Career
After racing in Italian Formula 3, Leoni graduated to European Formula 2 in 1976. He had a promising start, finishing third in his first race with Massimo Ciccozzi's team Scuderia del Passatore at Autódromo do Estoril. He then raced for Giancarlo Minardi's Scuderia Everest, with mixed results. His best result came the following season, when he won at Misano with a car fielded by Scuderia Trivellato.
In 1977 Leoni made his Formula One debut with Surtees at the 1977 Italian Grand Prix, replacing Vern Schuppan, but failed to qualify. The following year he joined Morris Nunn's Ensign. Leoni qualified for the opening event, the 1978 Argentine Grand Prix, but was forced to retire the car after 28 laps because of an engine failure. At the following race in Brazil, Leoni once again managed to qualify but was prevented from starting the race after his transmission broke down during the formation lap. After failing to qualify the car in the following two races in South Africa and the United States, Leoni departed from the team and was replaced by Jacky Ickx.
Leoni returned to Formula 2 and then Formula 3000. In 1987 he formed his own First Racing team. Following a few moderately successful seasons, with wins for drivers Marco Apicella and Pierluigi Martini, in 1989 Leoni made an abortive attempt to enter Formula One with a car designed by Richard Divila and Gabriele Tarquini at the wheel. The car, however, was poorly assembled and although Leoni commissioned a second chassis, he eventually elected to end the team experience in Formula One. The second chassis was then purchased by Ernesto Vita for his unsuccessful Life outfit.
Leoni subsequently managed the career of Apicella, who ended up winning the Super Formula Championship in 1994 and have an outing in Formula One with Jordan Grand Prix in 1993.
In the early 1990s, Leoni resumed his racing career by becoming involved in powerboat racing. He was able to win several races and narrowly missed the 1993 World Championship. [1]
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