WILD THING!
He never quite hit the big time in F1, but that doesn’t stop the irrepressible Gabriele Tarquini having a glint in his eye almost a quarter of a century after his famous BTCC title
GABRIELE TARQUINI remains the quintessential Italian racing driver. When evo catches up with him at a freezing Brands Hatch, he is wrapped up beneath a team jacket and beanie hat, but his beaming smile, lilting Italianicised English and piercingly intense eyes light up the pit garage in the same way they did 24 years ago during that memorable BTCC season, in doing so capturing the loyalty and admiration of British racing fans forever.
Tarquini began racing in karts at five years old. ‘I won a lot of titles in Italy, and European and World titles in 1984,’ recalls the Italian. ‘I started from zero and became an F1 driver.’
The Italian’s rise was indeed rapid, culminating in his F1 debut for the Osella team in 1987. Even then, Tarquini’s versatility was in evidence: ‘ When I was in F1 I was racing at the same time in the Italian National Saloon Car Championship. I really enjoyed the saloon cars. To me, the formula car – F1 – is the best car to drive; the feeling you receive from a single-seater is fantastic. But the saloon car is the best car to race, because the feeling you get is different: you can fight like a boxer – you can touch. Is really nice race.’
His first full year of F1 was in 1988 with the tiny Coloni team, which he had driven for in F3000 the year before. Tarquini was its sole driver; the boss, Enzo Coloni, shook down the car. ‘ We had three mechanics and a team manager. This was the time of Senna, Prost, Mansell, Berger, Patrese, Alboreto – I mean, a lot of fantastic champions. It was not easy to fight a Mclaren in a Coloni, or Honda with the turbo when we had a Cosworth [DFZ].’
Yet in spite of these insurmountable odds, and the fact he only made it through qualifying for half of the races that year, Tarquini is entirely positive about his first full F1 season. ‘For us it was a great success to finish 8th [at the Canadian GP – his best result that year]. It was a fantastic season: we were on the grid for 50 per cent of the races, and my main target at that time was to put the car on the grid. After that, we were far off the pace, but with good luck we could finish and get a position.’
Remaining optimistic in such a situation requires plenty of mental resilience. ‘ With drivers, especially in F1, everyone thinks they are the best driver. Ever. If not, you never start to fight. It’s difficult to judge a driver because you must share the performance with the car, but when I finished in the Coloni I was very happy – I’d done my job.’
A year later he found himself drafted into the small French AGS team, following a horrific crash that left incumbent Philippe Streiff paralysed for life. Tarquini is in no doubt of the dangers he faced in this era – ‘I was sitting around the fuel, my feet out at the front, no protection for my head… unbelievable’ – but would go on to enjoy his best season, one that took him tantalisingly close to the big time. ‘My first race I finished 8th at Imola. The second was Monte Carlo, and after the first day I was fifth on the grid, ahead of a Mclaren and a Ferrari. I was thinking one more step and I could be in a very good team. But I lost the chance midseason when I decided to stay with AGS. It was the way to thank them for bringing me in, but I regret that a little bit because I was in touch with Lotus and Scuderia Italia and I probably took the wrong decision in terms of my personal career.’
Tarquini continued in F1 until 1992, but with little success. In 1993 he began his first ‘ works’ touring car drive with Alfa Romeo in Italy, but it was a tough year. Nevertheless, boss Giorgio Pianta decreed that the team must go to the best championship for 1994, and that meant the BTCC. For Tarquini, it was a shock.
‘I discovered the best championship in the world. Eleven manufacturers. In preseason testing it was tough.’ Principally this was down to the UK’S circuits: ‘ There are no normal tracks, every track is special, tricky; experience means a lot. Ninety per cent are old – which means difficult, big kerbs, not like a modern F1 track that can be learnt in three laps. At Oulton Park [pronounced endearingly as ‘Ooolton Parker’] you don’t even know the way after three laps.’
The 1994 BTCC has become the stuff of motor racing legend. Alfa introduced aerodynamic devices to the championship, and dominated the early running until things became intensely political. The racing was fast and close, and full of characters. ‘ These are probably the best memories of my career. Even now when I come to the UK I am signing pictures of the red Alfa Romeo. This is very nice. People remember my Knockhill accident [an epic barrel roll] and going on two wheels at Donington.’
The Hyundai TCR team needs the Italian back in the car. Time for one last question: surely the swashbuckling racer loves a sports car on the road? ‘I don’t like fast cars. I like comfortable cars. This is quite strange. The best feeling you can have from driving an expensive road car, even a Ferrari, is nothing compared to driving a racing car.’
That’s Tarquini – a racer to the core.
‘Even now I am signing pictures of the red Alfa Romeo. This is very nice’