Kọ́kọ́ parí gbólóhùn yìí: Lọ́dún 1978, Merzario dara pọ̀ mọ́ Guglielmo Bellasi, tó jẹ́ ọmọ ilẹ̀ Switzerland tó ń sáré nínú ìdíje Formula One, ó sì fi ìpìlẹ̀ lélẹ̀ fún ẹgbẹ́ tirẹ̀. Merzario's first self-built Formula One effort, the A1, appeared in 1978 and was a basically conventional car based largely on his March 761B, with a red color scheme and crude bodywork vaguely reminiscent of a Ferrari 312T2 in its use of cockpit-side ducting for an air intake. Merzario's first self-built Formula One effort, the A1, appeared in 1978 and was a basically conventional car based largely on his March 761B, with a red color scheme and crude bodywork vaguely reminiscent of a Ferrari 312T2 in its use of cockpit-side ducting for an air intake. Merzario's first self-built Formula One effort, the A1, appeared in 1978 and was a basically conventional car based largely on his March 761B, with a red color scheme and crude bodywork vaguely reminiscent of a Ferrari 312T2 in its use of cockpit-side ducting for an air intake. O lo apapo ti o wọpọ ni akoko naa ti ẹrọ Cosworth DFV ati apoti jia Hewland. Àwòrán náà yí padà láti pupa sí dúdú kí àwọn
1978 Monaco Grand Prix, bó tilẹ̀ jẹ́ pé kì í ṣe títí di Swedish Grand Prix tí ó parí ìdíje kan, bó tilẹ̀ jẹ́ pé a kò kà á sí, tí ó wà ní ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbẹ̀jọ ìyí tí ó jìnnà sí olùborí lẹ́yìn ìdúró pẹ́ẹ́pẹ́ẹ̀pẹ́. Fun Austrian Grand Prix, a ṣe afihan A1 keji, botilẹjẹpe o fura pe eyi jẹ gangan March 761B atijọ ti ẹgbẹ pẹlu ara tuntun. Pẹlu ọkọ ayọkẹlẹ yii ni ọwọ rẹ, Merzario ṣe diẹ dara julọ ni igbasilẹ ṣugbọn o tun kuna lati wa ni ipo ni ere-ije kan. Fun Grand Prix ti Italy, awọn A1 mejeeji ni a wọle, pẹlu Alberto Colombo ti n wakọ A1 atilẹba ati Merzario mu A1 keji tuntun. Colombo ni ó fi àkókò tó rọ̀ jùlọ sílẹ̀ nígbà ìdánwò ìdánwò, kò sì wọlé, nígbà tí Merzario gba ìdánwò láìsí ìdààmú, kìkì nítorí pé ẹ̀rọ náà kùnà lásìkò ìdíje. Ẹgbẹ naa ṣe ayẹyẹ ọkọ ayọkẹlẹ ni igba mẹjọ ni ọdun 1978, ṣugbọn o ti fẹyìntì ni igba meje pẹlu awọn aṣiṣe ẹrọ.