Alex Caffi Biography: Alessandro Giuseppe “Alex” Caffi is an Italian racing driver, team owner, and former Formula One driver. He raced in 75 Grand Prix after debuting on September 7, 1986. He raced in the first season of the Grand Prix Masters formula for retired Formula One driver in 2006. Currently, he is serving as the official team owner of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series team Academy Motorsport and he has acted as an owner driver at the time of the team’s previous guise as Alex Caffi Motosport.
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Alex Caffi Biography
Alex Caffi Biography: Alex Caffi was born in Rovato, Italy, on March 18, 1964. As of 2024, he is 60 years old. His nationality is Italian. From 1984 through 1986, he raced in Italian Formula Three, finishing second in 1984 and 1985 and third in 1986. In 1986, he also had a one-off drive with the Osella Formula One team.
Alex Caffi Wikipedia
Name | Alex Caffi |
Date Of Birth | March 18, 1964 |
Age | 60 years old (as of 2024) |
Birth Place | Rovato, Italy |
Height | N/A |
Weight | N/A |
Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
Profession | Racing Driver |
Net Worth | N/A |
Car Collection | N/A |
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Alex Caffi Career
Osella gave Caffi his Formula One debut at the Italian Grand Prix, the team’s home race, instead of Canadian Allen Berg. Caffi qualified 27th and last in his FA1H (due to a quirk where, for this race and the next in Portugal, only 27 cars were permitted to start) and drove sensibly and steadily to avoid trouble and finish last, albeit six laps down and unclassified.
Caffi joined the new Scuderia Italia team in 1988. Early season growth was slender. Their challenger for the season, the Dallara-built and Ford-Cosworth-powered F188, was not available for the first race in Brazil, so a modified Formula 3000 car, the 3087, was used to fulfill the championship’s entry requirements. Unexpectedly, Caffi did not qualify for the qualifying round.
The new car arrived in time for the San Marino Grand Prix, but Caffi’s luck did not improve, as he retired, and an outstanding 17th in qualifying at Monaco was ruined when he crashed on the opening lap, the first blemish on his career record. Caffi’s third consecutive retirement in Mexico and failure to qualify in Canada only worsened the situation.
Caffi’s and the team’s seasons turned around at midseason, with four consecutive finishes; eighth in the United States, 12th in France after qualifying 14th, 11th in Great Britain, & 15th in Germany after qualifying 19th.
In the following five races, performance could have been more consistent. Three top-10 finishes; 8th in Belgium after qualifying 15th, 7th in Portugal after qualifying 17th, and 10th in Spain after qualifying 18th were placed between two retirements; in Hungary, where he qualified in the top 10 for the first time in 10th, and in Italy. 1988 ended with two retirements in Japan and 11th-place qualifying in Australia. Caffi was unclassified for the second consecutive season in the Drivers Championship.
Before the 1992 season, Footwork partnered Michele Alboreto with Aguri Suzuki, and Caffi was abruptly released. He had no choice but to join the new Andrea Moda team alongside Enrico Bertaggia, as he had little time to find a drive, and most seats were filled. The team, owned by shoe magnate and playboy Andrea Sassetti, purchased the Coloni team in 1991 and intended to use their C4 chassis with a Judd V10 engine for the upcoming season.
Due to FIA registration issues, Caffi could only complete a few exploratory circuits at the South African Grand Prix, the opening race of 1992. The team’s new car, the Nick Wirth-designed S921, was built and prepared before the next race in Mexico, but freight delays forced Sassetti to withdraw both Caffi and Bertaggia from the Mexican event.
After two races, Caffi had had enough, expressed his displeasure, and was dismissed by Sassetti, who replaced him with Brazilian super-sub Roberto Moreno. The absence of points from both races resulted in the Italian’s elimination from the Drivers’ Championship, but more significantly, it marked the end of his Formula One career at age 28.
It has been known that when he is not racing so at that he is an instructor at the official Subaru Italia safety driving and racing school.