De Cesaris, Andrea
Name: De Cesaris, Andrea
Date of birth: May 31st, 1959
Place of birth: Rome, Italy
Minardi link: Andrea raced with Minardi in 1986 for 16 races. He scored no points for the team and only finished once (8th at the Mexican GP).
Original article: Simon Vigar
Date of birth: May 31st, 1959
Place of birth: Rome, Italy
Minardi link: Andrea raced with Minardi in 1986 for 16 races. He scored no points for the team and only finished once (8th at the Mexican GP).
Original article: Simon Vigar
If you think Heinz-Harald Frentzen is racking-up the number of teams on his CV you must meet Andrea De Cesaris, or "De Crasheris" as he became known. The comical Italian could be very quick (pole at Long Beach 1982) but more often than not he would also stuff it in the wall. He drove/crashed for ten teams, including Minardi which enjoyed his services early in its Formula One adventure. It had all started so well. Little rich boy Andrea was world karting champion in 1977 and but threw away the British Formula 3 title two years later with a series of errors. Thus a trend was established. He also drove for Ron Dennis in the Project Four Formula 2 team.
Thanks to Marlboro backing Andrea started Formula One with Alfa Romeo in 1980 and then got his big break with fellow Marlboro team McLaren. He trashed a number of cars and seriously underwhelmed Ron. For most people it would have been the end of their career but Andrea's money got him a seat back at Alfa and '82 and '83 were the best of his career. His qualifying effort at Long Beach made him the youngest driver (22) to achieve a pole position (a record held until Rubens Barrichello so memorably did the business at Spa in 1994). So how did Andrea's Long Beach race go? Well, he crashed. To say he did not command the respect of the paddock is an understatement. Also in '82 he led at Monaco before running out of fuel and the following year, his last with Alfa, he led at Spa and recorded his best championship finish of eighth.
Andrea then had a couple of reasonably successful seasons with Ligier but that form didn't continue with Minardi in 1986. 16 GPs, one race finish, nil points. To be fair, the car broke down a lot and Andrea was on his way. He then smashed his way up and down the pitlane driving for Brabham, Rial, Dallara, the debutant Jordan team, Tyrrell and finally Sauber. I recall one horrendous shunt at the Ostereichring in 1985 where he went off all on his own, barrel-rolled his Ligier about five times as the car disintegrated and somehow he still walked away. He was promptly fired. In 1989 he provided one of Formula One's funniest moments when his second-placed Dallara team-mate Alex Caffi lapped him at Phoenix. In a display of fraternal best wishes Andrea seemed to open the door but then cut-up Alex sending him into the armco.
One has to admire his perseverance and his racecraft did improve but there's no doubt, without his money, he wouldn't have lasted half as long in F1. He may be second only to Riccardo Patrese in the number of Grands Prix started but he's second to none in the manner he finished them.
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