Domenico Schiattarella

Domenico Schiattarella (born 17 November 1967): Born Domenico Luca Schiattarella, known as Mimmo, in Milan, Italy, this Italian racing driver worked his way up through Italian junior formulae before securing his opportunity in Formula One during a tumultuous period for the Simtek team. Schiattarella made a deal with a sports marketing agency that enabled him to join Simtek for the final two races of 1994, making his debut at the European Grand Prix on 16 October 1994. His first season concluded with an appearance at the Australian Grand Prix. Retained for the 1995 season, Schiattarella showed promise with the new S951 chassis.

His best Formula One result came at the 1995 Argentine Grand Prix, where he finished ninth. He demonstrated his pace at the Monaco Grand Prix by out-qualifying teammate Jos Verstappen, a significant achievement at the demanding street circuit. However, his car was damaged by marshals attempting to move it, preventing him from starting the race. This Monaco Grand Prix proved to be Schiattarella's final Formula One appearance, as Simtek folded immediately after the event due to financial difficulties.

In his seven Formula One Grand Prix entries, Schiattarella made six starts but scored no championship points. Despite the disappointment of Simtek's collapse ending his Formula One career prematurely, Schiattarella continued racing in other categories. He participated in several CART races, gaining experience in American open-wheel racing, and competed in both the Le Mans Series and American Le Mans Series events, where he found opportunities to showcase his endurance racing abilities. While his Formula One career was brief and cut short by circumstances beyond his control, Schiattarella's determination to continue racing in various international series demonstrated his passion for motorsport and his adaptability across different racing disciplines.

His time with Simtek came during one of Formula One's most challenging periods, and his perseverance through difficult circumstances reflected the resilience required of drivers competing for smaller teams in the sport's highly competitive environment.