Marco Apicella Nationality Italian Formula One World Championship career Active years 1993 Teams Jordan Races 1 Championships 0 Wins 0 Podiums 0 Career points 0 Pole positions 0 Fastest laps 0 First race 1993 Italian Grand Prix Last race 1993 Italian Grand Prix

24 Hours of Le Mans career Participating years 1995, 1999, 2006-2007, 2009 Teams SARD Co. Ltd., Riley & Scott Europe, JLOC Isao Noritake Best finish 14 (1995) Class wins 0

Marco Apicella (born October 7, 1965 near Bologna) is an Italian racing driver. He competed in only one Formula One Grand Prix for the Jordan team in the 1993 Italian Grand Prix. He was involved in a crash at the first corner and holds the record for shortest race distance covered (800 meters).

Contents 1 Career 1.1 International Formula 3000 1.2 Japanese Formula 3000 (1992–1993) 1.3 Formula One 1.4 Japanese Formula 3000/Formula Nippon (1994–1996) 1.5 Other series (1999-present) 2 Complete Formula One results 3 Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Career

[edit] International Formula 3000

Apicella's first season in International Formula 3000, 1987, was uncompetitive in the EuroVenturini Dallara car, only scoring one point thanks to a fifth place at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.^[1] During the same year, he tested the Minardi Formula One car at the Autódromo do Estoril circuit.^[2] Apicella moved to the FIRST team for the 1988 season and was a title favourite for the season. The team underperformed, but in 1989, again with FIRST, Apicella achieved several podium finishes on his way to finishing fourth overall in the Drivers' Championship. Apicella looked like a championship contender for the 1990 season and continued with the FIRST team, but his performances worsened as the season progressed, ending with a disqualification in the Brands Hatch round.^[3] Despite a poor 1990 season, Apicella had the chance to test drive with the Modena and Minardi teams. Late in the year, he went to Japan and did some tests for Bridgestone in a Reynard-Mugen Formula One prototype car.^[2] Apicella chose to change teams for the 1991 season, moving to Paul Stewart Racing, teaming up with Stewart himself. He was classified fifth overall at the end of the season.^[2]

[edit] Japanese Formula 3000 (1992–1993)

With no offers for a drive in International F3000 for 1992, Aspicella went to Japan to drive in the Japanese Formula 3000 series, setting up a relationship with the Dome team. Apicella, driving the Dome F103 won the fifth round of the championship that year. He continued to improve, finishing fourth in the 1993 season, winning at the Sugo race circuit.^[1]

[edit] Formula One

Apicella's good performances in Japan during 1992 and early-1993 gifted him a drive at the Jordan Formula One team for his home race in the 1993 season, with team boss Eddie Jordan wanting to try out up-and-coming Formula 3000 drivers.^[4] He qualified in 23rd position, but retired on the first corner of the first lap of the race after a multi-car collision.^[2] He was replaced by Emanuele Naspetti for the following round in Portugal.^[4]. As a result of this, he is sometimes considered to have had the shortest Formula 1 career out of any driver.^[5]

[edit] Japanese Formula 3000/Formula Nippon (1994–1996)

For 1994, Apicella continued with Dome in Japanese Formula 3000, winning at the Mine, Suzuka and Fuji circuits on his way to winning the title. He continued in Japanese F3000 for 1995 and 1996 (the series being renamed Formula Nippon for 1996), this time with Team 5Zigen, but his activities were limited, as he chose to do other motor sport activities such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.^[1]

Apicella was appointed Chief Test Driver with Dome for 1996, testing the Dome F105 car alongside Shinji Nakano and Katsumi Yamamoto from April to June 1996 at the Suzuka Circuit.^[1][6] The aim was for the car to produce a base for them to mount a challenge into Formula One, but the project was shelved after the car was substantially damaged in an accident.^[1]

Apicella's last season in the Formula Nippon series was in 1997, driving for the Stellar International team. His best result for the team was a fourth place at the Mine circuit.^[1]

[edit] Other series (1999-present)

Apicella moved back to Italy for 1999, competing in the Italian Formula 3000 championship. He scored two wins during the season on his way to third place in the championship. Apicella also tried to qualify for the Monaco round of the International Formula 3000 championship in 1999, but failed to do so due to adverse weather conditions. Apicella has since gone back to Japan, to compete in touring cars with the All Japan GT Championship.^[1]

Apicella has also competed in several 24 Hours of Le Mans races. He was scheduled to compete in the 2007 event with the JLOC Isao Noritake team, but on the first day of practice he was involved in an accident on the Mulsanne straight, which heavily damaged his Lamborghini Murciélago car.^[7] Apicella is competing in the 2009 event again with the JLOC team.^[8]

[edit] Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	WDC	Points
1993	Sasol Jordan	Jordan 193	Hart V10	RSA	BRA	EUR	SMR	ESP	MON	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA Ret	POR	JPN	AUS	NC	0

[edit] Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Result	Team	Car	Class
1995	14	SARD Co. Ltd.	Toyota Supra LM	GT1
1999	Ret	Riley & Scott Europe	Riley & Scott Mk III/2	LMP
2006	NC	JLOC Isao Noritake	Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT	GT1
2007	Ret	JLOC Isao Noritake	Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT	GT1
2009	Ret	JLOC Isao Noritake	Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT	GT1

[edit] External links

• Official website

[edit] References

Sporting positions
Preceded by Kazuyoshi Hoshino	Japanese Formula 3000 Champion 1994	Succeeded by Toshio Suzuki