Alessandro Giuseppe Caffi was born on 18 March 1964 in Rovato, Brescia, Northern Italy. He competed in Italian Formula Three from 1984 to 1986, finishing as runner-up in 1984 and 1985, and third in 1986. In 1985, he also won the FIA European Formula 3 Cup.
Caffi made his Formula One debut with Osella at the 1986 Italian Grand Prix, replacing Allen Berg. Qualifying 27th and last, he finished the race unclassified, six laps down. He was then signed by Osella for a full season in 1987, but the uncompetitive Alfa Romeo-powered FA1I proved unreliable, resulting in numerous retirements. He achieved a 12th-place finish at the San Marino Grand Prix, despite running out of fuel five laps from the finish.
In 1988, Caffi moved to Scuderia Italia. Although early season form was poor, with a modified Formula 3000 car used as a stop-gap, he began to show improvement mid-season, achieving four finishes in a row. He secured a best finish of seventh at the Portuguese Grand Prix that year. 1989 saw Caffi paired with Andrea de Cesaris at Scuderia Italia, where he achieved his first Formula One points with a fourth-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix. He also finished sixth in Canada and seventh in Hungary.
The 1990 season with Arrows proved more consistent, with Caffi scoring points at Monaco and achieving five consecutive top-ten finishes mid-season. He outperformed teammate Michele Alboreto, ending the year with two points and 16th in the Drivers’ Championship. 1991 was a disastrous season, however, marked by numerous failures to qualify and a significant crash in Monaco practice. He finished tenth in Japan and fifteenth in Australia, but ultimately scored no points.
A particularly notable incident occurred during the 1989 United States Grand Prix, where Caffi was pushed into the wall by teammate Andrea de Cesaris while attempting to lap him. At the 1991 Monaco Grand Prix, Caffi suffered a heavy crash in practice, resulting in the car breaking apart. Shortly after, he was injured in a road accident, leading to Stefan Johansson temporarily replacing him.
Caffi’s Formula One career ended abruptly in 1992 after a short stint with the Andrea Moda team. Frustrated by registration problems and freight delays, he was fired by team owner Andrea Sassetti after just two races, with Roberto Moreno taking his seat. He retired from Formula One at the age of 28.
After Formula One, Caffi raced in sports cars, touring cars, and the IRL, primarily in the United States. He competed in GTs, FIA Sportscar, and ALMS, and participated in the IRC Rally Monte-Carlo in 2011. In 2016, he won the Pre 1977 3-litre F1 race at the Monaco Grand Prix Historique driving a Kessel Racing Ensign N176.
Caffi formed Alex Caffi Motorsport in 2016, which later became Academy Motorsport after a partnership with Federico Monti in 2021. Academy Motorsport currently competes in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. Caffi also works as an instructor at the official Subaru Italia safety driving and racing school.
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