Ferrari 312T
Encyclopedia
The Ferrari 312T was a Ferrari
Formula One
car design, based on the 312B3 from 1974. In various versions, it was used from 1975 until 1980. It was designed by Mauro Forghieri
for the 1975 season
and was an uncomplicated and clean design, that responded to mechanical upgrades.
The 312T series won 27 races, four constructors' and three drivers' championships, and was replaced for the 1981 season
by the 126 C
, Ferrari's first turbocharged
F1 car.
engine
which gave around 510 bhp, the T in the name stood for 'transverse', as the gearbox was mounted in this way, improving the car's handling characteristics, which had been the downfall of its predecessor.
As with all Ferrari F1 cars of this era, the design of the new model was led by Mauro Forghieri
.
The car was constructed with aluminium panels over a tubular steel spaceframe, as was typical in F1 at the time, but featured a large number of new design features, the most interesting of which was the transverse-mounted gearbox - the T in the car's name stood for Trasversale. The gearbox design allowed it to be positioned ahead of the rear axle, in order to give a low polar moment of inertia. The suspension was also significantly different from that of the 312B3, and the front of the chassis was much narrower. The handling of the car was found to be inherently neutral, not suffering from the persistent understeer which blighted the 312B3. Niki Lauda
tested the car extensively during the off season, ready for a full on championship challenge.
The first 312T was completed in the autumn of 1974, and unveiled to the press in Modena after the end of the 1974 season. However, the team used the old 312B3 at the first two races of the 1975 season, and it was not until the South African Grand Prix
the 312T received its race debut. The car's performance at its debut race was disappointing, with Clay Regazzoni
's car being set up incorrectly, and Niki Lauda
's suffering from a lack of power. A subesequent test of Lauda's engine proved that there was a technical problem.
The 312T was tested alongside the 312B3 at Fiorano
, proving conclusively that the newer car was faster, and indeed it went on to win its next race, the non-championship International Trophy race
, with Lauda at the wheel. In the world championship, after the slow start to the season in which Brabham, Tyrrell
and McLaren put up strong competition, Lauda won 4 out of 5 races mid season before snatching the title at Monza
by finishing third, whilst Clay Regazzoni
's win in that race secured Ferrari its first constructors' championship since 1964. Lauda went on to win the US Grand Prix
at season's end, confirming Ferrari's superiority in 1975.
The Formula 1 technical regulations
were changed for the 1976 season
- from the Spanish Grand Prix in May, the tall air boxes
which had become popular would be banned. The rules therefore allowed Ferrari to continue to use the 312T for the opening 3 races of the 1976 season (Lauda won the first two and Regazzoni the third), before the introduction of its successor, a revised version called the 312T2.
A total of five 312T chassis were used in races (chassis numbers: 018,021,022,023,024). The car's final world championship race was at the 1976 United States Grand Prix West
.
The 312T2 was launched at Fiorano and featured a number of modifications over the 312T. In order to comply with the revised aerodynamic rules, the car no longer featured an airbox behind the cockpit. Instead "NACA shaped"
air intakes were incorporated into the cockpit sides, feeding air into each cylinder bank of the flat 12 engine. At 2650mm, the wheelbase was 42mm longer than that of the 312T. At the time of launch, the car also featured some notable mechanical modifications, including a de Dion
rear suspension arrangement, although this was abandoned after extensive testing, in favour of a more conventional suspension set up.
The 312T2 was given its race debut at the non-championship Brands Hatch
Race of Champions
in March 1976 and was first used in a world championship race in May at the Spanish Grand Prix
. The 312T2 was if anything, more successful than the 312T. Lauda was comfortably leading the world championship after another 3 wins, when at the 1976 German Grand Prix
at Nürburgring
he had a massive accident caused by a suspected rear suspension
failure. In the aftermath he nearly burned to death, but was miraculously back racing just 6 weeks later. Lauda conceded the title by just a single point to James Hunt
, but the 312T2's superiority helped Ferrari win its second consecutive constructor's title.
The 312T2 was also used for the 1977 season. At the early races the cars were little different to the 1976 specification cars , indeed two of the 1976 cars (chassis 026 and 027) were used in the early races. One of the few visible changes was the addition of Fiat logos to a Ferrari F1 car for the first time. Lauda was unhappy with the performance of the car at the first two races of 1977, and led an extensive test programme to develop the car in the weeks between the Brazilian
and South African
grands prix. These tests resulted in the introduction of several changes to the car, including a new rear wing, revised bodywork and suspension. Lauda went on to win the South African race, albeit in tragic cicumstances, his car heavily damaged by debris from Tom Pryce's fatal accident.
Over the course of the season, three new cars were constructed (chassis numbers 029,030 & 031) and the car's development continued. Several different noses and rear wing profiles were used, some especially tailored for specific circuits, and numerous changes were made to the suspension and rear bodywork. One of the problems Ferrari had with the 312T2 in 1977 was that the Goodyear tyres were increasingly unsuited to the car. As Goodyear continued to develop the tyres to cope with the high downforce of the Lotus 78
, it became more difficult for the Ferrari (with less downforce) to build up sufficient tyre temperatures.
However, despite its problems, the 312T2 was good enough to win the driver's championship for Lauda, who won more through the car's reliability than outright speed. He took 3 wins, while Reutemann won once. The constructors' championship was also secured for a third successive season before Lauda walked out on the team before season's end. He was replaced by the fiery Canadian Gilles Villeneuve
but he couldn't get a handle on the T2B, as its neutral handling didn't suit his oversteering driving style.
The 312T2 was used for the first two races of 1978, before being replaced by the 312T3.
The 312T3 was introduced for Villeneuve and Reutemann
at the third race of the 1978 season.
The car featured the same flat 12 engine as had been used since 1970, albeit tuned to give around 515 bhp. The chassis was completely new, with a new monocoque structure and a different suspension arrangement, designed to work with the Michelin tyres. The bodywork visibly very different, with a flatter top to the body, allowing improved air flow to the rear wing.
All the hard work came to nothing though as the pioneering Lotus 79
ground effect
"wing car" took on and beat all comers with ease that season, and Ferrari were left to pick up the pieces of any Lotus failures. Reutemann won 4 races, whilst Villeneuve won for the first time at the final race, his home race in Canada
, but it was more a season of consolidation. Reutemann moved to Lotus
for 1979, replaced by Jody Scheckter
. Ferrari was 2nd in the Constructors Championship.
, Forghieri realised he had to follow their lead and design a ground effect
car for 1979. The 312T4, introduced at the 1979 South African Grand Prix
was closely based on the 312T3. Its origins placed restrictions on the aerodynamic design since the T series had never been designed with ground effect in mind. The 312T4 monocoque was designed to be as narrow as possible, to take advantage of ground effects, but this was limited by the width of the flat 12 engine.
The car won 6 races in 1979, three each for Villeneuve and Scheckter. Other solid placings helped Ferrari win its fourth constructors' championship in 5 seasons and Scheckter his only drivers' championship.
Scheckter was given the 312T4 he drove to his championship after the new 312T5 was ready to be debuted in Argentina in 1980. He still owns it, and ran it at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
weekend to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Formula One along with every living Formula One world champion (except for Nelson Piquet
and Kimi Räikkönen
).
saw further aerodynamic progress by Cosworth DFV
teams, and a heavily-updated version of the 312T4, the 312T5 was introduced at the start of the season. As with the previous season, Ferrari was totally outclassed as their wide 312 "Boxer" engine did not suit the aerodynamic needs. The car was unreliable, slow and wasn't very effective against the competition. For the first time since 1973
, Ferrari did not win a race for an entire season, and the team finished 10th in the Constructors' championship. Scheckter even failed to qualify in Canada and, after only managing 2 points, retired from the sport at the end of the year.
The 312T5 was succeeded by a completely new car, the 126CK, for the 1981 season
.
The car was tested by both Niki Lauda and Carlos Reutemann in 1977, but never raced. Quite apart from the fact that it was far wider than the regulations permitted it also proved a challenge to drive. During one test at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track Reutemann crashed the car then it burst into flames on his 12th lap of testing, and suffered a rear upright failure on another occasion. Needless to say the Argentinean was not impressed.
Following the 312T6 experiment articles appeared in the Italian press with illustrations depicting a secret Ferrari Formula 1 car, dubbed the 312T8. They showed four wheels at the front, like the Tyrrell P34, and another four at the rear, like the March 2–4-0. The idea was evidently crazy and no such car ever materialised.
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
Formula One
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 design, based on the 312B3 from 1974. In various versions, it was used from 1975 until 1980. It was designed by Mauro Forghieri
Mauro Forghieri
Mauro Forghieri is an Italian Formula One car designer.-Early life and Ferrari:Forghieri was born in Modena, the only child of Reclus and Afra Forghieri. His father, a turner, did war work during World War II for the Ansaldo mechanical workshops of Naples...
for the 1975 season
1975 Formula One season
The 1975 Formula One season was the 26th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1975 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1975 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers which were contested concurrently from January 12 to October 5 over fourteen races...
and was an uncomplicated and clean design, that responded to mechanical upgrades.
The 312T series won 27 races, four constructors' and three drivers' championships, and was replaced for the 1981 season
1981 Formula One season
The 1981 Formula One season included the 32nd FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on March 15, 1981, and ended on October 17 after fifteen races. Nelson Piquet won the Drivers' Championship, claiming the first of his three Formula One titles...
by the 126 C
Ferrari 126 C
The Ferrari 126C was the car with which Ferrari raced in the 1981 Formula One season. The team's first attempt at a turbo engined Formula 1 car, it was designed by Mauro Forghieri and Harvey Postlethwaite and used between the 1981 and 1984 seasons....
, Ferrari's first turbocharged
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...
F1 car.
Mechanical configuration
The car was powered by the powerful and ultra reliable flat-12Flat-12
A flat-12 is an internal combustion engine in a flat configuration, having 12 cylinders.The flat-12 is wider than a V12...
engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
which gave around 510 bhp, the T in the name stood for 'transverse', as the gearbox was mounted in this way, improving the car's handling characteristics, which had been the downfall of its predecessor.
312T
The development of the 312T began in 1974, as it became apparent that problems with the handling of the then current 312B3 chassis could not be solved, and a radical re-think was required.As with all Ferrari F1 cars of this era, the design of the new model was led by Mauro Forghieri
Mauro Forghieri
Mauro Forghieri is an Italian Formula One car designer.-Early life and Ferrari:Forghieri was born in Modena, the only child of Reclus and Afra Forghieri. His father, a turner, did war work during World War II for the Ansaldo mechanical workshops of Naples...
.
The car was constructed with aluminium panels over a tubular steel spaceframe, as was typical in F1 at the time, but featured a large number of new design features, the most interesting of which was the transverse-mounted gearbox - the T in the car's name stood for Trasversale. The gearbox design allowed it to be positioned ahead of the rear axle, in order to give a low polar moment of inertia. The suspension was also significantly different from that of the 312B3, and the front of the chassis was much narrower. The handling of the car was found to be inherently neutral, not suffering from the persistent understeer which blighted the 312B3. Niki Lauda
Niki Lauda
Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...
tested the car extensively during the off season, ready for a full on championship challenge.
The first 312T was completed in the autumn of 1974, and unveiled to the press in Modena after the end of the 1974 season. However, the team used the old 312B3 at the first two races of the 1975 season, and it was not until the South African Grand Prix
1975 South African Grand Prix
The 1975 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 1, 1975. It was the 21st South African Grand Prix since the first Grand Prix was held in 1934 and the ninth to be held at Kyalami just outside of Johannesburg...
the 312T received its race debut. The car's performance at its debut race was disappointing, with Clay Regazzoni
Clay Regazzoni
Gianclaudio Giuseppe "Clay" Regazzoni was a Swiss racing car driver. He competed in Formula One races from 1970 to 1980, winning five Grands Prix. His first win was the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in his debut season, driving for Ferrari. He remained with the Italian team until...
's car being set up incorrectly, and Niki Lauda
Niki Lauda
Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...
's suffering from a lack of power. A subesequent test of Lauda's engine proved that there was a technical problem.
The 312T was tested alongside the 312B3 at Fiorano
Fiorano Circuit
The Fiorano Circuit is a private racetrack owned by Ferrari for development and testing purposes. It is located near the Italian town of Maranello....
, proving conclusively that the newer car was faster, and indeed it went on to win its next race, the non-championship International Trophy race
1975 BRDC International Trophy
The 27th BRDC International Trophy was a non-championship Formula One race held at Silverstone on April 13, 1975.- Classification :-References:*...
, with Lauda at the wheel. In the world championship, after the slow start to the season in which Brabham, Tyrrell
Tyrrell Racing
The Tyrrell Racing Organisation was an auto racing team and Formula One constructor founded by Ken Tyrrell which started racing in 1958 and started building its own cars in 1970. The team experienced its greatest success in the early 1970s, when it won three drivers' championships and one...
and McLaren put up strong competition, Lauda won 4 out of 5 races mid season before snatching the title at Monza
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception....
by finishing third, whilst Clay Regazzoni
Clay Regazzoni
Gianclaudio Giuseppe "Clay" Regazzoni was a Swiss racing car driver. He competed in Formula One races from 1970 to 1980, winning five Grands Prix. His first win was the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in his debut season, driving for Ferrari. He remained with the Italian team until...
's win in that race secured Ferrari its first constructors' championship since 1964. Lauda went on to win the US Grand Prix
1975 United States Grand Prix
The 1975 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 5, 1975 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York...
at season's end, confirming Ferrari's superiority in 1975.
The Formula 1 technical regulations
Formula One regulations
The numerous Formula One regulations, made and enforced by the FIA and later the FISA, have changed dramatically since the first Formula One World Championship in 1950...
were changed for the 1976 season
1976 Formula One season
The 1976 Formula One season included the 27th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 25, 1976, and ended on October 24 after sixteen races...
- from the Spanish Grand Prix in May, the tall air boxes
Airbox
Motorcyclists and car enthusiasts use the term airbox for what might more properly be described as an air intake chamber. Older engines drew air directly from the surroundings into each individual carburetor...
which had become popular would be banned. The rules therefore allowed Ferrari to continue to use the 312T for the opening 3 races of the 1976 season (Lauda won the first two and Regazzoni the third), before the introduction of its successor, a revised version called the 312T2.
A total of five 312T chassis were used in races (chassis numbers: 018,021,022,023,024). The car's final world championship race was at the 1976 United States Grand Prix West
1976 United States Grand Prix West
The 1976 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One motor race held on March 28, 1976 in Long Beach, California. The race, which was the third round of the 1976 Formula One season, was won by Clay Regazzoni in a Ferrari car whilst his teammate Niki Lauda finished second, and therefore...
.
312T2
NACA duct
A NACA duct also sometimes called a NACA scoop or NACA Inlet, is a common form of low-drag air inlet design, originally developed by the U.S. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics , the precursor to NASA, in 1945....
air intakes were incorporated into the cockpit sides, feeding air into each cylinder bank of the flat 12 engine. At 2650mm, the wheelbase was 42mm longer than that of the 312T. At the time of launch, the car also featured some notable mechanical modifications, including a de Dion
De Dion tube
A de Dion tube is an automobile suspension technology. It is a sophisticated form of non-independent suspension and is a considerable improvement over the alternative swing axle and Hotchkiss drive types. A de Dion suspension uses universal joints at both the wheel hubs and differential, and uses a...
rear suspension arrangement, although this was abandoned after extensive testing, in favour of a more conventional suspension set up.
The 312T2 was given its race debut at the non-championship Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
Race of Champions
Race of Champions (Brands Hatch)
The Race of Champions was a non-championship Formula One motor race held at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, United Kingdom between 1965 and 1979, and again in 1983. It often attracted high quality entries from the Formula One World Championship. The first race was won by Mike Spence...
in March 1976 and was first used in a world championship race in May at the Spanish Grand Prix
1976 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1976 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jarama on May 2, 1976, and was the fourth round of the 1976 Formula One season. The race, which was contested over 75 laps, was won by James Hunt who drove a McLaren-Ford to take his first victory of the year...
. The 312T2 was if anything, more successful than the 312T. Lauda was comfortably leading the world championship after another 3 wins, when at the 1976 German Grand Prix
1976 German Grand Prix
The 1976 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Nürburgring on 1 August 1976, and is notable as the location of Niki Lauda's near fatal accident...
at Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
he had a massive accident caused by a suspected rear suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
failure. In the aftermath he nearly burned to death, but was miraculously back racing just 6 weeks later. Lauda conceded the title by just a single point to James Hunt
James Hunt
James Simon Wallis Hunt was a British racing driver from England who won the Formula One World Championship in . Hunt's often action packed exploits on track earned him the nickname "Hunt the Shunt." After retiring from driving, Hunt became a media commentator and businessman...
, but the 312T2's superiority helped Ferrari win its second consecutive constructor's title.
The 312T2 was also used for the 1977 season. At the early races the cars were little different to the 1976 specification cars , indeed two of the 1976 cars (chassis 026 and 027) were used in the early races. One of the few visible changes was the addition of Fiat logos to a Ferrari F1 car for the first time. Lauda was unhappy with the performance of the car at the first two races of 1977, and led an extensive test programme to develop the car in the weeks between the Brazilian
1977 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1977 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos on January 23, 1977.-Report:James Hunt took pole again with Carlos Reutemann second and Mario Andretti third on the grid. Home hero Carlos Pace took the lead at the start, with Hunt dropping behind Reutemann as well but...
and South African
1977 South African Grand Prix
The 1977 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 5 March 1977. The race is principally remembered for the fatal accident that claimed the lives of race marshal Frederick Jansen van Vuuren and driver Tom Pryce...
grands prix. These tests resulted in the introduction of several changes to the car, including a new rear wing, revised bodywork and suspension. Lauda went on to win the South African race, albeit in tragic cicumstances, his car heavily damaged by debris from Tom Pryce's fatal accident.
Over the course of the season, three new cars were constructed (chassis numbers 029,030 & 031) and the car's development continued. Several different noses and rear wing profiles were used, some especially tailored for specific circuits, and numerous changes were made to the suspension and rear bodywork. One of the problems Ferrari had with the 312T2 in 1977 was that the Goodyear tyres were increasingly unsuited to the car. As Goodyear continued to develop the tyres to cope with the high downforce of the Lotus 78
Lotus 78
The Lotus 78 'wing car' was a Formula One racing car used in the and seasons. It was designed by Peter Wright, Colin Chapman, Martin Ogilvie and Tony Rudd, and was the car that started the ground effect revolution in Formula One.-Concept:...
, it became more difficult for the Ferrari (with less downforce) to build up sufficient tyre temperatures.
However, despite its problems, the 312T2 was good enough to win the driver's championship for Lauda, who won more through the car's reliability than outright speed. He took 3 wins, while Reutemann won once. The constructors' championship was also secured for a third successive season before Lauda walked out on the team before season's end. He was replaced by the fiery Canadian Gilles Villeneuve
Gilles Villeneuve
Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve, better known as Gilles Villeneuve , was a Canadian racing driver. An enthusiast of cars and fast driving from an early age, he started his professional career in snowmobile racing in his native province of Quebec...
but he couldn't get a handle on the T2B, as its neutral handling didn't suit his oversteering driving style.
The 312T2 was used for the first two races of 1978, before being replaced by the 312T3.
312T3
Carlos Reutemann
Carlos Alberto Reutemann , nicknamed "Lole", is an Argentine former racing driver , and later a politician in his native province of Santa Fe, for the Justicialist Party....
at the third race of the 1978 season.
The car featured the same flat 12 engine as had been used since 1970, albeit tuned to give around 515 bhp. The chassis was completely new, with a new monocoque structure and a different suspension arrangement, designed to work with the Michelin tyres. The bodywork visibly very different, with a flatter top to the body, allowing improved air flow to the rear wing.
All the hard work came to nothing though as the pioneering Lotus 79
Lotus 79
The Lotus 79 was a Formula One car designed in late 1977 by Colin Chapman, Geoff Aldridge, Martin Ogilvie, Tony Rudd and Peter Wright of Lotus. It is considered by many to be one of the most significant and respected racing car designs of all time....
ground effect
Ground effect in cars
Ground effect is term applied to a series of aerodynamic effects used in car design, which has been exploited to create downforce, particularly in racing cars. This has been the successor to the earlier dominant aerodynamic theory of streamlining...
"wing car" took on and beat all comers with ease that season, and Ferrari were left to pick up the pieces of any Lotus failures. Reutemann won 4 races, whilst Villeneuve won for the first time at the final race, his home race in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, but it was more a season of consolidation. Reutemann moved to Lotus
Team Lotus
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing...
for 1979, replaced by Jody Scheckter
Jody Scheckter
Jody David Scheckter is a South African former auto racing driver, the Formula One World Drivers Champion.-Career:Scheckter was born in East London, South Africa and educated at Selborne College.-Formula One:...
. Ferrari was 2nd in the Constructors Championship.
312T4
In 1979, a significant amount of progress was made in aerodynamics and to challenge LotusTeam Lotus
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing...
, Forghieri realised he had to follow their lead and design a ground effect
Ground effect in cars
Ground effect is term applied to a series of aerodynamic effects used in car design, which has been exploited to create downforce, particularly in racing cars. This has been the successor to the earlier dominant aerodynamic theory of streamlining...
car for 1979. The 312T4, introduced at the 1979 South African Grand Prix
1979 South African Grand Prix
The 1979 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 3 March 1979 at Kyalami.- Classification :- Notes :* Lap Leaders: Jean-Pierre Jabouille 1 lap ; Gilles Villeneuve 39 laps ; Jody Scheckter 38 laps ....
was closely based on the 312T3. Its origins placed restrictions on the aerodynamic design since the T series had never been designed with ground effect in mind. The 312T4 monocoque was designed to be as narrow as possible, to take advantage of ground effects, but this was limited by the width of the flat 12 engine.
The car won 6 races in 1979, three each for Villeneuve and Scheckter. Other solid placings helped Ferrari win its fourth constructors' championship in 5 seasons and Scheckter his only drivers' championship.
Scheckter was given the 312T4 he drove to his championship after the new 312T5 was ready to be debuted in Argentina in 1980. He still owns it, and ran it at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
The 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 14 March 2010, at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the seventh Bahrain Grand Prix and the opening race of the 2010 Formula One season. It was the first time since 2006 that Bahrain had hosted the opening...
weekend to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Formula One along with every living Formula One world champion (except for 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...
and Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish racing driver, who will drive in Formula One for Lotus in . After nine seasons racing in Formula One, in which he took the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he competed in the World Rally Championship from 2009-2011.Räikkönen entered...
).
312T5
The 1980 season1980 Formula One season
The 1980 Formula One season was the 31st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1980 World Championship of Drivers and the 1980 International Cup for F1 Constructors which were contested concurrently from January 13 to October 5 over a fourteen race series...
saw further aerodynamic progress by Cosworth DFV
Cosworth DFV
The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. Named Four Valve because of the four valves per cylinder, and Double as it was a V8 development of the earlier, four-cylinder FVA , making it a Double Four Valve engine...
teams, and a heavily-updated version of the 312T4, the 312T5 was introduced at the start of the season. As with the previous season, Ferrari was totally outclassed as their wide 312 "Boxer" engine did not suit the aerodynamic needs. The car was unreliable, slow and wasn't very effective against the competition. For the first time since 1973
1973 Formula One season
The 1973 Formula One season included the 24th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 28, 1973, and ended on October 7 after fifteen races.-Season summary:...
, Ferrari did not win a race for an entire season, and the team finished 10th in the Constructors' championship. Scheckter even failed to qualify in Canada and, after only managing 2 points, retired from the sport at the end of the year.
The 312T5 was succeeded by a completely new car, the 126CK, for the 1981 season
1981 Formula One season
The 1981 Formula One season included the 32nd FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on March 15, 1981, and ended on October 17 after fifteen races. Nelson Piquet won the Drivers' Championship, claiming the first of his three Formula One titles...
.
312T6
The six-wheeled 312T6 used four tyres at the rear, specially developed for the purpose. It was one of a few six-wheeled designs during that period, although Tyrrell's P34 was the only example which raced. The car followed in the footsteps of the Tyrrell P34, but instead of four smaller front wheels, the T6 used 4 normal sized rear wheels on one rear axle.The car was tested by both Niki Lauda and Carlos Reutemann in 1977, but never raced. Quite apart from the fact that it was far wider than the regulations permitted it also proved a challenge to drive. During one test at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track Reutemann crashed the car then it burst into flames on his 12th lap of testing, and suffered a rear upright failure on another occasion. Needless to say the Argentinean was not impressed.
Following the 312T6 experiment articles appeared in the Italian press with illustrations depicting a secret Ferrari Formula 1 car, dubbed the 312T8. They showed four wheels at the front, like the Tyrrell P34, and another four at the rear, like the March 2–4-0. The idea was evidently crazy and no such car ever materialised.