Tag Archives: Depailler

Increased Unsprung Weight – Tyrrell Cosworth 007

With the retirement of Jackie Stewart and the untimely death of his team mate Francois Cevert the Tyrrell Racing Organisation started the 1974 with two new drivers Patrick Depailler who had made two starts for the team as a third driver in 1972 and Jody Scheckter, who took the seat originally destined for Gerry Birrell and then Roger Williamson both of whom were killed after Jackie Stewart had told Ken Tyrrell of his decision to retire early in 1973.

With two relatively inexperienced drivers coming into the team Derek Gardner opted to design a much simpler car with a longer wheel base, all round inboard brakes and a chisel nose than the Tyrrell 006 with which Jackie and Francoise had so much success in 1973.

Tyrrell Cosworth 007, Donington Park Museum

Jody drove the #007/1 to two victories in Sweden, where Patrick was a season high second and at Brands Hatch in 1974.

Jody had an outside shot at the title at the beginning of the season finale 1974 US Grand Prix where he retired with a fuel system issue having secured third place in the championship.

Tyrrell Cosworth 007, Donington Park Museum

For 1975 the design of the 007 was revised with the radiators being angled back on the vertical plane dispensing with the need for side pods to house them and with outboard front brakes being adopted which adversely affected the unsprung weight of the car.

By now Ferrari were really hitting their stride and Jody managed just the one win at his home South African grand prix which when backed up with a second place finish in Belgium, third in Britain and 6th at Watkins Glen added up to a disappointing distant 7th in the championship.

Tyrrell Cosworth 007, Donington Park Museum

On the plus side while the performance and reliability of the 007’s was tanking Derek Gardener was working on one of Formula Ones more spectacular curiosities for the 1976 season.

At the time of writing I am not sure which of two possible 007’s today’s featured car seen at the Donington Park Museum, is. I believe it is, or was, owned by American Jeffrey Lewis, it is possible that it is either #007/7 which was unraced in period or #007/4, which was built in 1974 for Patrick and converted to the 1975 spec by TRO for Patrick to race in 1975, both of which appear to presently belong to Americans.

Having seen a 007 a few years ago in the Scuderia Gulf Rondini colours for whom Alessandro Pesenti-Rossi drove #007/4 in 1976 I suspect today’s featured car is most likely #007/7, if you know different please do not hesitate to chime in below.

Thanks for joining me on this “Increased Unsprung Weight” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Maserati Monday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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RIP JP B – Peugeot 309 Gti Turbo Cup

Born on April 26th 1937 Jean Pierre Beltoise was part of a cohort of French drivers that emerged in the 1960’s that included Johnny Servous Gavin, Gerrard Larrousse, Henri Pescarolo and brother in law Francois Cevert.

JP B’s started racing motor cycles winning 11 national titles in three years, he raced Motor Morini, Kreider and Bultaco machines in a handful of world championship events from 1962 to 1964 finishing a best 3rd on a 50 cc Kreider in the 1964 French Grand Prix.

In 1963 Jean Pierre started racing Djet sports cars for René Bonnet. After Bonnet sold out to Matra he raced a succession of Formula 3 and Formula 2 Matra open wheelers with sufficient success that led to his Grand Prix debut in the 1966 German Grand Prix with a Formula 2 Matra in which he finished 8th overall and first in the Formula 2 class.

In 1968 JP B was contracted to drive for the French Matra Sports team but did not race a proper Formula One Spec car until the Spanish Grand Prix when he was drafted in to drive Jackie Stewart’s Cosworth powered Matra MS10 for Ken Tyrrell’s Matra International team.

At Monaco he raced the Matra V12 powered Matra MS 11 for the first time but retired with broken suspension, at the Dutch GP he finished a season high second behind Stewart.

Matra Sport withdrew form F1 at the end of 1968 to focus their efforts on getting Ken Tyrrells Matra International Team Matra MS80 cars for Jackie Stewart, JP-B was drafted in as Jackie’s team mate and again finished a season high second this time in France.

Ken Tyrrell and Matra parted way’s after winning the 1969 World Championships and Matra got it’s V12 programme back on track with JP B and Henri Pescarolo in the drivers seats JP B scored two season high thirds to Henri’s one. The following season JP B remained on the Matra team with Chris Amon but the results were disappointing.

For 1972 JP B signed to drive for BRM for which an over ambitious programme was being funded by Marlboro. At the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix Jean Pierre won his only Grand Prix generally reckoned to have been one of the more difficult races thanks to the atrocious conditions.

Note the scuff mark the BRM’s nose in the linked photo this came about after contact with Ronnie Peterson’s March which was baulking his while being lapped.

This race would be the last formula one championship win for a BRM and at the end of the season Jean Pierre won the non championship John Player victory race at Brands Hatch driving a BRM P180 which would be the last win for the BRM team.

Jean Pierre continued driving for BRM in 1973 during which he finished a season high 4th in Canada with the by now ancient BRM P160 and in 1974 during which he scored a great second place finish on the debut of the P201 in South Africa.

Out of a Formula One drive for 1975 Jean Pierre was in the running for a drive with the new Ligier team for 1976 and tested the Matra V12 powered JS5 before it was decided to hand the car over to 1975 Formula 2 champion Jacques Laffite.

Alongside his open wheel racing Jean Pierre continued racing sports cars winning races in 5 litre, 3 litre and 2 litre classes though most, seven, were wins with the 3 litre / 183 cui Matra’s which included the 1970 Tour de France sharing driving with Patrick Depailler and with FIA President Jean Todt doing the navigating.

After winning the sports car World Championship twice in 1973 and 1974 Matra withdrew from racing a Jean Pierre continued racing Ligier and Rondeau built sports cars at Le Mans, but he never improved on his career best 1969 4th place finish with Piers Courage in the endurance classic.

JP B won two French Saloon car championships driving BMW’s in 1976 and 1977 before proving his versatility, despite restricted arm movement that was the result of a sports car accident in the 1960’s, by winning the 1979 French Rallycross Championship driving an Alpine A310.

Peugeot Gti Turbo, JP Beltoise, Le Mans,

Into the 1980’s JP B continued racing Peugeot 505 Turbo’s, a V6 Talbot Tagora and in 1988 he was racing in the Peugeot 309 Gti Turbo Cup series, above Jean Pierre is seen driving the #88 309 to victory in the support race to the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Jean Pierre passed away on the 5th of January aged 77.

Condolences to his family and friends RIP JP B.

Thanks for joining me on this “RIP JP B” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be visiting Autosport International. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Championship Foundation – Tyrrell Ford #006

In 1970 Jackie Stewart and Ken Tyrrell were convinced that it was better to stick with the Ford Cosworth DFV power and seek a new chassis than move to the Matra powered car of their hitherto chassis supplier Matra. Ken Tyrrell bought a couple of new March chassis to tide the team over until Derek Gardener was ready to introduce the new Tyrrell 001 chassis late in 1970.

Tyrrell Ford 006, BRM Day, Bourne

Tyrrell 001 was followed by the similar 002, 003 and 004 chassis in 1971 with Jackie Stewart driving #003 to championship success in 1971. At the 1972 French Grand Prix Gardners all new slab sided Tyrrell #005 was introduced and Jackie Stewart finished the 1972 season with two convincing wins at the season ending Canadian and US Grand Prix, albeit too late to overhaul the advantage built up by Emerson Fittipaldi driving a Lotus Ford 72.

Tyrrell Ford 006, BRM Day, Bourne

Stewart’s team mate Francois Cevert was given today’s featured car Tyrrell chassis #006 to drive at the two 1972 season ending races he retired with gearbox problems after qualifying 8th in Canada and finished 2nd to team mate Jackie from 4th on the grid in US Grand Prix. Chassis #006 was essentially to the same design as #005.

Tyrrell Ford 006, BRM Day, Bourne

In 1973 Jackie started the season of with #005 scoring a third place finish in Argentina and 2nd place in Brazil with Cevert finishing 2nd in Argentina but only 10th in Brazil in the #006 chassis. At the third race of the 1973 season the South African Grand Prix Jackie crashed #005 on the first day of practice and immediately took over Cevert’s 006 car running with Ceverts name and #4 race number. Note the second link showing Stewart driving the #4 is incorrectly labelled as chassis #005.

Tyrrell Ford 006, BRM Day, Bourne

#005 was repaired for Cevert to drive in South African Grand Prix, he started 25th and last having failed to set a time and was unclassified at the races end 13 laps behind the leaders, Stewart meanwhile qualified 16th and came through to score the first of five wins in his third and final championship season. Three of those wins would be 1-2 finishes with team mate Francois following closely behind. Note Stewart ran chassis #006 with his #3 race number in the 1973 race and lost a piece of his rear wing end plate as seen in this linked photo.

Tyrrell Ford 006, BRM Day, Bourne

For the 1973 Spanish Grand Prix Stewart was given a new chassis #006/2 to race that, like #006 which reverted to Cevert, had been fitted with the distinctive angular deformable structure on the sides that were required by new regulations that came into force. At this race both Cevert and Stewart ran with the oblong end plates as seen on #006 in today’s blog driven by Sir Jackie at last years BRM Day.

Tyrrell Ford 006, BRM Day, Bourne

Cevert finished 2nd in the 1973 Spanish Grand Prix as he did in the following Belgian GP where he followed Stewart home in a Tyrrell one-two finish. Still driving #006 Francois finished 2nd at his home French Grand Prix.

Tyrrell Ford 006, BRM Day, Bourne

Airboxes went through many interesting stages of development in the 1972 and 1973 seasons, the Tyrrell 005/006 airbox seen here was a second development the first having resembled the airboxes seen on the earlier Tyrrell 002 and 004 cars, Derek Gardner is quoted as having been influenced by the design of the central engine intake of the Hawker Siddley Trident having gained access to Hawker Siddeleys Test and Development research on the shape of the inlet. The top piece of the trident airbox as seen here and in period has a buff appearance because it appears to have been made inside out with the rough side of the fibre glass on the outside of moulding rather than on the inside as one might normally expect.

Tyrrell Ford 006, BRM Day, Bourne

At the British Grand Prix #006/2 used by Stewart and #006 for Cevert both appeared with older tear drop shape rear wing end plates, but sans the aerodynamic appendage hitherto mounted to the back of the airbox and sans bodywork covering the Ford DFV cam covers and rear suspension. Despite qualifying 4th and 7th Stewart and Cevert could only finish the British Grand Prix 10th one down and 5th respectively.

Tyrrell Ford 006, BRM Day, Bourne

Next up came two one two finishes in the Dutch and German Grand Prix with Cevert in #006 behind Stewart in #006/2, at the Austrian Grand Prix Stewart finished second and clinched the World Championship with a 4th place finish ahead of Cevert at the 1973 Italian Grand Prix after a tremendous recovery from a puncture.

Tyrrell Ford 006, BRM Day, Bourne

#006 with Francois at the wheel was damaged in a collision with Jody Scheckter on 36th lap of the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix and parts of #006 were salvaged to build up #006/3 in time for the following US Grand Prix. Francois was killed in the new car during practice for that race and the Tyrrell team withdrew from what should have been Stewart’s swan song and last Grand Prix before retirement.

The current owner had #006 restored by Hall and Hall to 1973 Spanish to French Grand Prix spec, from 17 Grand Prix starts, along with winning the 1973 South African Grand Prix in the hands of Stewart, #006 was driven to seven 2nd place finishes by Francois Cevert in the 1972 and 1973 seasons.

Sadly first Gerry Birrell and then Roger Williamson, who were successively chosen to have replace Jackie Stewart, died during the 1973 season and eventually Jackie and Francois were replaced by Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depailler.

1973 was the last year in which a variety of numbering methods were used for Grand Prix cars, the Tyrrells ran with the #6 and #8 in Argentina, the #3 and #4 from Brazil through to Spain and then for no obvious reason the #5 and #6 for the remainder of the season.

My thanks to all those who contributed to the Airboxes the Good the Bad and the Ugly along with the Tyrrell 006 threads including Tim Murray who highlighted the absence of any logic to the Formula One numbering system at The Nostalgia Forum.

Thanks for joining me on this Championship Foundation edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now.

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