If you say Andrea Moda, you say Andrea Sassetti at the Belgium Grand Prix in 1992. During that Grand Prix he got arrested in the paddock. It was the begin of the end for the Italian team. Eventually the FISA decided, a week after his arrest, that the team was suspended for the rest of the season. Though there is a forgotten part of the team, something you would not expect or perhaps would. It depends on your view.
A little history first. Andrea Sassetti announced his team in 1991. Ready to enter the Formula One in 1992. The base of the car was the Coloni C4B. Sassetti purchased all the assets and simply painted the cars black and rebranded them. In first instance the team was not allowed to enter the Formula One in 1992. Due to legal issues.
Later on the team came with their new car the S921. This car was based on the BMW S192 project from Nick Wirth (Simtek). The team was notorious for replacing their drivers almost every race. As well the drivers were not able to push the cars to the max as there were almost no replacement parts. Neither was the team serious in developing the car.
To make the story worst for the team, Andrea Sassetti was shot at after his discotheque was burned down. When he fled the fire, he was shot at by a gunman though he missed. It’s the well known info most of you are aware of.
As the team disappeared after the 1992 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where they team was denied access to the pits it became silence around Andrea Moda. However, this would change later in the year after the Formula One season was over.
I only recently found out that there were rumours in late October about Andrea Moda to return to the Formula One in 1993. How serious the attempt was is questionable. Especially if you see how the 1992 season ended for them. Expelled from the Formula One by the FISA.
While it is questionable what they had to seek in the Formula One in 1993, the team did make an entry bid for 1993 by the FISA. This probably happened between the 26th of November and the 2nd of December 1992. However, their bid was too late and was rejected by the FISA eventually.
I could uncover a bit more information, though it is more bits and pieces, the team would have been using the S921 design from the previous season. The base of the car was good, so the plan was to update and develop the car with the 1993 regulations. The car would been powered either by the Judd of the Ilmor engine as far as I could uncover. Regarding the drivers there ain’t no info about it.
Probably none of the previous drivers for the team would agreed to race for them in 1993.
