The C3 took a while to be developed, and this led to an updated version of the FC188, the FC188B, being used until the 1989 Canadian Grand Prix. It would prove to be a mixed début for the car; Pierre-Henri Raphanel finished dead last in pre-qualifying, but not only did Roberto Moreno manage to qualify the car, he managed to complete 57 laps before succumbing to gearbox trouble. However, neither driver managed to qualify for the following race, which was the 1989 French Grand Prix. Moreno did manage to qualify for the 1989 British Grand Prix, but only lasted two laps before suffering another gearbox failure. It was not until the 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix that Coloni managed to qualify again; by then, Raphanel had been replaced by Enrico Bertaggia, whilst Moreno qualified 15th in what would prove to be Coloni's best qualifying session ever. However, after Arrows' Eddie Cheever wiped out the C3 on Saturday, the updated front wing was destroyed, and Moreno struggled until electrical gremlins forced him to retire on lap 11. This would be the last time a Coloni made it onto the grid in 1989.