• Guido Forti 1940-2013

Former F1 boss Forti dies

ESPN Staff
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Guido Forti's team particicpated in F1 in 1995 and 1996 © Sutton Images
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Ex-Formula One team boss Guido Forti has died at the age of 72.

He ran the Forti Corse team which took part in Formula One in 1995 and for the first six races of the 1996 season. Many claim Forti was the last privateer team - it was certainly the last to use a manual gearbox in F1.

The team had a pedigree of almost two decades of success in other formula, and from 1992 Forti developed a relationship with the wealthy Brazilian businessman Abílio dos Santos Diniz. That relationship funded the move up to F1 but also ensured Diniz's son, Pedro, had a seat in the top flight.

The first car, entered in 1995, was well off the pace, often by several seconds, and even when it did finish it was laps adrift of the winner. Plans were advanced for a replacement in 1996 when Diniz moved to Ligier taking his father's cash with him.

Forti limped on but inevitably ran out of cash midway through the season. The end was messy, with botched rescue plans and a final appearance in Germany when the unassembled cars did not leave the garage.

Forti finally retired from motorsport for good in 2003 after a brief spell managing an F3000 team.

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