Tyrrell 006
| Company type | Formula One racing car |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorsport |
| Predecessor | Tyrrell 005 |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Formula One cars |
The Tyrrell 006 was a Formula One vehicle crafted and produced by the Tyrrell Racing Organisation, making its debut late in . Piloted by Jackie Stewart, it played a pivotal role in clinching the Drivers' Championship during the season, marking Stewart's third and ultimate championship victory. The car first appeared at the 1972 Canadian Grand Prix alongside Stewart's protégé François Cevert. The 006 represented an enhanced iteration of the earlier Tyrrell 005. Unlike previous singular Tyrrell chassis, the 006 was manufactured in multiple units, with three examples constructed: 006, 006/2, and 006/3. The design was gradually retired early in the 1974 Formula One season as Tyrrell introduced its replacement, the Tyrrell 007.
Competition history
Originally intended for Cevert as a successor to chassis Tyrrell 002, the existing 005 remained in use by Stewart for the latter part of 1972. Stewart continued to race the 005 at the start of 1973 while awaiting completion of chassis 006/2, which secured the model’s inaugural victory at the 1973 South African Grand Prix. Upon readiness of 006/2, the older chassis was reassigned to testing duties involving experimental components. Throughout most of 1973, both Stewart and Cevert retained their respective cars; Stewart achieved five victories on his path to securing the Drivers' Championship. Cevert attained multiple podium finishes, yet Tyrrell concluded the season second in the Constructors' Championship with a total of 82 points, trailing Lotus who amassed 92.
Following damage to chassis 006 sustained by Cevert during a collision at the Canadian Grand Prix, Tyrrell constructed chassis 006/3 for him. In a tragic turn, Cevert suffered fatal injuries while driving this car during practice for the final race of the season at the 1973 United States Grand Prix. Afterward, Stewart returned to driving 006/2 at Watkins Glen before retiring from Formula One competition.
Chassis 006/2 remained active early in the 1974 Formula One season. Drivers Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depailler utilized it across several events including Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Spain, Monaco, and France—often serving as a reserve following qualifying setbacks. Post-French Grand Prix, Tyrrell withdrew the 006 from competition in favor of its successor, the Tyrrell 007.
Survivors
Chassis 006/3 was dismantled following Cevert’s fatal accident.
The original chassis number 006 stayed with Tyrrell until it was sold in 1985. Since then, it has been part of private ownership and was actively campaigned in historic racing events during the late 2000s by John Delane.
After its competitive career ended, Tom Wheatcroft acquired chassis 006/2 for exhibition purposes at the Donington Grand Prix Exhibition. Subsequently, Jackie Stewart purchased this car from Wheatcroft's estate and has driven it at various occasions including the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix weekend and Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key) (bold signifies pole position, italics denote fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Driver | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Elf Team Tyrrell | ARG | RSA | ESP | MON | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | ITA | CAN | USA | 511 | 2nd | ||||
| François Cevert | Ret | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1973 | Elf Team Tyrrell | ARG | BRA | RSA | ESP | BEL | MON | SWE | FRA | GBR | NED | GER | AUT | ITA | CAN | USA | 822 | 2nd | |
| Jackie Stewart | 1 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | DNS | ||||||
| François Cevert | 2 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | Ret | 5 | Ret | style="background:#fff;" DNS |
1 All points tallying to 51 in the year were earned using Tyrrell cars other than the Tyrrell 006.
2 In the year , Tyrrell accumulated a total of 76 points with the Tyrrell 006; additional points originated from the Tyrrell 005.
3 During , all points were achieved with Tyrrell vehicles excluding the Tyrrell 006.