Corrado Fabi

Corrado Fabi (born April 12, 1961): An Italian racing driver from Milan who achieved significant success in junior formulas before a challenging Formula One career that was ultimately cut short by family tragedy. Fabi is the younger brother of fellow racing driver Teo Fabi, and both brothers competed at the highest levels of motorsport. Corrado's greatest achievement came in 1982 when he won the European Formula Two Championship driving a March-BMW, clinching the title by a single point over teammate Johnny Cecotto. At the time, he became the youngest champion in F2 history, demonstrating exceptional talent and maturity beyond his years.

This success earned him a Formula One opportunity with Osella for the 1983 season, making his debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix. He participated in 18 Formula One World Championship races with 12 actual starts across 1983 and 1984, driving for Osella and Brabham respectively. In 1984, an interesting situation arose when his older brother Teo continued to drive in the CART/PPG World Series for Forsythe Racing and missed three Grands Prix. Corrado filled in for his brother at Brabham during these absences, creating one of Formula One's rare instances of sibling substitution.

Despite his F2 championship credentials, Corrado struggled in Formula One and failed to score any championship points with either team. Tragically, in the autumn of 1984, the Fabi brothers' father Carlo died. This devastating loss forced Corrado to make a permanent sacrifice, quitting his motorsport career to take over and manage the family business. At just 23 years old, with his Formula One career barely begun, Corrado walked away from racing to fulfill his family responsibilities.

His decision to prioritize family over his racing ambitions, despite being a European F2 champion, represents one of motorsport's more poignant what-if stories.