Claudio Langes

Claudio Langes (born August 4, 1961): An Italian racing driver from Brescia who holds the unfortunate distinction of attempting more Formula One races without successfully pre-qualifying than any other driver in the sport's history. Langes reached Formula One in 1990 after competing in Formula 3000, where his best result was a second-place finish at Pergusa-Enna in 1989 driving a Lola. He entered 14 Grands Prix with the struggling EuroBrun team during the 1990 season but failed to pre-qualify for every single race, a record that still stands. His Formula One debut attempt came at the 1990 United States Grand Prix in Phoenix, with his final attempt coming at the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix.

Throughout the season, Langes was sometimes as much as 15 seconds slower than his teammate Roberto Moreno, highlighting the massive performance gap between them and the difficulties Langes faced adapting to Formula One machinery. The situation was complicated by EuroBrun's severe financial problems, which became so acute that the team nearly withdrew from the Canadian Grand Prix. Although Langes made it possible for the team to continue competing through his financial contributions, he never benefited from the best equipment the team could offer. The EuroBrun ER189B he drove was simply not competitive enough to break through the pre-qualifying barrier, even with Langes' backing.

Despite his disappointing Formula One experience, Langes continued his racing career after 1990, competing in the Italian Touring Car Championship in 1991 and other series. While his Formula One record shows no race starts, Langes' determination to keep trying throughout an entire season, combined with his financial support that kept EuroBrun alive, demonstrates a commitment to the sport that transcended mere results.