Alfa Romeo 184T
The Alfa Romeo 184T was a Formula 1 racing car, the Italian team Euro Racing began under the name Alfa Romeo in Formula 1 World Championship. 1984, the car was reported to every race. In the second half of the 1985 season, it appeared again under the name of 184TB, after its successor, the Alfa Romeo 185T, had proved ineffective. The 184T formed according to the majority view of the technical basis for the EuroBrun ER188, which was reported in 1988 and 1989 by the team EuroBrun.
- 3.1 1984
- 3.2 1985
Background
The Italian state-owned Alfa Romeo was engaged since 1976 as an engine supplier for the Brabham team in Formula 1. Since 1979, Alfa Romeo entertained beyond a factory team, which was led until 1982 by Alfa Romeo subsidiary Autodelta and from 1983 by the self- Milan Team Racing EUR. Euro Racing constructed in 1983 and the use of vehicles while Autodelta was responsible for the development of engines. Since 1983, the team used a developed under the direction of Carlo Chiti own turbo engine type Alfa Romeo 890T, who in his debut year, two second places and a total of 18 world championship points allowed its drivers.
In the Formula 1 season 1984, the Turbo technology had prevailed largely. With the exception of Tyrrell all teams put a turbo engines. However, the potential of the turbo engines in 1984 was first regulated by limiting gasoline consumption. While there had been until 1983 no limits to the amount of gasoline consumption from 1984 was limited to 220 liters for each race. This development was particularly problematic for Alfa Romeo, since rickets eight-cylinder turbo engine was considered the most intensive usage of the grid: The most successful race of the year 1983, the 183T had consumed up to 300 liters of petrol.
Euro Racing and Alfa Romeo tried for the 1984 season to reduce the problematic fuel consumption by the construction of a new car as well as by modifications to the engine, but it achieved only limited success.
Technology
Basic version
The Alfa Romeo 184T was developed at Euro Racing, headed by Mario Tolentino and Luigi Marmiroli; besides also designed the Graz engineer Gustav Brunner, who served in 1984 as a race engineer Riccardo Patrese for some details of the new car. The 184T was an evolution of rules devised by Gérard Ducarouge predecessor 183T, the dimensions of which he took over unchanged in the total length of the wheelbase and rear track width.
The Alfa Romeo 184T had a newly designed, slimmer compared to the previous monocoque, which was manufactured in the UK at Advanced Composite Technology. The roll bar was fully dressed and had the shape of a pyramid. The engine cover was designed barrel-shaped. In the back of Tolentino took over numerous details of the 183T. This concerned, among other things, the shape of the side boxes and the location of the radiator. What was new was the positioning of the oil cooler, which is now at the rear of the side boxes, just before the rear wheels were. The aerodynamics have been optimized in Pininfarina's wind tunnel, which had a solid ground, but allowed tests with 1:1 models. During the year, more aerodynamic tests carried out at Dallara, which led to a change in shape of the side boxes and the introduction of a bottle-shaped stern statements (so-called bottleneck rear). Gustav Brunner explained in the following year, Alfa Romeo had him in 1984 to perform a series of aerodynamic tests; the above findings were due to financial reasons but rarely implemented. Brunner used his experience in 1985 for the construction of the RAM 03
The suspension was the 184T front of thrust struts and rear of tie rods, each connected with dampers from Koni.
Power was as early as 1983 Alfa Romeo turbo engine type 890T. Compared to the previous year, the engine underwent only minor modifications. The by Carlo Chiti perceived as problematic Avio turbochargers were also unchanged as the purely mechanical operating fuel injection, almost did not allow consumption -lowering interventions. The requirement of a reduced fuel consumption met Alfa Romeo primarily by lowering the boost pressure. Was the 890T was still down in the preseason regularly with a boost pressure of 3.0 bar and, occasionally, with 3.8 bar, so Autodelta in 1984 was in some race only a pressure of 2.2 bar to. So they reached a capacity of less than 600 hp, so they were only marginally stronger than a Cosworth DFV - aspirated engine.
The transmission was initially accompanied by the well-known since 1983 five-speed gearbox, which had been constructed at Euro Racing and used gears from Hewland. To reduce fuel consumption, the team turned to a six-speed gearbox for the Grand Prix of San Marino.
A total of four vehicles originated from the type 184T.
Modifications for the 184TB
In winter 1984/85 Euro Racing developed the 184TB, which was initially intended as an interim model for the winter test driving. After the successor had 185T proved unsuccessful, the team attacked from the summer of 1985 back to the 184TB and made him the regular use of the vehicle.
The 184TB differed mainly by the suspension from 184T: Unlike the 1984 vehicle (and unlike the 185T ) of 184TB had front and rear torque arms. In the engine area of 184TB took over the modifications that had already been introduced early in the season in 1985 for the 185T. These included Turbocharger KKK and an electronic fuel injection system from Bosch.
Racing applications
1984 and 1985 were Euro Racing and Alfa Romeo is no longer supported by the Tabakonzern Philip Morris, but by the Italian knitwear company Benetton, which had previously sponsored the Tyrrell team in the year. As a result of the sponsor change the cars were now painted predominantly green.
1984
The 184T was completed late. The first tests were carried out two weeks before the first race of the year on Alfa Romeo's test track in Balocco.
At the world championship races of the year EUR Racing driver Riccardo Patrese and announced the Eddie Cheever. During the year, the cars proved to be competitive. Patrese and Cheever came only six times to the finish; every driver fell out of ten times. A key reason for failure was Alfas Turbo engine: " If the engine did not explode before the driver left lying before the race ended without gasoline. " Due to the reduced boost pressure the car on the track was not powerful enough. The 184T reached a sufficient speed, especially on long straights. The restructuring of the rear end towards a " bottleneck " tail, which had been largely developed in 1983 by McLaren, brought little improvement. According to Eddie Cheever thereby the maximum speed increased only by 5 km / h
Cheever came once in 1984 and Patrese three times in the points. The Italian was once sixth and one fourth, and the Italian Grand Prix, the home race of his team, he finished in third place. It was the last podium of an Alfa Romeo in Formula 1
Low point was the non- qualification Cheevers at the Grand Prix of Monaco. At the event, to which only 20 vehicles were registered, Cheever came on the 23th Place. He was thus 3.8 seconds on the pole time of Alain Prost at McLaren and 0.35 seconds over the time Stefan Bellofs, who qualified with its naturally aspirated Tyrrell for 20th place.
1985
For 1985 Euro Racing maintained the driver pairing Patrese / Cheever. The team used a first developed by John Gentry 185T. With it, the drivers were only three or four times to the finish to the mid-season; the best results were there two ninth places. Both drivers complained about the poor driveability of the car. Patrese called the 185T in retrospect as the worst Formula 1 car he had ever driven. In view of the poor results and the Critique of the driver EUR Racing pulled the 185T back in the early summer of 1985, and reported for the rest of the year instead of the revised 184TB.
Cheever was awarded the 184TB for the U.S. Grand Prix, Patrese for the next race in Germany. With the older car, both drivers put the failure series of recent months continues: every one of them came only once in eight or nine World Cup races to the finish. Patrese was the Grand Prix of Europe ninth, Cheever at the same race eleventh.
Other Uses of the 184T: EuroBrun ER188
At the end of the season 1985 Alfa Romeo pulled back from the factory Formula 1 Sport. This Decision does not stopped the supply of 890T motors on the Turin Osella team, which was continued until 1988. The existing model chassis 184T and 185T remained with Euro Racing. Since Euro Racing for the Formula 1 1986 season was no partner alone could not finance a continuation of the Formula 1 involvement, presented the Milan team his Formula 1 activities in first.
1988 EUR Racing returned back to Formula 1 after the team had entered into an association with the Swiss team Brun Motorsport. Led by Euro Racing and funded by Walter Brun project was designated EuroBrun. The EuroBrun - team debut at the first race of the season 1988. Emergency vehicle as the EuroBrun ER188 was reported. The constructed by Mario Great Tino car had considerable similarities to the Alfa Romeo 184T. This was true of the car's nose, the monocoque, the roll bar and the half-round motor cover. The team did not confirm a relationship between the two cars; many observers believe this is very probable. " The white color from loop, then the green of the 184T reappears! " Expressed a similar view: Eddie Cheever, who had driven the 184T itself, was of the view that the EuroBrun ER188 was merely a revision of the four -year-old Alfa design Günter Schmid, head of the competing teams Rial: "If you anstreicht the EuroBrun red, you have a Alfa. They have not done anything. "