Fondmetal
 |
|
| Full name | Fondmetal |
|---|---|
| Base | Bergamo, Italy |
| Founder(s) | Gabriele Rumi |
| Noted staff |
Tino Belli Sergio Rinland |
| Noted drivers |
 Olivier Grouillard Gabriele Tarquini Andrea Chiesa Eric van de Poele
|
| Previous name | Osella Squadra Corse |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| First entry | 1991 United States Grand Prix |
| Races entered | 29 |
| Engines | Ford |
| Constructors' Championships |
0 |
| Drivers' Championships |
0 |
| Race victories | 0 (best finish: 10th, 1991 Belgian Grand Prix and 1992 Belgian Grand Prix) |
| Pole positions | 0 (best grid position: 10th, 1991 Mexican Grand Prix) |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Final entry | 1992 Italian Grand Prix |
Fondmetal S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of alloy wheels, founded in 1972 by Gabriele Rumi.
A Formula One constructor of the same name, also owned by Rumi, competed in the 1991 and 1992 seasons, scoring no championship points. The company also sponsored, and supplied wheels to, numerous other constructors from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s.
In 2014 the Fondmetal brand expanded to the United States and became known as Fondmetal USA. All wheels continue to be made in Italy and are TUV approved.
In 1961, Gabriele Rumi took over the iron foundry business that had been established by his grandfather in Brescia. A motor racing enthusiast, the business allowed him to compete in hillclimbs and in the Formula Monza category during the 1960s.
Rumi had a passion for cars and racing and saw a demand for the manufacturing of parts for the automobile industry. In Palosco they made induction manifolds, water conduits, clutch bellhousing, oil cumps, cylinder heads and engine blocks for clients such as Maserti Biturbo, Fiat, Iveco, OM and Magneti Marelli.
For Rumi this was not enough. He found himself too reliant on his customers in a sensitive time period following the oil crisis. This led him to the courageous decision of launching his own product line in 1972.
The choice of product was alloy wheels due to this involvement and passion for the automobile industry. From there the Fondmetal brand grew and was established as a leader in forged and cost wheel design, engineering and manufacturing in Italy.
Fondmetal first appeared in Formula One in 1983 as a sponsor for Italian driver Piercarlo Ghinzani. In the mid-1980s, the company supplied wheels to Williams, Tyrrell and Ligier, while continuing to sponsor Ghinzani and, later, the Osella team. In 1989, Fondmetal became Osella's major sponsor, and by 1990 Rumi had become the team's majority shareholder. At the end of that year, he decided to take over the whole operation.
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