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1982-85
Successful karter, takes to Italian F3 |
Swiss driver Andrea Chiesa, actually born in Milan in Italy, showed early promise which tailed off badly, reflected in a disastrous ten entries in Formula One. The first we hear of him is in 1982, when he began competing at the late age of 18 in the Swiss Karting Championship.
However, being a fast learner, in 1983 he won the title but elected to stay in karting for 1984, taking part in some international events, and also finishing 3rd in the European championship. Then in 1985 he moved up to cars after a course at the CSAI Racing School in Italy. As one of the better students, he managed to squeeze in a few races in Italian F3 in an old Ralt RT3. |
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1986-87
Narrow miss in Italian F3 to Enrico Bertaggia |
He campaigned full-time in Italian F3 in 1986, when he drove a Dallara 386 with a Volkswagen engine for the Pino Trivellato team, but the motor proved a troublesome unit. Still, with two 3rds, a 4th, a 6th and a pole position, Chiesa managed to finish 10th overall, which was not a bad effort.
In 1987, he remained in Italian F3, racing a Dallara 387 with an Alfa Romeo engine for Paolo Pavanello's Euroracing team. Getting off to a sensational start, he won three of the first four races, but things went a little downhill from there, although he did finish 10 of the 12 rounds in the top 6. Although he also scored two 2nds and 3 poles, he was pipped for the title by Enrico Bertaggia, losing by 51 points to 55. |
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1988-89
Steals Aussie's drive, then proceeds to win at Enna |
1988 saw Chiesa move up to International F3000, driving for Cobra Motorsport in a year-old Lola T87/50, and then a Reynard 88D, with a Cosworth engine. Despite two DNQs and two accidents, he scored a single point for 6th at Monza, and finished equal 20th with Michel Ferte.
1989 was a lot better. Having snatched a drive with the Roni Q8 team in a Reynard 89D with a Heini Mader-tuned Cosworth engine from right under Gary Brabham's nose, Chiesa took full advantage. He took 2nd at Vallelunga and then a fine win at Enna, to notch up 15 points for 6th in the series, although at one stage he briefly led the championship. |
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1990-91
Results decline; has an abysmal year with broke team |
In 1990 he switched to Paul Stewart Racing in a Lola T90/50 with a Mugen engine. Though he actually scored more points (18 in all), he was only 7th in the series. Those points came courtesy of 2nd places at Donington and Birmingham, and 5ths at Jerez, Brands Hatch, and Le Mans Bugatti.
Having failed thus far to secure an F1 berth, in 1991 he started the year with budgetary problems. In the end he landed another F3000 drive with Apomatox, but despite a competitive Reynard chassis, he and the financially-struggling team flunked badly, failing to score even a single point in 6 outings. Chiesa even suffered the ignominy of a DNQ at Mugello. For someone who had tasted victory in the category before, finishes of 9th, 10th, 13th and 14th were very unsatisfactory. |
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1992 Fondmetal Hopes high for Andrea, but easily outdriven by Tarquini |
But despite his dismal 1991, somehow Chiesa landed an F1 seat for 1992 in Gabriele Rumi's Fondmetal team, as team-mate to the supremely talented Gabriele Tarquini. Even though the team's new and competitive GR02 chassis was late in coming, forcing the outfit to make do with the older GR01 model, with a Ford HB engine in the back it was by no means sluggish ... but only when in Tarquini's hands.
Chiesa's mediocre efforts make interesting reading compared to Tarquini's, keeping in mind, of course, that Andrea had no testing either before or during the season, and that Tarquini predominantly had superior machinery. The season started in South Africa, where Chiesa was only 28th fastest and failed to qualify, whereas Tarquini got in easily in 15th. In Mexico, Tarquini started 14th while Chiesa made it onto 23rd slot, ahead of Ukyo Katayama, Michele Alboreto and Erik Comas, but he spun out after 37 laps. |
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1992
Chiesa appeared somewhat out of his depth |
At Interlagos, Johnny Herbert's Lotus pipped Chiesa for the last grid spot by 0.159s, but Tarquini was up 19th. Then in Spain, Chiesa recorded his best qualifying effort, starting 20th, ahead of both Lotuses and both Minardis, and only 0.163s off Tarquini who was 18th. But in the race, Chiesa spun out again, this time after 22 laps.
At Imola, Tarquini qualified again, and Herbert was once again last on the grid, having beaten Lotus team-mate Mika Hakkinen to 26th spot. Chiesa was 28th, and didn't make it. Andrea was then a spot further back at Monaco, where Tarquini just snuck onto the grid. In Canada, Chiesa was again 29th, but his team-mate had debuted the GR02 from 18th on the grid. |
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1992
The car could do it; Chiesa couldn't |
For the French GP, there were GR02s for both drivers, and both got in. Even though Chiesa was only 26th, he was quite safe. But in the race, he was involved in a first-lap collision with the Jordan of Mauricio Gugelmin. As Chiesa slammed into a wall almost head-on, the front wheel and wishbones flew back towards him. The wheel hit his shoulder, and the wishbones missed his head but sliced through the roll-hoop. His new GR02 was written off.
In Britain and Germany, Tarquini qualified 15th and 19th respectively, but Chiesa was only 29th quickest in both. At Silverstone, despite having a GR02 to play with, he was a mammoth 9.487s off Nigel Mansell's pole time, and 2.074s slower than Damon Hill's Brabham in 26th spot. Then at Hockenheim, he was forced to use the old GR01, which had no hope. After these sad and sorry efforts, Chiesa lost his seat to Brabham refugee Eric van de Poele. |
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1993-96
Off to Surfers', family tragedy leads to a couple of years away |
His F1 tilt over, Chiesa tried to follow Mansell into Indy car racing, and did the 1993 CART season opener on the Gold Coast. He drove for the Euromotorsports team in a Lola T92/00 with a Cosworth engine, but the car retired after two laps with electrical problems, having started a respectable 19th on the grid, ahead of the likes of Danny Sullivan.
The tragic death of his father meant that he was forced to turn his back on motorsport for 1994 and 1995 to oversee the family business, Happily, Andrea made a return to the tracks in the Global GT Endurance Series in 1996, driving a Team Callaway Corvette at Suzuka with fellow Swiss drivers Hans Hauser and Kurt Huber. They were also entered to race at Hockenheim, but did not do so. |
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1997-98
Dabbles in WSC, joins Caffi for full ISRS assault |
1997 saw Chiesa turn up in the Master Kart series at the Bologna Motor Show, racing against the likes of Giancarlo Fisichella, Alex Zanardi, Mimmo Schiattarella, Beppe Gabbiani and Siegfried Stohr. He also made a single appearance in the World Sportscar US Championship, driving for the Target 24 team in a Riley & Scott Mk III with a Chevrolet engine alongside Alex Caffi in a 105-minute race at Laguna Seca on October 26th. The combination took 6th place overall.
That led to a full assault with the Target 24 team alongside Caffi in the same car on the International Sports Racing Series in 1998. The pair took 3rd places at Paul Ricard and Le Mans Bugatti, a 5th at the Nurburgring, and 6th at Brno, but retired at Misano and Donington. When Target 24 decided not to make the trip to Kyalami, Chiesa found a drive with Giovanni Lavaggi in the GLV Brums Ferrari 333SP, and came 5th. Overall Chiesa was 5th on 46 points. |
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1998-2000
Becomes Master Karter; in a BMW at Spa and the 'Ring |
In 1998 he also competed in an international Master Kart series, racing for Team Switzerland alongside Clay Regazzoni and Franco Forini. In 1999, Chiesa could once again be found at the wheel of a kart, racing in the Monza Kart Trophy, a 6-hour pro-am event. Chiesa's team also included Tarquini, Vincenzo Sospiri and Marco Apicella. Other competitors included a host of Italian F1 rejects, and amateurs such as Italian gymnastics legend Juri Chechi.
2000 saw Chiesa make further comebacks. In the Nurburgring 24hrs race, he was running 14th but 1st in class in his BMW M3 when he retired 14 hours in. Then at the Spa 24hrs classic, his BMW finished 3rd in Group N. Chiesa also took part in the Sports Racing World Cup (formerly the ISRS) round at Magny-Cours, where he replaced Gary Formato in the R&M Riley & Scott, partnering Mauro Baldi. However, after alternator problems, the pair could only be classified a lowly 14th, 12 laps down. |
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2001
Takes on both FIA WSC and GT series |
In 2001, Chiesa has once again made the odd appearance. In the FIA World Sportcar Championship (the SRWC renamed ... again!), he was entered alongside Caffi in a Conrero R&S Mk III Ford at round 1 in Barcelona, but they didn't turn up. At Monza for round 2, a clutch problem in practice meant Chiesa, Caffi and Angelo Lancelotti did not start the race.
In the FIA GT championship, Chiesa joined Johnny Cecotto in an Orlando Racing Porsche 996 GT3-RS at Brno, where they came 17th. Currently Chiesa is also part of the instructor list at the Centro Internazionale Guida Sicura, a big advanced driving company. |
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