The Ides of March: Leyton House 1987-1993
By ForzaMinardi
The dividing line between success and failure in Formula One is razor-thin. For drivers, an overnight sensation quickly becomes yesterday’s man. Similarly for teams, a podium finish might be deemed a success initially but inevitably once that is achieved, the team becomes a failure unless it scores a win quickly thereafter. The cliché “you’re only as good as your last race” may be axiomatic - but it is true none the less. The pace of change in F1 is such that success in one objective immediately puts more pressure on the achievement of subsequent objectives; ensnare a big sponsor, and you have to deliver results; sign a top driver and it becomes imperative to give him a works engine; win a race and immediately you have to prove you’re more than a one hit wonder.The fortunes of one poorly funded F1 team and several well-funded ones have been documented previously on Chequered Flag, illustrating just how money, PR promises and track record alter perceptions of success. How, then, to judge a team which despite being at times well funded and employed over 200 people in the early 1990s, retained a fierce independence and ‘family’ core? How to rate a team which scored points during it’s debut season, was a regular podium finisher in it’s second and later came close to scoring one of F1’s biggest upsets but was permanently mired in tragedy, political intrigue and financial scandal? How to rate a team which employed some of the finest engineering, management and driving talent of the late 1980’s yet never became a sum of it’s parts?
Two components of the March project are evident in this 1988 photo - Ivan Capelli, Leyton House sponsorship. Note ‘osama’ behind the front wheel.
Image source: unknown - photo reproduced in the spirit of ‘fair use’.
Leyton House nee March are remembered chiefly by F1 anoraks now as being a middle order team which despite some pretty turquoise cars and decent finance, never really made the impact they promised. However, scratch beneath the surface, and a fascinating story emerges; ambition vs. ego; emotional loyalty vs. corporate politics; the sense of so-close-yet-so-far; and all tempered with an undertone of personal tragedy and business scandal.Historically, March is one of the great names in motor-racing, albeit one which sometimes lacks the recognition enjoyed by its erstwhile rivals. Established in 1969 by Max Mosely (M), Alan Rees (AR), Graham Coaker and Robin Herd (H), March was named for its founders’ initials. Identifying a market for complete chassis thanks to the rise of competitive off-the-shelf power from the likes of Ford, March offered cars to a range of privateers in F1, F2, F3 and later Indycars and F3000. Within a month of their F1 debut, Jackie Stewart had won the Spanish GP in a Tyrrell-run March and the company seemed set for the big time. It was not to be; despite the services of drivers of the calibre of Lauda, Peterson and Hunt, sustained success was hard to come by in F1. The feeling was that March had the talent but not the resources to develop fundamentally competitive cars, with the need to satisfy diverse customer demands compromising focus on achieving ultimate technical performance. Meanwhile however, March was doing well in the burgeoning sub-F1 categories, selling F3, F2 and F3000 cars to teams and drivers, and in this less demanding environment, March won a lot of races and championships. After an abortive F1 return in the early 1980s, the design, manufacturing and servicing of F3000 and Indycar customer cars became the focus of March’s activities.
A lock-out of consecutive Indy 500 wins between 1983 and 1987 and championship victories in F3000 in 1985, ‘86 and ‘87 elevated March to the position of being perhaps the finest motor-racing company outside F1. Sporting success brought commercial rewards and in 1986, remaining founder Herd took the company public on the London Stock Market as March Group PLC. The funds from this were directed into what Herd regarded as unfinished business: Formula One.
One of March’s most successful customers was Genoa Racing, an Italian team fielding cars in F3000, headed by Cesare Gariboldi and victors in the 1986 championship with young star Ivan Capelli. Having seen his promising F1 debut been compromised by a lack of firm opportunities, Capelli was determined to find a team he could trust. Who better than Genoa Racing, the boss of which he enjoyed an almost father-son relationship? Thus Genoa became the core of the new March F1 team, effectively fielding the cars designed by Herd’s staff.
During their successful F3000 campaign, Capelli and Gariboldi had made the then unusual move of looking east for finance. As a result, it had scored backing from an organisation named Leyton House, headed by a businessman by the name of Akira Agaki. Mr. Agaki was one of those pre-Microsoft type millionaires. Having taken over his father’s property company, he had grown and diversified it to the point where in the mid-80’s it was one of Japan’s largest conglomerates, with interests as diverse as property leasing, travel agencies, restaurants and sports shops - all under the Leyton House brand. A motoring enthusiast, Akagi had supported the career of Akira Hagiwara, tipped to be Japan’s next racing star before the protégé was killed in April1986. It was clear that to make an impact and promote the Leyton House brand, Akagi needed to break out of the relatively parochial backwater of Japanese racing. Capelli, then a wide-eyed wannabe spoke in awe of Akagi’s wealth: “When we arrived at his office, the car park was full of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Corvettes. I asked Mr.Akagi which was his car, and he laughed and replied ‘All of them’”. Akagi was evidently a man who could afford to indulge in his enthusiasm.
The scene was set then: Leyton House finance; March’s undisputed technical pedigree; Capelli’s driving talent; and Genoa’s racing know-how. Surely a marriage made in heaven? And so it proved at first.
Capelli behind the wheel of the ungainly March at Imola in 1987. He would retire with electical problems.
Image source: unknown - photo reproduced in the spirit of ‘fair use’.
1987 saw March field a hashed-up ex-F3000 chassis in Brazil. The bona-fide F1 car wasn’t ready and in order to qualify for FOCA benefits, teams had to field legal machinery in every round. This inauspicious debut was forgotten by the time Monaco came round, however. Capelli scored appoint for 6th place, March’s first in their come-back. Further results were undermined by a shortage of Ford DFZ V8’s (which forced the use of smaller capacity sportscar version in Belgium) and their lack of competiveness against turbo opposition, but overall March impressed with their technical competence, racing acumen and commercial preparedness.1988 saw March really show what they could do. The new 881 chassis was revolutionary, and in many ways a portent of things to come. Designed by the then almost unknown Adrian Newey, it displayed all the characteristics we now associate with F1’s most gifted contemporary designer; compact, aerodynamically sophisticated and with innovative features. It’s virtues of low drag and high downforce almost made up for the continued lack of a turbo. Capelli and new teammate Mauricio Gugelmin made the most of it. The Italian was star of the season, Prost and Senna aside. Scoring podiums at Spa, Estoril and Suzuka, he caused a sensation by leading Leyton House’s home race in Japan. It was the only time a non-turbo car led in1988 and in achieving these feats Capelli made virtually every non-McLaren driver look slightly foolish.
However, in a reversal of their previous problems, March had concentrated on F1 at the expense of their core customer business. Reynard, Ralt, Lola and Dallara were all poaching customers as March’s sub-F1 performances slipped. Suddenly, the fortunes of March Group PLC looked distinctly shaky, forcing Akagi to acquire a stake in the company to ensure its stability. To make matters worse, Gariboldi was tragically killed in a road accident during the 1988-89 winter. The effect of his loss was felt across the team, to whom he was a motivational figurehead at the races. Capelli naturally was devastated.
Nonetheless, the new car promised much. Renamed the CG891 in Gariboldi’s memory, it promised to be the next step in Newey’s aggressive aero philosophy. However, it came to naught. Gugilmin’s 3rd in Brazil, scored in the 1988 car was the only points-paying finish. The new car was overly sensitive to set-up changes and environmental conditions, meaning finding a consistent baseline set up was impossible. Similarly, its sophisticated aerodynamics only worked when the car was straight and level - a problem which dogged Newey’s work for years and was only fully cured by William’s active suspension system in 1992. After the promise of 1988, the performance in 1989 was a bitter blow to take as the team adjusted to new structures and failed to adjust to the larger scale and personnel numbers allowed by Leyton House’s finance.
France 1989: Gugelmin upside down after launching off the back of Mansell’s Ferrari at the first corner. Capelli would later retire from second place.
Image source: unknown - photo reproduced in the spirit of ‘fair use’.
Commercially for the March Group PLC, matters had similarly gone from bad to worse. Facing liquidation, Herd resigned as chairman and ended association with the company he had founded. New chairman John Cowen, recognising that demand for March customer cars was suddenly almost negligible and seeing no benefit therefore in continued F1 participation proposed cutting the car design and production business radically. Akagi, naturally disturbed that his pet project was being sacrificed despite itself, cashed in his shares in the company and bought back the whole F1 side of the March operation, including the wind tunnel, factory and racing assets. Henceforth, the team would be known as Leyton House.Investment was ramped up following Akagi’s full take over. By now Leyton House had a state of the art F1 facility at Bicester including an incorporated wind-tunnel and design and fabrication capacities to rival the best. Similarly, staff levels approached those of the front running McLaren and Williams set-ups. In the medium term, money was apparently no object. However, this paid no dividends on-track. The latest Newey device, the CG190 was if anything more recalcitrant than its predecessor. Newey, despite the failure of 1989 had evidently swallowed a bottle of brave pills and had pushed the limit of contemporary F1 aero thinking. Unfortunately the chassis engineers had failed to keep up, and still they were unable to provide a stable platform from which to suspend Newey’s intricate sculpture. Matters came to a head in Mexico where the notoriously bumpy track left Capelli and Gugelmin bemused with the cars unpredictably. The team floundered and failed to qualify, a humiliation for a team of this level and pedigree. Heads rolled - Newey was summarily sacked and replaced with Chris Murphy. Seemingly this had an immediate effect- with a revised car, at the next race following the Mexico City debacle, Leyton House staged a return to form unrivalled in F1 history. On the smooth track, Capelli and Gugelmin found that their tyre wear was negligible and opted to run the race non-stop. As the F1 world looked on in incredulity, Capelli led a Leyton House 1-2 deep into the race. Gugelmin eventually succumbed to an engine problem and Capelli had to give best to a determined Alain Prost, but finished a deliriously happy 2nd. This, and subsequent good performances seemingly suggested that Leyton House were back, and for a moment Capelli was once more F1’s most in-demand man. Appearances were deceptive, though; the turnaround was in reality due to the relative smoothness of Paul Ricard, Silverstone and Hockenheim. At the Hungaroring normal service was resumed as both drivers got lost trying to dial in the cars.
Meanwhile, Newey was not the only face missing on the return to Europe - team manager Ian Phillips had contracted meningitis in South America and missed most of the season recuperating. Lacking a steady hand on the tiller, the team descended into in-fighting as the March oldtimers fell out with the Akagi Leyton House faction. On his return, Phillips found himself sidelined and unable to even contact Akagi. He left to join Jordan in 1991.
The neat little 1991 Leyton House-Ilmor. Unfortunantly the pretty machine was unreliable, and the team scored just a solitary point.
Image source: unknown - photo reproduced in the spirit of ‘fair use’.
Still, things looked rosy for 1991. Notwithstanding economic difficulties in Japan, the Yen continued to pour in, Murphy had come up with a good looking car and new to the package were Ilmor V10 engines. As well as funding the team, Akagi had underwritten the Ilmor company’s F1 project in return for exclusivity. And certainly Paul Morgan and Mario Illien’s creation was promising - compact, powerful and packed full of potential. Indeed, at times Capelli and Gugelmin showed a good turn of speed, with the Italian regularly qualifying in the top 10. However, unreliability cost the team dear, and it was not until Hungary that Capelli registered a points-finish. Quite why Capelli and Gugelmin had stuck by Leyton House was a mystery, as both had been in demand, Capelli in particular being touted as a Ferrari and Williams driver during his moment of glory in mid-1990. Loyalty to their mates, not to mention Leyton House salaries presumably counted for a lot, but both drivers seemed naively optimistic that at some point Akagi’s massive investment would pay off with tangible results.Their hopes were dashed. Worse, by the time Capelli scored his 6th in Hungary, it was evident that not all was as it should be in Japan. The flood of Yen had slowed to a trickle and Akagi was uncontactable, even by Leyton House yes-men. Soon the story emerged: Akagi was a key conspirator in the Fuji Bank scandal which rocked Japan’s economy in 1991. He and other important businessmen had mis-represented their accounts in order to support the floundering bank, and the resulting scandal ruined their reputations. The Leyton House conglomerate was in deep trouble, and the F1 arm was the least of Akagi’s worries. Come the Japanese GP, traditionally Leyton House’s big knees-up, Capelli had surrendered his seat to the Mercedes-Benz funded Karl Wendlinger and the senior staff were looking for the exit.
The winter of 1991-92 saw the team fending off attempts by the Japanese parent and by UK courts to close it. Finally, former Leyton House cipher Ken Marrable (who started his career as - of all things - a cosmetics salesman) led a consortium to buy the team from the parent and arguing that if it was kept running it could generate the cash to pay some bills, he kept the receivers from the door. Accordingly the name reverted to March. A definitive 1992 car was on the drawing board, but with no money to make it, the team dusted down the 1991 cars. March had only two aces in their hand for 1992: Ilmor stood by them as alternative teams failed to make an offer for their engines, and Karl Wendlinger brought not only talent behind the wheel but also a wedge of Mercedes cash. Who would have guessed that the humble circumstances of the initial Mercedes-Ilmor alliance would win championships just a few years later?
Come the racing season, and this was a different team from that which had gone before. Trimmed down to a skeleton crew subsisting on a hand-to-mouth budget, the team scratched sponsors where they could and did what they could with their now outdated car. Having said that, the CG191 proved its worth. Finally Illien and Morgan had massaged some reliability into their engine, allowing the team to spend time fine tuning the car. Wendlinger stuck it 7th on the grid for the South African GP and elsewhere in the early season qualified well. Meanwhile rent-a-driver teammate Paul Belmondo, son of French acting legend Jean-Paul performed as well as could be expected. In Canada, a race notable for the team’s success in garnering dozens of tiny one-off sponsorship deal, Wendlinger got his just desserts by finishing in a brilliant 4th place - the team’s best result since Capelli finished 2nd just two years ago at the height of Leyton House’s extravagance.
1992 was March’s last hurrah in Formula One - this is Jan Lammers in the wet at Suzuka.
Image source: unknown - photo reproduced in the spirit of ‘fair use’.
Inevitably pace dropped off as the season went on and Wendlinger was taken back by Mercedes to lead Sauber’s test programme after mid-season - along with the Ilmor engines. In stepped a series of rent-a-drivers including veteran Jan Lammers (setting a record for length of time between F1 appearances) and Italian debutante Emanuele Naspetti. Clearly, Marrable didn’t have the finance to run in 1993, and during the winter it was announced that the team had been sold to a Swiss organisation. An entry was made, listing Lammers and Jan-Marc Gounon as driving revised 1991 cars. In the event, the team never turned up.So… March / Leyton House’s contribution to F1? Apart from having a nice line in turquoise, a colour without sporting provenance aside from being sports-broadcaster-turned-nutjob David Icke’s favoured shade of shell suit, superficially very little. However, perhaps the experience had three major outcomes. Firstly, the Mercedes Benz /Ilmor alliance was born of the 1991-92 relationship between Wendlinger and March. Secondly, as one of the teams riding the cusp of Japan’s second invasion of F1, Leyton House’s collapse in tandem Honda’s 1993 withdrawal put off intimate oriental involvement in F1 for a further decade - not until 2004 would a Japanese engine, sponsor or driver again emerge as more than a sideshow. And finally, Leyton House provided the final rung in Adrian Newey’s ladder to greatness. He showed what he was capable of with the 881 and probably learned some tough lessons about compromising ultimate aero performance in achieving consistency. In retrospect, it seems unbelievable that Newey was sacked at all. But perhaps that one action and the French GP performance which immediately followed his departure summed the team up; a plucky effort undone by misguided management.
March / Leyton House Grand Prix 1987-1993 - Succession of drivers
1987
Ivan Capelli - single car entry
1988
Ivan Capelli
Mauricio Gugelmin
1989
Ivan Capelli
Mauricio Gugelmin
1990
Ivan Capelli
Mauricio Gugelmin
1991
Ivan Capelli
Mauricio Gugelmin
Karl Wendlnger
1992
Karl Wendlinger
Paul Belmondo
Emanuele Naspetti
Jan Lammers
1993
Jan Lammers
Jean Marc Gounon - entry submitted but not fulfilled.
Points: 38
Best Results: 2nd (Portugese GP 1988; French GP 1989 - both Capelli)
Where Are They Now?
Robin Herd. After leaving March, Herd designed the 1991 Fondmetal and 1992 and 1993 Larrousse F1 cars. Following Larrousse’s collapse he worked with the Forsythe CART team. Following this, he purchased the Oxford United soccer club, a tenure which lasted two seasons and was marked by little success. He later attempted to raise finance to re-establish a March GP team in the late1990’s in alliance with fomer Onyx boss Mike Earle, an enterprise which was also unsuccessful. However, his reputation as an F1 engineer and designer remains undimmed.
Akira Akagi. Akagi was indicted following the Fuji Bank scandal. I believe he served time in prison. I have heard a Leyton House shop still exists in Tokyo, but this is uncomfirmed. I can’t find any record of Akagi or the company’s activities after 1991.
Ian Phillips. Following his shunting out of Leyton House, the former journalist became a key figure of the Jordan team as Commercial Director, and retains that role under the team’s MF1 guise.
Ivan Capelli. The Leyton House stalwart showed his loyalty to the team by paying his tickets to the Japanese and Australian GPs in 1991 to provide support and advice to Wendlinger. His dream move to Ferrari in 1992 turned sour and he lost his drive before the season’s end. Participated unsuccessfully in two GPs for Jordan in 1993 before turning to touring cars. Now Italian TVs answer to Martin Brundle.
Ivan Capelli secured a Ferrari drive for 1992. It was a total disastor, and the Italian was replaced by Nicola Larini before season’s end.
Image source: unknown - photo reproduced in the spirit of ‘fair use’.
Mauricio Gugelmin. Wisely backed out of a 1992 deal with the turquoise team and ended up at Jordan. Poor Yamaha engines scuppered hopes for success and Gugelmin joined the post Mansell F1 journeyman influx to Cart. Became something of an oval specialist for PacWest, winning a few races and recording a world record for the fastest ever closed-circuit lap in qualifying at Fontana in 1997. He retired from racing following the death of his disabled son.Karl Wendlinger. Co-opted to March by Mercedes to gain F1 experience, he was taken back in mid 1991 to help develop the nascent Sauber F1 car. Seemed headed for stardom in 1993 before 1994 Monaco crash put him in a coma. F1 return was unsuccessful, but he has since raced in touring cars, the DTM and GTs.
Paul Belmondo. Went from the frying pan to the fire by signing on with Pacific in 1994. Impeccable finishing record with March was undone mainly because he couldn’t qualify the Pacific to start. Has since won in GTs.
Jan Lammers. Enthusiastic and versatile veteran raced in F3000 and BTCC following his Indian Summer at March. Now a Sportscar stalwart, his Racing for Holland team also runs the Dutch A1GP team.
Adrian Newey. Picked up by Williams following his sacking from Leyton House, Newey became the leading F1 designer of his generation. Delivered title wining cars to Williams in 1991, ‘92 and ‘93 and to McLaren in 1998, and ‘99. Now at Red Bull Racing.
Chris Murphy. The failure of the CG191 to perform well meant the arrival of Gustav Brunner above his head at Leyton House. Moved to Lotus in 1992-94, then became an engineer in CART. Last heard of working as a freelance designer and part-time F3000 engineer for Astromega.
