08.10.2004 Highly successful Italian racing car manufacturer', Dallara Automobili, will return to Grand Prix racing IN 2006 when they build chassis' for new series entrant, Midland F1

A new Formula One team, Midland F1, plans to make its debut at the 2006 Australian Grand Prix, it was announced today.

Behind the venture is the Midland Group, a privately-owned international trading and investment-holding organization registered in Guernsey but most active in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

“We are in the middle of a selection process for the crew,” revealed Midland co-founder and chairman Alex Shnaider, 36. “The car will be built in partnership with Dallara in Italy and the team’s headquarters will be on the outskirts of London.”

On the question of engine supply, he stated: “We are holding talks with the usual suspects, but there is nothing to announce yet. But by January-February we should be able to reveal everything.”

And as to who will sit in the Midland F1 cockpits, Shnaider commented: “As I said, we are in the middle of the selection process but it is very likely that Formula One will see its first Russian rookie in the near future.”

For hugely the successful Italian racing car constructor, F1 is very much unfinished business. A brief venture by Dallara into building Grand Prix cars for the Scuderia Italia outfit during the late 1980's and early 1990's proved unfruitful.

Now the firm that currently dominates F3 worldwide, builds the Nissan World Series single-seater, and produces a highly-successful Indy Racing League contender, will now gear up for another go.

Company boss Gian Paolo Dallara, originally founded Dallara Automobili in 1972 in Varano Melegari, near Parma, Italy.

Dallara graduated from the Polytechnic of Milan with a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1959, and he then embarked on a career of race car design, starting out with a position at Ferrari.

He then moved to Maserati and then, in 1963, to Lamborghini where he designed the "Espada" and in 1966, the legendary "Miura."

At the end of the 1960s, he moved to De Tomaso, where he worked on the design of F2 and F1 cars that were run at the time by current day F1 team owner, Frank Williams.

After forming Dallara Automobili, Dallara's first modern product was a small 1.0-litre sports prototype, followed by further prototypes of 1.3 and 1.6-litre capacity.

In 1978, Dallara designed his first Formula 3 car, which won the Italian championship the same year. A fierce battle between the Italian firm and its British and French competitors was eventually won by the highly successful Dallara F393.

The 1993 car pushed aerodynamics to new levels and introduced the front mono-damper system which still proves to be successful today. Dallara's success on track has resulted in them in taking a 90% share of the world market for new F3 cars

Dallara Formula 3 cars have since 1978 won championships worldwide, including in Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, South America, Russia and Austria.

From 1988 to 1992, Dallara Automobili designed and manufactured F1 cars for Scuderia Italia, which were driven by Alex Caffi, Andrea De Cesaris, JJ Letho, Emmauele Pirro and Pierluigi Martini.

Since 1997, Dallara has designed and built chassis' for teams across the Atlantic competing in the Indy Racing League championship.

Dallara car's have won the series each year from 1998 to 2001, as well as the highly prestigious Indianapolis 500, arguably the world's most famous race, during this four year period. Dallara has also won the IRL manufacturers championship from 1998 to 2003.

Dallara also have an enviable record of success in the sportscar design and manufacture having been responsible for some of the most notable cars produced in the last 2 decades.

These have included the Lancia Group C cars, aero work for the Toyota GT1 LeMans car and most recently the development of a latest generation of car for the Oreca/Chrysler team.

This sporstcar car achieved a 4th place finish at the 2001 24 hours of Le Mans, out performing, on the way, many of the well funded factory cars.

Dallara has also built up a close working relationship with some of the most prestigious motor car manufacturers, including Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Audi, Toyota and Honda, consulting on the design, research and production of racing projects.