, Guy Nègre from Moteurs Guy Nègre worked on a similar machine that saw the light of day in 1989 before being tested privately in an out-dated AGS
Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives
Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives was a small French racecar constructor that competed in various racing categories over a period of thirty years, including Formula One from to ....
JH22 chassis. Apart from the W12 configuration, both engines bore no other similarities, nor were there any links between their designers.
Franco Rocchi's W12 was ready in the first half of the 1989 Formula One season
1989 Formula One season
The 1989 Formula One season was the 40th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1989 FIA Formula One World Championship, which commenced on March 26, 1989 and ended on November 5 after sixteen races...
. It was the time when turbocharged engines finally had faded away and everybody needed a normally aspirated motor. New engine manufacturers entered Formula One (such as Ilmor
Ilmor
Ilmor, founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in November 1983, is a British independent high-performance autosport engineering company. With manufacturing based in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, and maintenance offices in Plymouth, Michigan, the company supplies engines and consultancy to the...
, Judd
Judd (engine)
Judd is a name brand of engines produced by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England...
and Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Company
, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
), and new ideas broke through. Carlo Chiti
Carlo Chiti
Carlo Chiti was an Italian racing car and engine designer. Chiti is best known for his long association with Alfa Romeo's racing department....
's Motori Moderni
Motori Moderni
Motori Moderni was a Formula One engine manufacturer from 1985 through 1987. It was established by the experienced Italian engine designer Carlo Chiti....
unsuccessfully tried to revive flat-12 engines, badged as Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
s and used by the Coloni
Enzo Coloni Racing Car Systems
Enzo Coloni Racing Car Systems, commonly referred to simply as Coloni, is an Italian motor racing team and former Formula One racing car constructor. While it has been successful in Formula Three and Formula 3000, the team was one of the least successful in Formula One history...
team, whilst Renault
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
and Honda developed V10
V10
V10 or V-10 may refer to:* V10 engine, an engine configuration* Ningbo Bird V10, a successful phone model produced by Ningbo Bird* ATC code V10 Therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, a subgroup of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System...
engines, propelling the Williams
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...
and McLaren teams to great success.
In this situation, the Italian tradesman Ernesto Vita hoped for fast money. He bought the rights to the W12 from Franco Rocchi and tried to supply the engine to a well-funded Formula One team. During 1989, Vita searched for a partner without any success. Finally, he gave up his search and decided to run the engine on his own in the 1990 Formula One season
1990 Formula One season
The 1990 Formula One season was the 41st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1990 FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on March 11, 1990 and ended on November 4 after sixteen races...
.
An old chassis
Therefore, he founded the "Life"-Team, life being the English translation of his family name. The team's headquarters were originally split between the technical offices in Reggio Emilia, and the factory in Formigine, near Modena, then regrouped under the same roof in Formigine. While not having state of the art facilities, the factory was equipped with a "Borghi e Severi" dyno bench and related AVL datalogging computers, which was used for the development of the W12 motor, standard toolshop machines, and a warehouse. Life was not able to build a car on its own. Instead, the team bought the still-born Formula One chassis from First RacingFIRST (constructor)
First Racing was an Italian motor racing team founded by Lamberto Leoni, which competed in International Formula 3000 from 1987 to 1991....
that had been designed by Richard Divila
Richard Divila
.Richard Divila is a Brazilian motorsports designer. He has worked in Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Sports Car Racing....
for Lamberto Leoni
Lamberto Leoni
Lamberto Leoni is a former racing driver from Italy. He participated in five Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, failing to qualify for three of them...
´s Formula 3000
Formula 3000
The Formula 3000 International Championship was a motor racing series created by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile in 1985 to become the final preparatory step for drivers hoping to enter the Formula One championship...
team. The car had been built up by January 1989 but the promising project was abandoned soon after an initial test with Gabriele Tarquini
Gabriele Tarquini
Gabriele Tarquini is a racing driver from Italy. He participated in 78 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on May 3, 1987. He scored 1 championship point, and holds the record for the most failed attempts to qualify...
had taken place. In late 1989, Vita purchased the single chassis and fitted his W12 engine. The major engineering work had been done by Gianni Marelli, another former Ferrari man. The car - now dubbed Life L190 - was ready by February 1990, and tested briefly at Vallelunga
Vallelunga
Vallelunga is a part of the metropolitan area of Rome, Italy.- See also :* Autodromo Vallelunga...
and Monza
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
.
The 1990 season
When the new season came, the situation was ridiculous: One chassis, one engine, few if any spare parts, and no hope for success. The W12 turned out to be the least powerful engine of the year: its output was 480 hp while others did 600 to 700 hp. On the other hand, the ex-First L190 chassis was one of the heaviest cars in the field at 530kg. Handling was bad, reliability was poor. As a result, the Life was as fast (or slow) as a Formula 3 car. Even in Formula 3000Formula 3000
The Formula 3000 International Championship was a motor racing series created by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile in 1985 to become the final preparatory step for drivers hoping to enter the Formula One championship...
, it would have been outclassed, much less Formula One.
Initially Sir Jack Brabham
Jack Brabham
Sir John Arthur "Jack" Brabham, AO, OBE is an Australian former racing driver who was Formula One champion in , and . He was a founder of the Brabham racing team and race car constructor that bore his name....
's son Gary Brabham
Gary Brabham
Gary Brabham is a former professional racing driver from Australia and a British Formula 3000 champion.-Racing career:...
was signed to drive but when he failed to prequalify twice he left the team for good, in the second of his two races the car coasted to a halt after 400 yards with the mechanics on strike revealing they never put oil in the engine. In came Bruno Giacomelli
Bruno Giacomelli
Bruno Giacomelli is a former racing driver from Italy.He won one of the two 1976 British Formula Three Championships and the 1978 Formula Two championship. He participated in 82 Formula One grands prix, debuting on September 11, 1977...
, an Italian veteran who had last raced in Formula One in 1983. Not surprisingly, things did not improve. The car did not get faster, in fact it never managed to run more than eight laps before exploding. At 1990 San Marino Grand Prix
1990 San Marino Grand Prix
The 1990 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 13 May 1990 at Imola. It was the third round of the 1990 Formula One season. It was the tenth San Marino Grand Prix and it was the eleventh time Imola hosted a Formula One Grand Prix...
Giacomelli was even noted for saying that he was scared he might be struck from behind as his car was so slow. For the Portuguese Grand Prix
1990 Portuguese Grand Prix
The 1990 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 23 September 1990 at Autódromo do Estoril. It was the thirteenth round of the 1990 Formula One season. The race was the 19th Portuguese Grand Prix and the seventh to be held at Estoril. It was held over 61 laps, of a scheduled 71...
, the team replaced their own engine with a more conventional Judd
Judd (engine)
Judd is a name brand of engines produced by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England...
CV V8, but then found that the engine cover did not fit and flew off the car on its first lap of Estoril.
They withdrew before the final two Grands Prix, and were never heard from again.
After Formula One
The single Life L190 was fully restored in 2009 and ran at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2009 with its original W12 engine back in place. The picture shows the famous pilot Arturo Merzario who guides the Life F1. Currently the car is owned by a well-known a emilian tuner car, probably willing to sell it to a real enthusiast.Complete Formula One results
(results in bold indicate pole position)| Year | Chassis | Engines | Tyres | Driver(s) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 1990 Formula One season The 1990 Formula One season was the 41st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1990 FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on March 11, 1990 and ended on November 4 after sixteen races... |
Life L190 | USA 1990 United States Grand Prix The 1990 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on March 11, 1990 in Phoenix, Arizona. It was the opening round of the 1990 Formula One season. It was the 32nd United States Grand Prix since the American Grand Prize was first held in 1908, and the 25th since the first United States... |
BRA 1990 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1990 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on March 25, 1990 at Interlagos. It was the 19th Brazilian Grand Prix and the ninth to be held at Interlagos. The São Paulo circuit had not held the Grand Prix since 1980 and the circuit was extensively renovated with the circuit itself... |
SMR 1990 San Marino Grand Prix The 1990 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 13 May 1990 at Imola. It was the third round of the 1990 Formula One season. It was the tenth San Marino Grand Prix and it was the eleventh time Imola hosted a Formula One Grand Prix... |
MON 1990 Monaco Grand Prix The 1990 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 27 May 1990 at Monaco. It was the fourth round of the 1990 Formula One season and the 48th Monaco Grand Prix... |
CAN 1990 Canadian Grand Prix The 1990 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 10 June 1990 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. It was the 28th Canadian Grand Prix and the 12th to be held at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve... |
MEX 1990 Mexican Grand Prix The 1990 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on June 24, 1990. It was sixth race of the 1990 Formula One season, the 14th Mexican Grand Prix and the fifth since the Mexico City circuit returned to the Formula One calendar in 1986... |
FRA 1990 French Grand Prix The 1990 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Paul Ricard on July 8, 1990. It was the seventh race of the 1990 Formula One season. It was the 68th French Grand Prix and the 14th and last to be held at Paul Ricard... |
GBR 1990 British Grand Prix The 1990 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on July 15, 1990. It was the eighth round of the 1990 Formula One season. It was the 45th British Grand Prix and the 26th to be held at Silverstone... |
GER 1990 German Grand Prix The 1990 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheimring on July 29, 1990. It was the ninth round of the 1990 Formula One season. The race was the 52nd German Grand Prix and the 14th to be held at the Hockenheimring. It was the 39th and last Formula One Grand Prix to be held... |
HUN 1990 Hungarian Grand Prix The 1990 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Hungaroring on August 12, 1990. It was the tenth round of the 1990 Formula One season. The race was the sixth Hungarian Grand Prix and the fifth to be held at the Hungaroring... |
BEL 1990 Belgian Grand Prix The 1990 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Spa-Francorchamps on August 26, 1990. It was the eleventh round of the 1990 Formula One season. The race was the 48th Belgian Grand Prix. It was the 36th to be held at Spa-Francorchamps and the seventh since the circuit was extensively... |
ITA 1990 Italian Grand Prix The 1990 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 9 September 1990 at Monza. It was the twelfth race of the 1990 Formula One season... |
POR 1990 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1990 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 23 September 1990 at Autódromo do Estoril. It was the thirteenth round of the 1990 Formula One season. The race was the 19th Portuguese Grand Prix and the seventh to be held at Estoril. It was held over 61 laps, of a scheduled 71... |
ESP 1990 Spanish Grand Prix The 1990 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 30 September, 1990 at Jerez. It was the 31st Spanish Grand Prix and the fifth and last time the Grand Prix would be held at the Jerez circuit in Valencia before moving to a new larger facility near Barcelona in Catalonia, though it... |
JPN 1990 Japanese Grand Prix The 1990 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 21 October 1990 at Suzuka. It was the fifteenth and penultimate round of the 1990 Formula One season. It was the 17th Japanese Grand Prix and the fourth to be held at Suzuka... |
AUS 1990 Australian Grand Prix The 1990 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 4 November 1990 at Adelaide. This was the 500th race to contribute to the World Drivers' Championship. The race was the 55th Australian Grand Prix and the sixth to be held on the Adelaide street circuit... |
0 | NC | |||
| Life F35 W12 W12 engine A W12 engine is a twelve cylinder piston internal combustion engine in a W configuration. W12 engines are manufactured in two distinct configurations. One configuration uses four rows of three cylinders merged into two 'cylinder banks' , coupled to a common crankshaft - as in Volkswagen Group W12... |
 Gary BrabhamGary Brabham Gary Brabham is a former professional racing driver from Australia and a British Formula 3000 champion.-Racing career:... |
DNPQ | DNPQ | |||||||||||||||||||
 Bruno GiacomelliBruno Giacomelli Bruno Giacomelli is a former racing driver from Italy.He won one of the two 1976 British Formula Three Championships and the 1978 Formula Two championship. He participated in 82 Formula One grands prix, debuting on September 11, 1977... |
DNPQ | DNPQ | DNPQ | DNPQ | DNPQ | DNPQ | DNPQ | DNPQ | DNPQ | DNPQ | ||||||||||||
| Judd CV Judd (engine) Judd is a name brand of engines produced by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England... V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
DNPQ | DNPQ |
Source: