Teo Fabi

Teodorico "Teo" Fabi (born March 9, 1955 in Milan, Italy) is an Italian former racing driver who drove in Formula One and sportscar racing and claimed the pole position in his rookie year at the Indianapolis 500. He is the older brother of former Formula One driver Corrado Fabi.

Fabi became European Karting Champion in 1975 and followed that up with the European Formula Ford 1600 title in 1977.

Formula car racing

European Formula Three

Fabi would compete in European Formula Three in 1978 for Forti Corse in a March-Toyota. Fabi would compete in seven races during the season and would take wins at Circuit Zolder, Dijon-Prenois and Autodromo Vallelunga Piero Taruffi. Fabi would finish 4th in points with 45 points.

European Formula Two

Fabi would then compete in European Formula Two in 1979 for March Racing Ltd. in a March 792-BMW. Fabi would get a best finish of 2nd at Circuit Park Zandvoort. Fabi would finish 10th in points with 13 points.

Fabi would return to the series in 1980 for the ICI Roloil Racing Team in a March 802-BMW. Fabi would take three wins dueing the season at the Jim Clark Rennen at Hockenheimring, the Eifelrennen at Nürburgring and the Preis Baden-Württemberg at Hockenheimring. Fabi would also qualify on the pole position at the Grote Prijs van België Formel 2 at Circuit Zolder and the Preis Baden-Württemberg at Hockenheimring and would set the fastest lap of the race in the latter on the way to a victory. Fabi would finish out the season 3rd in points with 38 points.

Formula One

Fabi would begin to compete in Formula One in 1982 and would drive the #36 Candy Toleman TG181C-Hart 415T.The team had only qualified twice the previous season. The season got off to a difficult start when the season-opening South African Grand Prix was disrupted by a drivers' strike. Fabi, under pressure from Toleman manager Alex Hawkinge, was the only driver to break the strike (Jochen Mass took no part from the start). His place was then jeopardised when Candy switched their support to Tyrrell, Fabi would see out the season. The TG181C was uncompetitive and the team largely focused on lead driver Derek Warwick. This resulted in Fabi only qualifying for 6 races out of a possible 14. The season would get off to a poor start with Fabi failing to qualify at the South African Grand Prix, the Brazilian Grand Prix and the 1982 United States Grand Prix West. Fabi would manage to qualify at the San Marino Grand Prix, due to the FISA-FOCA war which meant that only fourteen cars attempted to qualify for the race. In the race Fabi finished 7th, 8 laps down. Fabi would go unclassified in the race and scored no points (Fabi could have been considered as the 6th-place finisher had he been classified, due to the disqualification of Manfred Winkelhock). Fabi would then qualify for the Belgian Grand Prix, starting and finishing 21st. Fabi would follow that up by failing to qualify at the Monaco Grand Prix. Fabi would then skip the Detroit Grand Prix and the Canadian Grand Prix. When Fabi returned he only failed to qualify at the German Grand Prix and the Caesars Palace Grand Prix. Fabi's best finish in the remaining races was a 20th-place finish at the Austrian Grand Prix. Fabi would go unranked in the championship due to the fact that he scored no points.

Fabi's Indy car season in 1983 rekindled Formula One teams' interest and, with help from Italian dairy company Parmalat who insisted on having an Italian driver in the team, joined MRD International to drive the #2 MRD International Brabham BT53-BMW M12 as the number two driver to reigning World Champion Nelson Piquet. Fabi would continue to drive in the CART/PPG World Series for Forsythe Racing and would miss three Grand Prix. In these races his younger brother Corrado Fabi would drive in his place. The mixed approach led to disappointing results in both categories and mid-season saw Fabi decide to concentrate solely on Formula One. Prior to the change Fabi's best finish was a 9th-place finish at the 1984 French Grand Prix and his best start was a 6th at the South African Grand Prix. His performances improved, including a strong run at Italian Grand Prix where he ran second behind Piquet in the first half of the race before retiring with engine failure of the engine, the major bugbear of Brabham during the year. Fabi scored points on three occasions, with a best finish of 3rd at the Detroit Grand Prix and would finish 12th in points with 9 points.

Fabi during practice for the 1985 European Grand Prix

Brabham dropped Fabi for 1985 and he initially struggled to find a team. His profile in Italy allowed him to rejoin Toleman (now heavily sponsored by the Benetton Group) when they belatedly joined the championship at the Monaco Grand Prix. Fabi would drive the #19 Toleman Motorsports Group Toleman TG185-Hart 415T. The season got off to a late start because Toleman had lost their supply of tires when Michelin pulled out of F1 at the end of 1984. They couldn't get a supply of Goodyear tyres and Pirelli would not supply them either as they had broken a contract with the Italian company in mid-1984 and gone with Michelin instead. Benetton bought both Toleman and the Spirit teams and transferred Spirit's Pirelli contract to Toleman. The late start meant the TG185 was never truly reliable, but Fabi's speed lead to the marque's only pole position at the German Grand Prix at the new Nürburgring. Fabi's race was ruined though as the clutch began slipping badly from the start saw him well down the order at the end of the first lap of the race. The team failed to score any points and Fabi only finished twice (even these races were disrupted by mechanical problems. 1980 World Champion Alan Jones who also used the Hart engine in his Haas Lola late in the season and described it as "sending a boy to do a man's job" in F1 against the likes of Renault, Ferrari, BMW, Honda and TAG-Porsche). Fabi's best finish was a 12th at the Italian Grand Prix and Fabi would again go unranked due to scoring no points.

Fabi would begin to drive for Benetton Formula in the #19 Benetton Formula Benetton B186-BMW M12 after Toleman were fully taken over before the season to become Benetton, with powerful (1,400 bhp (1,044 kW; 1,419 PS) in qualifying) engines, and talented young Austrian Gerhard Berger coming on board. The Benetton was fast but fragile with difficult Pirelli tires and Fabi often qualified better than he raced. Fabi would manage to qualify on the ploe position at the Austrian Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix. Fabi's best finish was a 5th-place finish at the Spanish Grand Prix. Fabi would gain a reputation for being most competitive on faster circuits and struggling on slower, more technical courses. Indeed, both of his pole positions in were at the two fastest circuits on the 1986 calendar, the Österreichring and the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Fabi would finish the season ranked 15th in points with 2 points.

Fabi would return with Benetton Formula in 1987 to drive the #19 Benetton Formula Benetton B187-Ford Cosworth GBA V6 and would get joined by Thierry Boutsen. While the package wasn't as fast it was more consistent, allowing Fabi to score points on five occasions. The Ford V6 suffered from unreliability early in the season due to the use of higher turbo boost in an effort to keep up with the Honda powered cars from Williams and Lotus and the TAG engined McLarens. When the boost was reduced from around mid-year, reliability returned but speed was sacrificed. Fabi would get a best finish of 3rd at the Austrian Grand Prix, held at one of Fabi's favorite tracks, the Österreichring. During the season Benetton signed young Italian charger Alessandro Nannini for the 1988 season to partner Boutsen. In Fabi's final Formula One race at the Australian Grand Prix, Fabi took his frustration of not being able to find a drive for 1988 out on Boutsen, spending many laps deliberately blocking his team mate and not letting himself be lapped despite the blue flags and orders from the team to move over. When Boutsen confronted Fabi after the race, the Italian angrily told him to "come back and see me when you have a pole position" (Boutsen, who finished 3rd in Australia, would finish his career after the 1993 with three wins and one pole position). Fabi would finish out the season ranked a career-best 9th in points with 12 points.

Teo Fabi entered 71 Formula One Grands Prix, starting in 64 races between 1982 and 1987. He scored 3 pole positions, 2 fastest laps and 2 podium finishes (both 3rd placings) in his career and scored a total of 23 points.

Indy car racing

Champ Car World Series

Fabi would begin to compete in the CART/PPG World Series in 1983 for Forsythe Racing in the #33 Skoal Bandit March 83C-Cosworth DFX. Fabi would make his Indy car debut at the Kraco Dixie 200 at Atlanta International Speedway. Fabi would start 9th and finish in 20th place after retiring after 41 laps due to suspension failure. At the Indianapolis 500 Fabi would qualify on the pole position with a then-track record speed of 207.395 mph for four laps and a one-lap record of 208.049 mph and in the process he would become the first rookie to qualify on the pole position since Walt Faulkner in 1950. In the race Fabi would lead for 23 of the first 47 laps before retiring during his second pit stop due to a broken fuel filter which caused fuel to come out of the car. Fabi would get credited with a 26th place and would win the race's rookie of the year award. Fabi would then qualify on the pole position at the Dana Rex Mays Classic at the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds Park Speedway and would finish in 4th place. Fabi would then get his first Indy car victory at the Domino's Pizza 500 at Pocono International Raceway. Fabi would then get his second win two races later at the Escort Radar Warnings 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. After the Mid-Ohio victory Fabi moved into 2nd place in the standings behind veteran Al Unser, Sr.. Fabi would then win the Cribari Wines 300K at Laguna Seca Raceway and would move take the championship battle to the season-ending Miller High Life 150 at Phoenix International Raceway (the gap between Unser and Fabi was more than what a race victory awarded in points). At Phoenix Fabi qualified on the pole position, led 138 of 150 laps and won the race to get 22 points. Unser was able to finish 4th and get 16 points and with it the championship. Fabi would finish 2nd in points with 146 points and would win the series' rookie of the year award.

In 1984 Fabi would return with Forsythe Racing in their #33 Skoal Bandit March 84C-Cosworth DFX. Fabi would start out the season by qualifying 3rd at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on the Streets of Long Beach and a 2nd at the Dana Jimmy Bryan 150 at Phoenix International Raceway. In the races Fabi would finish 18th and 19th due to a crash at Long Beach and a blown engine at Phoenix. At the Indianapolis 500 Fabi qualified in a disappointing 14th place and would retire in 24th place due to a fuel system failure after 104 laps and leading for 14 laps. Fabi's best finish came at the Stroh's/G.I. Joe's 200 at Portland International Raceway with a 3rd-place finish. Following the Budweiser Cleveland Grand Prix at Burke Lakefront Airport Fabi left Indy car racing to concentrate on his Formula One season. Fabi would finish his partial season 25th in points with 15 points (he was ranked 18th in points after Cleveland).

Fabi would return to Indy car racing in 1988 with Porsche Motorsports in their #8 Quaker State March 88P-Porsche Indy V8. The Porsche engine was less competitive than the Ilmor-Chevrolet and Cosworth engines. Despite the setbacks Fabi would get a best finish of 4th at the Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix at Pennsylvania International Raceway. Fabi's return to the Indianapolis 500 was also disappointing as Fabi qualified 17th and finished 30th after losing a wheel after 30 laps. Fabi would finish the season ranked 10th in points with 44 points.

In 1989 Fabi would return with Porsche Motorsports in the #8 Quaker State March 89P-Porsche Indy V8. The engine and team began to compete regularly for wins with Fabi qualifying on the pole position at the Budweiser/G.I. Joe's 200 at Portland International Raceway and the Red Roof Inns 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. At Mid-Ohio Fabi would also lead for 71 of 84 laps to get what would be his last Indy car victory. The engine also began to be competitive on the ovals, as highlighted by a 2nd-place finish at the Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway and a 3rd-place finish at the Pocono 500 at Pocono International Raceway. At the Indianapolis 500 Fabi qualified in 13th place and again finished in 30th place after retiring due to ignition problems after 23 laps. After his Mid-Ohio victory Fabi moved into 3rd place in points. At the final two races of the season, the Firestone Indy 225 at Pennsylvania International Raceway and the Champion Spark Plug 300K at Laguna Seca Raceway, Fabi would retire due to handling issues at Nazareth and a crash at Laguna Seca. At the end of the season Fabi finished 4th in points with 141 points.

Fabi would return with Porsche Motorsports in 1990 to drive their #4 Foster's/Quaker State March 90P-Porsche Indy V8. Prior to the start of the season Porsche was going to build an all carbon fiber chassis with their constructor March Engineering. In January Porsche's competitors voted against the use of the car and as a result Porsche had to use year-old March 89P chassis. Fabi would manage to qualify 7th at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on the Streets of Long Beach and would finish 10th. A new March 90P would start being used at the Indianapolis 500 and Fabi would start in 23rd place and retire in 18th place due to transmission problems after 162 laps. Fabi would later qualify on the pole position Texaco/Havoline Grand Prix of Denver at the Pepsi Center. In the race Fabi crashed after 7 laps and finished in 27th place and also led for one lap. Fabi would get a best finish of 3rd at the Marlboro Grand Prix at the Meadowlands at Meadowlands Sports Complex. Fabi would finish out the season 14th in points with 33 points. At the end of the season Porsche withdrew from Indy car racing. Fabi would move to the World Sportscar Championship in 1991 and would win the series championship.

In 1992 Fabi drove at the ITT Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit at Belle Isle Park as an injury replacement for Mario Andretti, who had to miss the race due to his injuries at the Indianapolis 500. Fabi would drive for Newman-Haas Racing in their #2 Texaco Havoline/K Mart Lola T92/00-Ford Cosworth XB. In the race Fabi qualified 3rd and finished 6th. Fabi would get ranked 21st in points with 8 points (Fabi was 16th in points following the race).

Fabi would join Hall VDS Racing for 1993 in the #8 Pennzoil Lola T93/00-Ilmor-Chevrolet Indy V8 265C. Fabi would get a best finish of 4th at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on the Streets of Long Beach. After the race Fabi was 3rd in points, 10 points out of the lead, behind Nigel Mansell and Mario Andretti. At the Indianapolis 500 Fabi started 17th and finished 9th. After Long Beach Fabi's best finish was a 6th-place finish at the Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway. During the year Fabi looked as if he would finish in the top ten in points. Following the Pioneer Electronics 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Fabi fell out of the top ten in points. At the end of the season Fabi would finish 11th in points with 64 points.

For 1994 Fabi would drive for the reorganized Hall Racing (VDS Racing withdrew from the team following 1993) in the #11 Pennzoil Reynard 94i-Ilmor Indy V8. During the season Fabi's best finish was a trio of 3rd-place finishes at the ITT Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit at Belle Isle Park, the Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway and the Texaco/Havoline 200 at Road America. At the Indianapolis 500 Fabi qualified 24th and finished 7th, this would be Fabi's best finish in the race. Fabi would finish 9th in points with 79 points.

In 1995 Fabi returned with Forsythe Racing and would drive the #33 Combustion Engineering/Indeck Reynard 95i-Ford Cosworth XB. Fabi would get a best finish of 3rd at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on the Streets of Long Beach. At the Indianapolis 500 Fabi started 15th and finished 8th. Fabi would qualify on the pole position at the Miller Genuine Draft 200 at the Milwaukee Mile. In the race Fabi finished in 4th place, two laps down,after leading for 27 laps. At the New England 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Fabi would qualify in 2nd place and would lead for 42 laps, only to finish in 12th place, 4 laps down. Fabi would also start 2nd at the Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway and finish 4th. At the end of the season Fabi would finish 9th in points with 83 points.

Fabi was unable to get a car to drive for 1996 as Forsythe Racing hired Indy Lights driver Greg Moore. Fabi was to drive for PacWest Racing in their #18 Motorola Reynard 96i-Ford Cosworth XD as an injury replacement for Mark Blundell, who was injured at the IndyCar Rio 400 at Autódromo de Jacarepaguá. Fabi would drive in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on the Streets of Long Beach and the Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix at Nazareth Speedway. In each race Fabi qualified 19th and finished 18th at Long Beach and 16th at Nazareth, in the former Fabi retired due to clutch problems and was 12 laps down in the latter. Blundell was able to return to racing at the U.S. 500 at Michigan International Speedway and Fabi was withdrawn from the car. Fabi would score no points for the first time in his career and would finish 36th in points.

Can-Am

Fabi would begin to compete in Can-Am in 1981 for Newman Freeman Racing in their #6 Budweiser March 817-Chevrolet V8. Fabi would take four wins at Mosport Park (twice), Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Laguna Seca Raceway. Fabi would finish 2nd in points with 456 points.

World Sportscar Championship

Fabi would begin competing in the World Sportscar Championship in 1980 for Scuderia Lancia Corse in the #51 Lancia Beta Monte Carlo-Lancia 1.4L Turbo I4 for the Group 5 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Hans Heyer and Bernard Darniche. In the race the car started 26th and finished 55th due to a retirement after 6 laps with oil pump failure.

Fabi would return to the series in 1982 for Martini Racing in the #51 Lancia LC1-Lancia 1.4L Turbo I4. Fabi would win the 1000km of Nürburgring at the Nürburgring with Michele Alboreto and Riccardo Patrese. Fabi would also compete in the Group 6 class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the same car with Alboreto and Rolf Stommelen. The car would qualify 4th and finish 34th after retiring on their 92nd lap due to engine failure. Fabi would finish the season ranked 4th in points with 66 points.

In 1983 Fabi would drive the #4 Martini Porsche 956 in the #4 Lancia LC2-Ferrari 268C 2.6L Turbo V8. Fabi would win the 1000km of Imola at the Autodromo Dino Ferrari with Hans Heyer. The team would eventually have involvement from Lancia and the car became a Lancia LC2-Lancia 268C 2.6L Turbo V8 and would drive this car in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Michele Alboreto and Alessandro Nannini in the C Class. The car started 2nd and finished 46th after retiring after 27 laps with gearbox failure. Fabi would then drive the team's second car, numbered 5. The second car started 4th and finished 36th after retiring after 121 laps due to fuel pressure problems. Fabi's win at Imola was not counted towards the World Endurance Championship for Drivers and as a result Fabi went unranked in the championship with no points.

After the 1990 IndyCar season proved to be a backwards step he returned to the series in 1991 with Tom Walkinshaw Racing/Silk Cut Jaguar in the #34 Jaguar XJR-12 and Jaguar XJR-14. Fabi would win the Castrol BRDC Empire Trophy at the Silverstone Circuit with Derek Warwick. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the team's Jaguar XJR-12-Jaguar 7.4L V12 with Bob Wollek and Kenny Acheson for the C2 class. In the race the car started 27th and finished 3rd with 358 laps complete. Fabi would go on to win the World Endurance Championship for Drivers with 86 points.

Fabi would compete only in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Toyota Team Tom's in the #8 Toyota TS010-Toyota RV10 3.5L V10 with Jan Lammers and Andy Wallace in the C1 Class. In the race the car started 4th and finished 8th with 331 laps complete and was 5th in their class. Fabi would finish the season 27th in points with 8 points.

1993 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans was held without a championship for points to go to after the collapse of the World Sportscar Championship and as a result the race was run as a standalone event. Fabi would drive for Peugeot Talbot Sport in their #1 Peugeot 905 Evo 1B-Peugeot SA35 3.5L V10 with Thierry Boutsen and Yannick Dalmas in the C1 Class. In the race the car started 3rd and finished 2nd with 374 points and was also 2nd in its class.

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Formula One results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Class	No	Tyres	Car	Team	Co-Drivers	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1980	Gr.5	51	P	Lancia Beta Monte Carlo Lancia 1.4L Turbo I4	Scuderia Lancia Corse	Hans Heyer Bernard Darniche	6	DNF	DNF
1982	Gr.6	51	P	Lancia LC1 Lancia 1.4L Turbo I4	Martini Racing	Michele Alboreto Rolf Stommelen	92	DNF	DNF
1983	C	4	D	Lancia LC2 Ferrari 268C 2.6L Turbo V8	Martini Lancia	Michele Alboreto Alessandro Nannini	27	DNF	DNF
1991	C2	34	G	Jaguar XJR-12 Jaguar 7.4L V12	Silk Cut Jaguar Tom Walkinshaw Racing	Bob Wollek Kenny Acheson	358	3rd	3rd
1992	C1	8	G	Toyota TS010 Toyota RV10 3.5L V10	Toyota Team Tom's	Jan Lammers Andy Wallace	331	8th	5th
1993	C1	1	M	Peugeot 905 Evo 1B Peugeot SA35 3.5L V10	Peugeot Talbot Sport	Thierry Boutsen Yannick Dalmas	374	2nd	2nd

CART World Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Indianapolis 500