Matra-Simca MS650
| Company type | Race car |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive / Motorsport |
| Predecessor | Matra-Simca MS630 |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Products | Group 6 Le Mans Prototype race car |
The Matra-Simca MS650 is a Group 6 Le Mans Prototype that was launched in 1969 to compete in the 1969 World Sportscar Championship. It was developed as the successor to the Matra-Simca MS630.
1969
The MS650 made its first appearance at the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans, fielding four entries. The top-performing car, piloted by Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Piers Courage, secured fourth place, with Jean Guichet and Nino Vaccarella finishing closely behind in fifth. Another team featuring Nanni Galli and Robin Widdows achieved seventh position, while the entry driven by Johnny Servoz-Gavin and Herbert Müller retired due to an electrical malfunction. At the 1969 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, two MS650s were entered: Servoz-Gavin paired with Pedro Rodriguez finished fourth, whereas Guichet and Widdows withdrew because of clutch issues. During the season finale at the 1000 km of Zeltweg, the Servoz-Gavin/Rodriguez car retired after an accident.
Matra accumulated six championship points, concluding the season in fifth place within the International Championship for Makes standings.
1970
The new season kicked off at the 1970 24 Hours of Daytona, where Matra entered a pair of cars driven by Jack Brabham/François Cevert and Jean-Pierre Beltoise/Henri Pescarolo. Brabham and Cevert finished tenth, while Beltoise and Pescarolo came in eighteenth. At the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring, driver combinations shifted to Pescarolo/Servoz-Gavin and Cevert/Dan Gurney, who ended up fifth and twelfth respectively. During the 1970 1000km of Brands Hatch, Brabham teamed with Beltoise to finish twelfth, whereas Pescarolo and Servoz-Gavin retired due to engine troubles. The 1970 1000km of Monza saw Brabham and Beltoise achieve fifth place, with Pescarolo and Servoz-Gavin close behind in sixth. Matra opted out of the following three events: 1970 Targa Florio, 1970 1000km of Spa-Francorchamps, and 1970 1000km of Nürburgring.
At the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans, Matra entered three vehicles: Beltoise/Pescarolo competed in the updated Matra-Simca MS660, while Brabham/Cevert and the trio Patrick Depailler/Jean-Pierre Jabouille/Tim Schenken drove MS650s; all suffered engine failures leading to retirement. The team did not take part in the season's last two races, namely the 1970 Watkins Glen 6 Hours and 1970 Austrian 1000km.
In the final tally for the International Championship for Makes, Matra earned four points, securing fourth place overall.
Complete International Championship for Makes results
...| Year | Entrant | Class | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Points | ICMP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Equipe Matra-Simca | Group 5 | DAY | SEB | BHC | MZA | TGA | SPA | NÜR | LMS | WGN | ORC | 4 | 4th | |
| Australia Jack Brabham | 10 | 12 | 5 | 36 | |||||||||||
| Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall François Cevert | 10 | 12 | 36 | ||||||||||||
| United States Dan Gurney | 12 |
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