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Tyrrell Racing

From Alfawiki
Tyrrell Racing Organisation
Company typePrivate
IndustryMotorsport
Founded1958
FounderKen Tyrrell
Defunct1998
FateTransformed into British American Racing (BAR)
Headquarters
United Kingdom
Area served
Worldwide (Formula One)
Key people
Ken Tyrrell (founder)
ProductsFormula One racing cars and team

The Tyrrell Racing Organisation was a British Formula One constructor and racing team created by Ken Tyrrell (1924–2001). Founded in 1958, the team began producing its own chassis in 1970. Tyrrell reached its highest level of achievement during the early 1970s, securing three Drivers' Championships alongside one Constructors' Championship with driver Jackie Stewart. Although the team did not replicate this level of dominance afterward, it continued to secure race victories throughout the 1970s and into the early 1980s, including the final triumph for the Ford Cosworth DFV engine at the 1983 Detroit Grand Prix.

In 1997, ownership of Tyrrell transferred to British American Tobacco, which transformed the team into British American Racing (BAR) following the 1998 season—marking Tyrrell's last year in Formula One. The heritage of the team endures today within the Mercedes-AMG F1 outfit, tracing its roots through BAR, Honda, and Brawn GP.

Lower formulas (1958–1967)

Tyrrell Racing commenced operations in 1958 by competing with Formula Three cars driven by Ken Tyrrell himself and other local talents. Recognizing his own driving limitations, Tyrrell shifted focus in 1959 to oversee a Formula Junior program managed from his family’s Tyrrell Brothers workshop. Throughout the 1960s, the team advanced through various junior categories, fostering careers of notable drivers such as John Surtees and Jacky Ickx. The most impactful collaboration began in 1963 when Jackie Stewart joined the team.

Between 1965 and 1967, Tyrrell directed the BRM Formula Two effort while Stewart competed for BRM’s Formula One squad. Following this period, Tyrrell allied with French constructor Matra to campaign F2 machinery. Tyrrell made its debut in World Championship Grand Prix events at the 1966 German Grand Prix, entering F2-specification Matra MS5 cars for Ickx and Hubert Hahne. Hahne secured ninth place overall and was the highest finishing F2 entrant; tragically, Ickx was involved in a fatal accident. At the 1967 German Grand Prix, Tyrrell fielded the F2-spec Matra MS7 for Ickx, who qualified third but had to start from the back due to regulations. He climbed as high as fifth before retiring because of suspension failure.

1960s

Supported by sponsorship from Elf and Ford, Tyrrell established his Formula One squad in 1968 under the name Matra International, a collaboration between his privateer outfit and French constructor Matra. Stewart emerged as a serious championship contender, winning three Grands Prix driving the innovative Matra MS10, which incorporated aviation-inspired structural fuel tanks. These tanks reduced chassis weight by roughly 15 kg while enhancing rigidity. Nevertheless, the FIA judged them unsafe and banned their use for 1970, requiring teams to switch to rubber bag-tanks instead.

In 1969, Matra's factory team withdrew from Formula One to fully support Tyrrell's 'Matra International'. Together they developed a new car powered by a DFV engine featuring structural fuel tanks—the Matra MS80—which was eligible for competition only during that season. Stewart dominated throughout the year, clinching the Drivers' Championship. This victory was notable as it was both the first Drivers' title won by a French-built car and uniquely achieved by a privateer-run entry—an extraordinary accomplishment for both the British team and French constructor entering Formula One just one year prior.

1970s

During the 1970 season, following the merger of Matra with Simca, Tyrrell was requested to utilize Matra's V12 engine instead of the Cosworth, as Simca was owned by the American firm Chrysler, a competitor to Ford. After testing the Matra V12, Stewart judged it to be less effective than the DFV. Since Ford contributed significantly to Tyrrell's budget and Elf, a French state-owned oil company affiliated with Renault, also provided sponsorship, Ken Tyrrell decided to purchase a March 701 chassis as a temporary solution while covertly working on his own car design. This led to the team changing its name from Matra International to Tyrrell Racing Organisation at the beginning of 1970.

Maintaining Elf's backing, Tyrrell continued with its signature French blue color scheme. Throughout 1970, the team competed with March-Ford cars, experiencing varied outcomes, as designer Derek Gardner developed Tyrrell’s inaugural in-house Grand Prix vehicle at Ockham, Surrey.

Between 1968 and 1970, operating under the banners Matra International and subsequently Tyrrell Racing Organisation, Ken Tyrrell’s private entry amassed 10 victories and claimed one World Drivers' Championship (1969 with the Matra MS80), establishing itself as the most accomplished privateer outfit in Formula One history.

The Tyrrell 001, which bore similarities to the Matra MS80, made its first appearance late in 1970 at the Canadian GP, where Stewart secured pole position—an uncommon achievement for a constructor on debut. Unfortunately, mechanical problems affected its three race starts. The related Tyrrell 003 went on to capture both Drivers' and Constructors' Championships in , driven by Jackie Stewart alongside François Cevert. Stewart’s 1972 season was disrupted by illness, but he returned to claim the Drivers' Championship in 1973. That year ended in tragedy when Cevert lost his life during practice for the final event. Stewart retired after that season, leading Tyrrell to effectively relinquish the Constructors' title to Lotus. Without Stewart or Cevert, Tyrrell never again seriously challenged for championships.

Despite this, Tyrrell remained a competitive force throughout the 1970s, achieving wins with drivers such as Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depailler. A notable moment was Scheckter’s triumph at the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix, which resulted in a 1–2 finish driving Derek Gardner’s groundbreaking Tyrrell P34 six-wheeled car—the only six-wheeled design to succeed in F1. This innovative model featured smaller front wheels arranged in pairs on each side but was discontinued after Goodyear declined to develop specialized small tires due to ongoing tire competition within Formula One.

Ken Tyrrell primarily financed his team himself until mid-1979 when Italian appliance manufacturer Candy became a sponsor, backing the 009 cars piloted by Jean-Pierre Jarier and Didier Pironi.

1980s

The Turbo era began in Grand Prix racing during the 1977 season, eventually rendering naturally aspirated engines obsolete by the mid-1980s. Lacking substantial sponsorship, Tyrrell was the final team to continue using the Cosworth DFV engine while rivals adopted turbocharged power units. Founder Ken Tyrrell opposed turbochargers as an unauthorized form of turbine technology but was overruled by FIA authorities. This era proved difficult for Tyrrell due to financial constraints spanning two decades. Significantly, Tyrrell achieved the last victory for the legendary Cosworth Ford DFV engine with the Tyrrell 011 at the 1983 Detroit Grand Prix, driven by Michele Alboreto, marking also Tyrrell's final Grand Prix win.

Controversy of 1984

In 1984, Formula One regulations established a minimum weight limit that turbocharged vehicles found difficult to reach without added ballast, whereas naturally aspirated cars easily complied. Teams took advantage of this by running their cars below the minimum weight during races and then adding fluids or ballast afterward to satisfy the rules. As the only non-turbo team, Tyrrell employed a water injection system with a tank replenished late in races. That season, the FIA had decreased fuel allowances to curb turbo engine power, which favored Tyrrell’s more fuel-efficient naturally aspirated engines.

Throughout several events, lead shot combined with water was introduced into Tyrrell’s water injection tank following pit stops to meet the minimum weight requirement. Some of this mixture spilled onto the pit lane, arousing suspicion. After the 1984 Detroit Grand Prix, Tyrrell was accused of illegal refueling during races, use of forbidden fuel mixtures, unauthorized fuel lines, and improperly secured ballast.

Consequently, Tyrrell was disqualified from all races in 1984 and excluded from the World Championship standings. Although further investigation revealed that the water’s fuel content was minimal and within regulatory limits, and Tyrrell contended that their ballast complied with attachment rules, their appeal was denied. Additional accusations included illegal apertures in the car’s floor, which were later determined to have no aerodynamic impact.

The FIA confirmed Tyrrell’s exclusion and barred them from participating in the final three Grands Prix of 1984. The removal of the sole non-turbo team enabled other competitors to revise regulations favoring turbocharged engines and prevented proposals aimed at reducing fuel limits for 1985. This ruling imposed significant financial hardship on Tyrrell due to lost championship points and travel subsidies.

Many observers interpreted the ban as an FIA strategy to phase out non-turbo cars and attract manufacturer sponsorship. Midway through 1985, Tyrrell transitioned to turbocharged Renault engines; turbos became compulsory in 1986, although naturally aspirated engines returned in 1987. Tragically, driver Stefan Bellof, affected by these developments, lost his life at the 1985 1000 km of Spa event.

The 1990s

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Tyrrell consistently outperformed expectations despite limited financial resources following the 1984 controversy. They captured the Colin Chapman Trophy for naturally aspirated constructors in 1987 after Renault exited Formula One. An upswing occurred in the early 1990s with Harvey Postlethwaite’s innovative anhedral high-nose design on the Tyrrell 019 and Jean Alesi’s first full season in 1990, which included two second-place finishes at Phoenix and Monaco—Alesi led for 30 laps at Phoenix. After Alesi moved to Ferrari, Honda engines paired with Braun sponsorship in 1991 helped Stefano Modena achieve a front-row start at Monaco and a runner-up finish in Canada. Despite these highlights, the team gradually declined, with Mika Salo earning Tyrrell’s final F1 points at the 1997 Monaco Grand Prix.

Declining results and Ken Tyrrell’s deteriorating health led to the sale of the team after the 1997 season to Craig Pollock, who was simultaneously developing British American Racing (BAR) backed by British American Tobacco. Ken Tyrrell left before the start of the 1998 season following disagreements over driver choices influenced by sponsorship considerations. Tyrrell’s last appearance was at the 1998 Japanese Grand Prix, where Ricardo Rosset failed to qualify and teammate Toranosuke Takagi retired due to a collision.

Legacy

The lineage of the 2009 double world championship-winning Brawn GP outfit and the current Mercedes F1 squad can be traced back to Tyrrell via its successors, Honda Racing F1 and BAR. Although BAR took over Tyrrell’s official entry, they operated from separate premises and introduced entirely new chassis and power units; much of Tyrrell’s original gear was sold to Paul Stoddart, who later became Minardi's proprietor.

During Ross Brawn’s management buyout of Honda F1 in 2009, there was a brief consideration to resurrect the Tyrrell name as the new team’s identity.

As of , these descendant teams have collectively secured Grands Prix victories, eight Drivers' Championships (one under Brawn in 2009 and seven with Mercedes from 2014 to 2020), along with nine Constructors' Championships (one as Brawn in 2009 and eight as Mercedes through 2021).

Minardi’s two-seat Formula One cars were developed by adapting the 1998 Tyrrell 026 design, especially its unique nose profile; these vehicles still participate in demonstration runs at venues such as the Yas Marina Circuit.

The Tyrrell P34 is renowned for its pioneering six-wheel concept, which inspired other constructors including March and Williams.

Ken Tyrrell died from cancer on 25 August 2001 at the age of 77.

Racecars

Year Car Category
1970 Tyrrell 001 Formula One
1971 Tyrrell 002 Formula One
Tyrrell 003 Formula One
1972 Tyrrell 004 Formula One
Tyrrell 005 Formula One
Tyrrell 006 Formula One
1974 Tyrrell 007 Formula One
1976 Tyrrell P34 Formula One
1977 Tyrrell P34B Formula One
1978 Tyrrell 008 Formula One
1980 Tyrrell 009 Formula One
1981 Tyrrell 010 Formula One
Tyrrell 011 Formula One
1983 Tyrrell 012 Formula One
1985 Tyrrell 014 Formula One
1986 Tyrrell 015 Formula One
1987 Tyrrell DG016 Formula One
1988 Tyrrell 017 Formula One
1989 "017B" Formula One
Tyrrell 018 Formula One
1990 Tyrrell 019 Formula One
1991 "020" ""
"020B" ""
"020C" ""
"021" ""
"022" ""
"023" ""
"024" ""
"025" ""
"026" ""

Formula One World Championship results


Further reading


External links

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