Osella FA1L
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 The FA1L at the 1988 British Grand Prix | |||||||||
| Category | Formula One | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Osella | ||||||||
| Designer(s) | Antonio Tomaini | ||||||||
| Predecessor | FA1I | ||||||||
| Successor | FA1M | ||||||||
| Technical specifications[1] | |||||||||
| Chassis | Carbon fibre monocoque | ||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbones, pullrods | ||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Double wishbones, pullrods | ||||||||
| Axle track | Front: 1,800 mm (71 in) Rear: 1,672 mm (65.8 in) | ||||||||
| Wheelbase | 2,776 mm (109.3 in) | ||||||||
| Engine | Osella 890T 1,497 cc (91.4 cu in), V8, turbo (2.5 Bar limited), mid-engine, longitudinally mounted | ||||||||
| Transmission | Hewland / Osella 6-speed manual | ||||||||
| Weight | 560 kg (1,230 lb) | ||||||||
| Fuel | Agip | ||||||||
| Tyres | Goodyear | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants | Osella Squadra Corse | ||||||||
| Notable drivers | 21.  Nicola Larini | ||||||||
| Debut | 1988 Monaco Grand Prix | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
The Osella FA1L was a Formula One car designed by Antonio Tomaini and raced by Osella in the 1988 FIA Formula One World Championship. It was the last Osella to be powered by a turbocharged engine, the Alfa Romeo-designed 1.5-litre 890T V8, and was driven by a young Nicola Larini, who had made his F1 debut with Coloni in 1987.
The Alfa Romeo 890T turbo engine that powered the FA1L had been introduced to Formula One in 1983. Osella had been using Alfa turbo power since 1984, but had scored only two points with the engine over five seasons when Piercarlo Ghinzani had finished fifth in the 1984 Dallas Grand Prix. The team's cars and the engine had both proved unreliable and, as a result, Fiat, the parent company of Alfa Romeo, withdrew its support for the engine, though they allowed Osella to keep using it in 1988 so long as the Alfa Romeo name was not used. This resulted in the engine being renamed the Osella 890T (or Osella V8) for the season.
The 1988 season can be seen as a dismal failure for the small Italian team owned by Enzo Osella, though Larini reported that early season testing at Monza had produced good straight-line speed and encouraging lap times. The car was heavy (560 kg (1,230 lb)) and produced excessive drag which hurt its top speed while not producing enough downforce which made it slow when cornering (like all Osella's since 1984, the FA1L had its aerodynamic origins in the Alfa Romeo 183T used by the factory Alfa team in 1983). Also, the V8 turbo engine suffered from both high fuel consumption and a lack of throttle response (turbo lag). The fuel consumption problem was one the engine had been plagued with since re-fuelling was banned in 1984. Indeed the FA1L (nicknamed "FAIL") was often hard pressed to qualify or race as fast as the 'atmo' V8 cars. While top speeds were generally the same as the slower atmo cars, the non-turbo V8's did not suffer from turbo lag and thus had better acceleration.
