KEEPING THE SPIRIT ALIVE SINCE 1999
Giovanni Aloi
25/4/1965
257
In the autumn of 1989 a young and well-connected Mexican businessman called Fernando Gonzalez Luna announced that he intended to create a Mexican racing team in Formula 1, to be run by former Italian journalist Leopoldo Canettoli.He established a company called GLAS - Gonzalez Luna Associates - and began raising sponsorship from Mexican companies and investors. The project appeared to be proceeding when it was announced in early 1990 that Lamborghini would not only supply a new Lamborghini V12 engine, but would also build the Formula 1 chassis for him.
The Italians hired a team of designers and work on a chassis began while the Mexicans made preparations, including naming Giovanni Aloi as the team's test driver. GLAS raised $20m to pay for the exciting project.
Meanwhile Giovanni Aloi cut his teeth in preparation in F3000 with GA Motorsport.
Suddenly in June 1990 Gonzalez Luna disappeared without trace. The money raised disappeared with him and the plans for the team collapsed. It was clear that Gonzalez Luna had pulled off a successful confidence trick.
When the Mexican consortium failed, Giovanni who was frequently held back with elusive reliability, disappeared from racing before proving anything, except that, apart from skill, a well-filled suitcase is a warrant for a career in motor racing.
Lamborghini Engineering decided that rather than throw away the money that it had invested in the chassis department that it would try to find someone else to run a team using the same package and eventually Italian financier Carlo Patrucco was convinced to start an organization called Modena Team. The team signed up drivers Nicola Larini and Eric Van de Poele and despite having to pre-qualify the team got off to a good start when Larini finished seventh in the opening race of 1991 in Phoenix, Arizona. At the San Marino Van de Poele was running fourth when his car broke down in the final laps of the race. After that the team ran out of money and was closed down at the end of the 1991 season.
The police are still looking for Gonzalez Luna.
While Giovanni switched to bullfighting and became one of the top matadors in Mexico.
