Brabham BT53
Encyclopedia
The Brabham BT53 was a Formula One
car designed by Gordon Murray
for the Brabham team for the 1984 Formula One season
and was a development of the BT52
which had carried the teams lead driver Nelson Piquet
to the championship. The car was almost identical to the final development version of the car, the BT52B, but featured larger sidepods for improved cooling, and the turbochargers and intercoolers were repositioned for better fuel efficiency as refuelling stops were now banned, leading to the car having to carry an enlarged fuel tank. The BMW engine now produced around 900 bhp in qualifying trim, de-tuned to 800 for the races, making it the most powerful car ever seen in F1 at the time. This power allowed Piquet to record the fastest speed trap of the 1984 season when he clocked 325km/h (201.9mph) on the long straight at the old Kyalami
circuit during qualifying for the 1984 South African Grand Prix
.
The car was driven by reigning world champion Piquet who was joined at Brabham by the Fabi brothers Teo
and Corrado
in a shared drive allowing older brother Teo to honor commitments in the North American
based Champ Car World Series.
Although Piquet won twice and scored several podium places, the BMW engine was now unreliable. The team suffered turbo failures repeatedly in both qualifying and races despite efforts by Gordon Murray to improve the car, and Piquet did not score his first points of the season until the Canadian Grand Prix
, which he won. The McLaren MP4/2
was dominant and Piquet could not retain his championship. Reliability was found in the second half of the season, which allowed Piquet to eventually finish fifth in the title hunt. The saddest aspect was that the BT53 was regularly faster than the MP4/2, as Piquet's nine pole positions and three fastest laps attest to. More reliability might have given Piquet a realistic chance of defending his championship.
The BT53 was replaced by the BT54
for .
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
car designed by Gordon Murray
Gordon Murray
Prof. Gordon Murray , is a renowned designer of Formula One race cars and the McLaren F1 road car.-Early life:...
for the Brabham team for the 1984 Formula One season
1984 Formula One season
The 1984 Formula One season was the 35th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1984 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1984 Fomula One World Championship for Manufacturers which were contested concurrently over a sixteen race series which commenced on March 25,...
and was a development of the BT52
Brabham BT52
The Brabham BT52 was a Formula One car designed for the Brabham team by longtime Brabham designer Gordon Murray for the 1983 F1 season. The car ran on Michelin tyres...
which had carried the teams lead driver Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...
to the championship. The car was almost identical to the final development version of the car, the BT52B, but featured larger sidepods for improved cooling, and the turbochargers and intercoolers were repositioned for better fuel efficiency as refuelling stops were now banned, leading to the car having to carry an enlarged fuel tank. The BMW engine now produced around 900 bhp in qualifying trim, de-tuned to 800 for the races, making it the most powerful car ever seen in F1 at the time. This power allowed Piquet to record the fastest speed trap of the 1984 season when he clocked 325km/h (201.9mph) on the long straight at the old Kyalami
Kyalami
Kyalami is a motor racing circuit located in Midrand, Gauteng province, South Africa. The circuit has been used for Grand Prix and Formula One races and has hosted the South African Grand Prix many times. In recent years, the area surrounding the circuit has developed into a residential and...
circuit during qualifying for the 1984 South African Grand Prix
1984 South African Grand Prix
The 1984 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on April 7, 1984. It was the second round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :*First point: Ayrton Senna...
.
The car was driven by reigning world champion Piquet who was joined at Brabham by the Fabi brothers Teo
Teo Fabi
Teodorico Fabi , better known as Teo Fabi, is an Italian former racing driver.-Career:Fabi participated in 71 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on January 23, 1982. He achieved 2 podiums, and scored a total of 23 championship points...
and Corrado
Corrado Fabi
Corrado Fabi is a former racing driver from Italy. He participated in 18 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 13 March 1983, scoring no championship points. He was the 1982 European Formula Two Champion driving a March-BMW....
in a shared drive allowing older brother Teo to honor commitments in the North American
North American
North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
based Champ Car World Series.
Although Piquet won twice and scored several podium places, the BMW engine was now unreliable. The team suffered turbo failures repeatedly in both qualifying and races despite efforts by Gordon Murray to improve the car, and Piquet did not score his first points of the season until the Canadian Grand Prix
1984 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1984 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 17, 1984. It was the seventh round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings...
, which he won. The McLaren MP4/2
McLaren MP4/2
-Complete Formula One results: -See also:* Williams FW11* Lotus 97T...
was dominant and Piquet could not retain his championship. Reliability was found in the second half of the season, which allowed Piquet to eventually finish fifth in the title hunt. The saddest aspect was that the BT53 was regularly faster than the MP4/2, as Piquet's nine pole positions and three fastest laps attest to. More reliability might have given Piquet a realistic chance of defending his championship.
The BT53 was replaced by the BT54
Brabham BT54
The Brabham BT54 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Murray for the Brabham team for the 1985 Formula One season. The car was powered by the BMW M12 4cyl turbo engine and used Pirelli tyres....
for .
Complete Formula One results
(Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)| Year | Team | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 1984 Formula One season The 1984 Formula One season was the 35th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1984 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1984 Fomula One World Championship for Manufacturers which were contested concurrently over a sixteen race series which commenced on March 25,... |
Brabham | BMW M12/13 S4 tc Turbocharger A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance... |
BRA 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jacarepaguá on March 25, 1984. It was the first round of the 1984 Formula One season... |
RSA 1984 South African Grand Prix The 1984 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on April 7, 1984. It was the second round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :*First point: Ayrton Senna... |
BEL 1984 Belgian Grand Prix The 1984 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zolder on April 29, 1984. It was the third round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Finishing Grid :- Notes :*This was the last F1 race to take place at Zolder... |
SMR 1984 San Marino Grand Prix The 1984 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Imola on May 6, 1984. It was the fourth round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :... |
FRA 1984 French Grand Prix The 1984 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Dijon on May 20, 1984. It was the fifth round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :... |
MON 1984 Monaco Grand Prix The 1984 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on June 3, 1984. It was the sixth round of the 1984 Formula One season.The race, held amidst heavy rain, was one of the most contentious in Formula One history, and announced the emergence of at least two new stars... |
CAN 1984 Canadian Grand Prix The 1984 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 17, 1984. It was the seventh round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings... |
DET | DAL | GBR 1984 British Grand Prix The 1984 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on July 22, 1984. It was the tenth round of the 1984 Formula One season.-Qualifying:... |
GER 1984 German Grand Prix The 1984 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheimring on August 5, 1984. It was the eleventh round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings... |
AUT 1984 Austrian Grand Prix The 1984 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on August 19, 1984. It was the twelfth round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :* First race: Gerhard Berger... |
NED 1984 Dutch Grand Prix The 1984 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zandvoort on August 26, 1984. It was the thirteenth round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings... |
ITA 1984 Italian Grand Prix The 1984 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on 9 September 1984. It was the fourteenth round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :... |
EUR 1984 European Grand Prix The 1984 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nürburgring on October 7, 1984. It was the fifteenth round of the 1984 Formula One season... |
POR 1984 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1984 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Estoril on October 21, 1984. It was the sixteenth and final round of the 1984 Formula One season... |
38 | 4th | ||
| Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan... |
Ret | Ret | 9 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 1 | 1 | Ret | 7 | Ret | 2 | Ret | Ret | 3 | 6 | ||||||
| Teo Fabi Teo Fabi Teodorico Fabi , better known as Teo Fabi, is an Italian former racing driver.-Career:Fabi participated in 71 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on January 23, 1982. He achieved 2 podiums, and scored a total of 23 championship points... |
Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 9 | 3 | Ret | Ret | 4 | 5 | Ret | Ret | ||||||||||
| Corrado Fabi Corrado Fabi Corrado Fabi is a former racing driver from Italy. He participated in 18 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 13 March 1983, scoring no championship points. He was the 1982 European Formula Two Champion driving a March-BMW.... |
Ret | Ret | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Manfred Winkelhock Manfred Winkelhock Manfred Winkelhock was a German racing driver. Born in Waiblingen, he was the brother of Joachim Winkelhock and father of Markus Winkelhock, also both racing drivers.... |
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