Stefano Modena facts for kids
| Born | 12 May 1963 Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy |
|---|---|
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Italian |
| Active years | 1987–1992 |
| Teams | Brabham, EuroBrun, Tyrrell, Jordan |
| Entries | 81 (70 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 2 |
| Career points | 17 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1987 Australian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1992 Australian Grand Prix |
Stefano Modena (born 12 May 1963) is an Italian former racing driver. He competed in Formula One, the highest class of auto racing, from 1987 to 1992.
Stefano was born and grew up in Modena, Italy. He started his racing journey in kart racing. He won the junior Karting World Cup in 1978. He also won the European Championship twice, in 1983 and 1984. After his karting success, Stefano moved up to Italian Formula Three in 1985. He won several races in 1986 and got the top starting spot (pole position) at the Macau Grand Prix.
In 1987, Stefano joined International Formula 3000. He won the championship in his very first season. He then raced in 81 Formula One Grands Prix for teams like Brabham, EuroBrun, Tyrrell, and Jordan. His first Formula One race was the 1987 Australian Grand Prix. Over six seasons, Stefano Modena achieved two podium finishes (finishing in the top three). He also scored 17 championship points.
Contents
Stefano Modena's Racing Journey
Early Racing Days
Stefano Modena was born in Modena, Italy, on 12 May 1963. He was a champion in 125cc Junior Karting in Italy. After karting, he spent two seasons in the Italian Formula Ford series. In 1985, he joined Euroracing in the Italian Formula 3 series. He finished 15th overall that year.
In 1986, he switched to Team Seresina. He won three races and finished 4th overall. He also came in 2nd at the Monaco Grand Prix support race. Stefano won a round of the European Formula 3 series at Imola. In 1987, he joined Onyx for the Formula 3000 series. He won three races and became the champion.
Formula One Debut and Challenges
Many people thought Stefano Modena would be a future champion because of his speed. He got a chance to drive for Brabham in the last race of the 1987 Formula One season. He did well, qualifying 15th at the 1987 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide. However, he was new to the powerful turbo-charged BMW engine. He had to stop three times to change flat tires. He eventually retired from the race because he was too tired.
Stefano wanted to be a full-time Grand Prix driver in 1988. He tested for Benetton. But for a full-time spot, he joined the new EuroBrun team. This team had many of the same mechanics he worked with in 1985. The EuroBrun ER188 car was not very good. Stefano often raced at the back of the field that year. Still, he was faster than his teammate, Oscar Larrauri.
Podiums and Team Changes
In 1989, Brabham returned to Formula One after a break. Stefano Modena was offered one of the racing seats. He drove alongside Martin Brundle. With special Pirelli tires for qualifying, Stefano often started races well. He was in the top 10 eight times. However, the car was not reliable. Stefano's only points finish that year was a 3rd place at the 1989 Monaco Grand Prix. This was his first of two F1 podiums.
Before the 1990 season, Brabham faced problems when its owner was imprisoned. Stefano finished 5th at the first race, the 1990 United States Grand Prix. But after that, good results were rare for the team.
In 1991, Stefano got a big opportunity. He joined Tyrrell to replace Jean Alesi. Tyrrell had good sponsors and 1990 Honda engines. Many people expected Stefano to win races. His season started with a 4th place at Phoenix. At the wet Imola race, he reached 3rd place before his car broke down.
The next race in Monaco was even better. He qualified on the front row next to Ayrton Senna. He challenged Senna until his engine failed. In Canada, he finished 2nd after Nigel Mansell retired. After this, Stefano's performance dropped. The Pirelli tires struggled, and the heavy Honda engines made the car hard to handle. He only scored one more point that year, finishing 6th at the 1991 Japanese Grand Prix.
Final Formula One Season
The 1991 season was a big disappointment. Stefano left Tyrrell and joined Jordan for 1992. Jordan had a strong first year in 1991. Many thought Stefano was lucky to get a spot with them. However, their car was slow because of the weak Yamaha V12 engine. Stefano struggled all season. He failed to qualify for four races. He became unpopular with his team. He was known for not being gentle with the car and for his moody behavior. Gary Anderson, who designed the 1992 car, said Stefano lost motivation when he failed to qualify. He couldn't get over his disappointments. Even though he scored the team's only point that year in Australia, he couldn't find a Formula One drive for 1993.
Life After Formula One
After Formula One, Stefano Modena raced for Alfa Romeo. He competed in Italian and German touring car races from 1993 to 1999. He won some races but was never a top contender for the championship. After racing for Opel in 2000, he retired from motorsport.
After retiring, he took part in some 24-hour karting races. In 2003, Bridgestone hired him to test racing tires. Later, he tested road tires for them. He has done hundreds of tests in many different places and weather conditions. He also helped promote and develop new road tires for Bridgestone around the world.
Since the late 1990s, Stefano has lived in Rome with his wife, Sveva Altieri. They have two children, Ascanio and Vittoria.
Interesting Habits
Stefano Modena was known for some unique habits. He did not like his car parked on the left side of the team garage. He also did not let anyone touch his race car once he was inside it. Only the team member who helped him with his seatbelts was allowed. During his F1 career, it was common to see Stefano get out of his car and then get back in. This happened if he saw someone else touch the car after he was strapped in. Stefano also raced with his gloves turned inside out. He said this was not because of superstition.
See also
In Spanish: Stefano Modena para niños
