Coloni C4
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| Category | Formula One | ||||||||
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| Constructor | Coloni | ||||||||
| Designer(s) |
Christian Vanderpleyn Paul Burgess (Andrea Moda C4B only) |
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| Predecessor | Coloni C3 | ||||||||
| Successor | Andrea Moda S921 | ||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||
| Chassis | carbon fibre monocoque | ||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbones, pushrods | ||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Double wishbones, pushrods | ||||||||
| Axle track | Front 1,810 mm (71 in) Rear 1,670 mm (66 in) |
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| Wheelbase | 2,850 mm (112 in) | ||||||||
| Engine |
1991: Ford DFR, 3,493 cc (213.2 cu in), 90° V8, NA, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted. 1992: Judd GV, 3,496 cc (213.3 cu in), 72° V10, NA, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted. |
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| Transmission |
1991: Coloni 6-speed Manual 1992: Dallara 6-speed Manual |
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| Fuel | Agip | ||||||||
| Tyres | Goodyear | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants |
Coloni Racing Srl Andrea Moda Formula |
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| Notable drivers |
 Pedro Chaves Naoki Hattori Alex Caffi Enrico Bertaggia
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| Debut | 1991 United States Grand Prix | ||||||||
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The Coloni C4 is a Formula One car designed by Christian Vanderpleyn for the Coloni team for use in the 1991 Formula One season, although it never qualified for a race and was the slowest car in the field.
An evolution of the C4 was also briefly used by the Andrea Moda team in 1992 as the Andrea Moda C4B. The C4B made its only appearance at the season-opening South African Grand Prix, at which Andrea Moda Formula was excluded for not having paid the registration fee for the championship and for not having entered a car they had constructed themselves. The C4B was replaced by the S921 at the next Grand Prix in Mexico.
The C4 was an evolution of Coloni C3 or FC189 from 1989. For the 1991 season, Coloni entrusted the C3C to Perugia University students who developed the car. The C4 chassis differed from the C3 versions by pontoons and a modified air box.
The C4 used a Ford Cosworth DFR engine prepared by Langford & Peck for the first half of the season and later changed over to the Hart-prepared DFR. The Langford & Peck-prepared engine was significantly less powerful than the Hart.
Coloni wanted to hire Andrea de Cesaris (who had support of Marlboro), but after de Cesaris went to Jordan, Coloni decided to hire newcomer Pedro Chaves.
Chaves was scheduled to race for the full season but the Portuguese driver failed to pre-qualify for every race he entered. The car was out of date, fragile and hard to handle, and Chaves was relatively inexperienced. Along with four other teams, Coloni was forced to participate in pre-qualifying sessions early on Friday mornings, and Chaves was one of eight drivers taking part in those sessions. At the season-opening 1991 United States Grand Prix, Chaves posted a faster time than Olivier Grouillard and Eric van de Poele, but crashed into a tyre wall during the session. He outpaced only Grouillard in Brazil, and a broken gearbox left him slowest in San Marino. In Monaco he again had only Grouillard behind him, and he was slowest by nearly eight seconds in Canada, despite the new Brian Hart-prepared engine.
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Wikipedia