Exclusive Nicola Larini: On Karting, F3, DTM, F1 and Imola 1994

There was no joy in his only podium which came at Imola in 1994. Italian F3 & DTM Championships were the highlights of his racing career. Today, he is helping his son Davide climb the racing ladder.

Larini: "Personally, I'm fine. Not really happy about the race result about my son, unfortunately he got a penalty in the race. So, we are going for the next one and in one hour I wish a better result for him and also for me because I like to see good results."

Larini: "It's not easy. So now he's 16-years-old; when I started my career, I was 18 so I know it's completely different; it's difficult to make a comparison because it's different times. Today they start when they are eight years old."

Larini: "Honestly, I don't know. It just happened."

Larini: "I started in karting really late; I was 14 years old. So, for example, now they start at seven years old. So, at 12 they are already in racing many, many years. This is the reason why at 15 years of age they are ready to drive a Formula 4 car like this. This is a very competitive car. They are fast. They are faster than my Formula 3 car. If I compare my lap time 40 years ago, they are five seconds faster."

Larini: "When I joined him, I had good a sponsor and good support, and I had the best car in the field. The target was to win, and I won. So, that was the Italian Championship, and Enzo was working on his Formula 1 project. I'm being his first driver for that project. In 1987, we tried to do Monza. But fortunately, the car was not ready. And then we went to Spain. In Spain, we were doing a good race and retired with mechanical problems, but we were already in midfield. So, after that, I got the opportunity to continue with other teams. But, of course, Coloni has been my first big sponsor for my career."

Larini: "My first experience has been, you know, in Monza, fighting for qualifying. Honestly, I don't remember what's happening around, but I know that there was a big opportunity to become one of the top drivers in the world. It's always been an important moment for me to achieve goals for the future."

Larini: "Of course, in the past you could have the opportunity to drive for a small team. But this was the ticket to get in Formula 1. Now it is impossible. There are only 20 cars and only 20 drivers. In 1980–89, there were 26 drivers and 26 cars, so it was completely different. There was more opportunity for a young driver to try to get into Formula 1. Of course, to score a point was a bet. For example, with Osella, I've got this big opportunity in Canada, when we were third after three quarters race, then we got a technical problem. But, you know, of course, that for me was like a business card; to show the other team that I was good, unfortunately, Osella lost the opportunity to gain points and access to be a top 10 team."

Larini. "It was not easy. The only positive I can say for me was a way to learn French because I had never studied French. So, in one year, I was able to speak in French to everyone. Of course, it was not easy; the team was not in the right condition to be faster because the car was coming from the previous season. And if I remember also the season before, it was very old with, you know, an eight-cylinder Cosworth that was at the end of its life.

"It has been a very nice season for me because I'm one of the drivers that did the most mileage. I did three times seventh, unfortunately, the points were only given up to sixth position, so now it's different, now you can you be 10th. and you get one point. But, anyway, with Ligier it was a nice experience for me, and it has been a big improvement because I was really in a professional team apart from car's competitiveness."

Larini: "Of course, I was test and third driver at that moment. I replaced Ivan Capelli; for the last race of the season because there was a new car with the active suspension. And I was developing this new suspension for 1993. The team decided because they were not competitive, so they decided to go to Australia and Japan with this car to go straight in the race and to see how the performance was and if they were ready in this direction.

"For 1994 I replaced Jean Alesi because he was injured testing here in Mugello. (The French Ace from Avignon was on the podium in the Interlagos season opener and missed the Pacific and San Marino Grands Prix). That races were for me difficult because the car was good, not so bad. I've got a good opportunity also in Japan, but unfortunately, I was involved in a first-corner crash between Hakkinen and Senna, so I didn't race, I did only 50 meters. Race 2 was in Imola, and you know the story."

Larini: "It was a nightmare. The atmosphere was really bad, first of all, for the accident that we got in the race weekend from Friday, Barrichello, then Ratzenberger. And then during the race, after the start, my mechanics in the hospital for a problem in the pit lane. And then Senna. I think, a black week like this. I don't know. I don't remember. Also going into the past, it has been a very difficult race weekend. Of course, for me also, it has been my best race in Formula 1, my best result. Okay, for this reason, it didn't do anything for the future because no one can remember my result but only what's happened. Negative."

Larini: "Yeah, after the Formula 1 experience, after the Lamborghini experience, I decided to stop my Formula 1 career because it was not possible to continue in a team without money, so the reason why I'm became the third drive for Ferrari and at the same time back with Alfa Romeo as a full season in the form of a touring car in 1992. First of all, in the Italian Championship, and then in DTM for three years. Yeah, that has been an important moment of my career because I finally got the opportunity to drive a good car and to be the best in the field."

Larini. "After years without an Italian in Formula 1, the last one was Giovinazzi, I hope that Antonelli can be the future for Italian drivers in Formula 1. I know that it is not easy, but he has the backing of one of the biggest car manufacturers, so I think if he is good, he can be in Formula 1 for many years. And maybe to try to become a world champion."

Larini: "I tell you honestly, this world is completely changed. Now if you want to be in, for example, the Italian Formula 4 Championship, if you go and read the drivers names, there are 37 drivers, only three Italian drivers, including my son, and the rest have come from worldwide. So this means that the Italian Championship is one of the most important for developing young drivers for the future, but to be in the top team to win it's not easy because you need unlimited budget. Of course, you have to be right; you have to be faster, but it's not enough. You need money, money, money. Everything changed when Stroll started racing in 2014. Now it's not possible to be here just because you're only faster. You need the money, a lot."

Larini: "I wish for him because I saw last time he showed the world he is still good for fighting. But Ferrari for many years have not been able to have a really consistent race winning car. Okay, they can win some races, but they are not on top to be able to win championships. So, I wish for him all the best. I think for a driver like him, it was a dream. It was a dream to finish a career in the red. But, never say never. We will see."

Larini: "As I told you, everything has changed. Yeah. Now if you push a little bit penalty, if you go two centimeters off the line penalty. So now they are going to replace tarmac with gravel again as in the past because that has been a very stupid idea to avoid this kind of problem, but of course the stones are dangerous, but also in the past, so I think going back a little bit with the old style is good for motor racing."

Larini: "Spa-Francorchamps."