Automobiles Martini
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive, Motorsport |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Founder | Renato "Tico" Martini, Bill Knight |
| Fate | Sold to Guy Ligier in 2004 |
| Headquarters | France |
Key people | Renato "Tico" Martini (founder) |
| Products | Formula racing cars (Formula Three, Formula Renault, Formula One) |
Automobiles Martini is a French constructor specializing in Formula racing cars, established in 1965 by Renato "Tico" Martini alongside Bill Knight, the founders of the Winfield Racing School located at the Magny-Cours circuit. The company's initial creation was the MW1, a single-seater designed in 1967 for use at the racing school, followed by the Formula Three version, the MW1A, introduced in 1968.
Martini earned its reputation mainly through achievements in Formula Three, Formula Renault, and other junior formula categories throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The firm entered nine events during the 1978 Formula One season with their MK23 chassis, which marked René Arnoux's debut in F1; Arnoux would later compete for Renault and Ferrari. Additionally, four-time World Champion Alain Prost secured the French Formula Three Championships in 1978 and 1979 piloting a Renault-powered Martini under Oreca's banner.
In the late 1980s, as competition intensified from Reynard Motorsport, Ralt, and Dallara within the F3 segment, Martini reduced its customer operations but continued to compete in the French F3 championship throughout the 1990s. The company was eventually sold by Tico Martini to Guy Ligier in 2004.
Complete Formula One results
(key) (bold indicates pole position)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | Drivers | No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:F1 | Automobiles Martini | MK23 | Ford Cosworth DFV | ARG | BRA | RSA | USW | MON | BEL | ESP | SWE | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | NED | ITA | USA | CAN | NC | 0 | ||
| Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall René Arnoux | 31 | DNQ | DNPQ | 9 | WD | 14 | WD | DNPQ | 9 | Ret |
Major titles
- Secured 21 titles in the French Formula Renault series (1975–1997), with notable drivers such as Alain Prost, Érik Comas, Olivier Panis, and Stéphane Sarrazin
- Achieved 20 victories in the French hill climb championship (Championnat de France de la Montagne) between 1979 and 1999, including ten wins by Marcel Tarrès and one by Guy Fréquelin
- Won the French Formula Three championship ten times from 1973 to 1999, featuring drivers like Jacques Laffite, Alain Prost, and Sébastien Bourdais
- Claimed two European Formula Two Championship titles: with Jacques Laffite in 1975 and René Arnoux in 1977
- Captured two European Formula Three Championships (FIA) during its existence from 1975 to 1984: Alain Prost in 1979 and Ivan Capelli in 1984
- Earned one SCCA Super Vee championship title in 1986 with driver Didier Theys
- Secured a German Formula Three Championship title in 1985 driven by Volker Weidler
Racecars
| Year | Racing Model | Competition Series |
|---|---|---|
| 1967-1969 | Martini MW1 | Driving academy |
| 1968 | Martini MW1A | Formula 3 |
| 1969 | Martini MW2 | Formula France |
| 1969 | Martini MW2A | Formula Libre (hillclimbing) |
| 1969 | Martini MW3 | Formula 3 |
| 1969 | Martini MW3A | Formula Ford |
| 1970 | Martini MK4 | Formula France |
| 1970 | Martini MK4A | Driving academy |
| 1970 | Martini MK5 / MK5A | Formula 3 |
| 1971 | Martini MK6 | Formula Renault |
| 1971 | Martini MK7 | Formula 3 |
| 1972 | Martini MK8 / MK10 / MK11 | Formula Renault |
| 1972 | Martini MK9 / MK9A | Formula 3 / Formula Atlantic |
| 1973 | Martini MK12 / MK12E / MK13 | Formula 3 / Driving academy / Cancelled Formula 2 |
| 1974-1975 | Martini MK14 - MK16 / MK15N / MK15E | Formula Renault / national / European |
| 1976-1977 | Martini MK17 - MK22 | Formula Renault national, European, Formula 3, Formula 2 |
| 1978-1979 | Martini MK21B - MK29 | Formula 3, F1, Formula Renault, Formula 2 (Hillclimbing) |
| 1980-1981 | Martini MK26E - MK35 | Driving academy, Formula Renault, Formula 3, Formula Super Vee, Formula 2 (Hillclimbing) |
| 1982-1984 | Martini MK36 - M002 | Formula Renault, Formula 3, Formula 2 (Hillclimbing) |
| 1985-1987 | Martini MK44 - MK53 | Formula Renault, Formula 3, Formula Super Vee |
| 1988-1990 | Martini MK54 - MK60 | Formula Renault, Formula 3, Formula Renault |
| 1991-1994 | Martini MK61 - MK69 / M001 / M002 | Formula Renault, Peugeot Spider, Sport Prototype, Hillclimb racing |
| 1995-1997 | Martini MK70 - MK77 | Driving academy, Formula Renault, Hillclimbing |
| 1998-2000 | Martini MK78 - MK81 | Sport Prototype, Formula 3, Hillclimbing |