in 1991, mccarthy was chosen to test for the footwork formula one team. although he impressed the team, his break did not come until the eve of the 1992 formula one season, when he was signed by the independent andrea moda team run by andrea sassetti who thought that entering formula one would be a good way to advertise his shoe business. the team was uncompetitive, disorganized and poorly managed, and after a lengthy battle to gain an fia super licence the season soon descended into farce. mccarthy, frequently denied more than a handful of laps in which to prepare, failed to qualify for any grand prix. his grand prix debut at spain lasted eighteen metres down the pit lane in pre-qualifying. the team folded before the end of the season in controversial circumstances and mccarthy was left without a drive. in a july 2004 interview with "the times", mccarthy discussed how this period in his career had contributed to him being dubbed the world's unluckiest racing driver, saying "dick dastardly had more luck than me".