Tyrrell 026
| Industry | Formula One racing team |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1970 |
| Founder | Ken Tyrrell |
| Defunct | 1998 |
| Fate | Acquired by British American Racing (BAR) |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Key people | Ken Tyrrell (founder), Craig Pollock (team principal, 1998) |
| Products | Formula One cars |
| Owner | British American Tobacco (from 1998) |
The Tyrrell 026 marked the final Formula One vehicle fielded by Tyrrell Racing during the 1998 Formula One World Championship.
Acquisition by British American Tobacco (BAT)
In the 1998 season, which was Tyrrell's last in Formula One, founder Ken Tyrrell transferred ownership of the team to British American Racing (BAR) before the championship commenced. Before this sale, businessman Paul Stoddart came close to purchasing the outfit; his firm, European Aviation, acted as a sponsor and provided logistical assistance throughout that year.
Engineering and Development
Following BAR’s takeover, Ken Tyrrell exited due to disputes concerning driver choices—specifically, the selection of Ricardo Rosset over former driver Jos Verstappen. The 026 was powered by a Ford JD Zetec-R V10 engine and featured a capable chassis but primarily served as an interim model ahead of BAR’s full debut in 1999. It incorporated the tower sidepod-mounted wings first introduced the previous season; however, these aerodynamic elements were banned halfway through the year after becoming widely replicated.
Season summary
Ken Tyrrell aimed to retain Verstappen, yet new team principal Craig Pollock opted for Rosset because of his superior sponsorship contributions. In response, Tyrrell resigned prior to the opening race. Rosset failed to meet the 107% qualifying rule on five occasions, and his performance in Monaco led to frustration among mechanics who vandalized his scooter by altering 'Rosset' to 'tosser'.
The team's highest achievement was Rosset’s eighth-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix, though he faced competition for his seat from Danish driver Tom Kristensen. During a test at Magny-Cours, Rosset and Takagi recorded similar lap times, while Kristensen was about half a second slower using an older engine variant. Later in the season, Rosset managed to outqualify Takagi at the French Grand Prix.
X-wing aerodynamic devices were employed early on but were prohibited following the San Marino Grand Prix.
Concluding the season without points, Tyrrell ranked unclassified in the Constructors' Championship, finishing behind Minardi due to Minardi’s superior race completions.
Livery
The 026 maintained its previous season’s white and black color scheme with silver highlights, introducing orange accents for Takagi and green for Rosset. The PIAA brand continued as the primary sponsor for its final year before transferring support to Arrows.
Subsequent developments
The two chassis used by Takagi and Rosset found new life when acquired by Frits van Eerd for competition within the EuroBOSS series.
Paul Stoddart secured most of Tyrrell’s equipment, including the 026 chassis, which later formed the basis for his Minardi F1x2 two-seater vehicles.
Complete Formula One results
(key) (bold denotes pole position)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | PIAA Tyrrell | Ford JD Zetec-R V10 | Template:Goodyear | AUS | BRA | ARG | SMR | ESP | MON | CAN | FRA | GBR | AUT | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | LUX | JPN | 0 | NC | |
| Ricardo Rosset | Ret | Ret | 14 | Ret | DNQ | DNQ | 8 | Ret | Ret | 12 | DNQ | DNQ | DNS | 12 | Ret | DNQ | ||||||
| Toranosuke Takagi | Ret | Ret | 12 | Ret | 13 | 11 | Ret | Ret | 9 | Ret | 13 | 14 | Ret | 9 | 16 | Ret |