Ferrari 312

The Ferrari 312F1 was a Formula 1 car, the Scuderia Ferrari built from 1966 to 1969 and began.

For the 1966 Formula 1 season of allowable displacement of naturally aspirated engines was relatively short doubled from 1.5 to 3 liters. Moreover, as already to 1951, supercharged 1.5 -liter engines allowed. Although the Alfa Romeo 158/159 developed supercharged beginning of the 1950s for over 400 hp, used manufacturer until the late 1970s, again this technique.

Chassis and suspension took over Ferrari from the last 1.5 - liter car, the Ferrari 1512. Meanwhile, flat engine was replaced by the classic 60 ° V12 Ferrari 275P sports prototypes, but by shorter stroke from 3.3 to just under 3.0 liter reduced. Thus, the engine had again 250 cc per cylinder like a Ferrari 250, but it was instead chosen according to the nomenclature of previous Formula 1 models the designation 312 for 3 liters and 12 cylinders. It came DOHC heads with two valves used to fuel injection by Lucas, in centrally located intake. So an engine that made ​​about 330 hp at 2,989 cm ³ was formed.

Season 1966

When the car in 1966 appeared on the international circuit, he came in a transitional phase of the formula 1 Most teams were initially drilled Coventry - Climax engines a, Lotus also used the H16 engines from BRM and Brabham had from Repco relatively simple can build V8 engines. Cooper got from Maserati V12 engines that were based on the engine of the 250 of the 1950s. The V12 Weslake for the AAR Eagle Dan Gurney was as late as the V8 engine from Ford -Cosworth, which debuted in 1967.

The chances for the Ferrari 312F1 to be a successful race car and next to retract also wins title, so were good. But the Scuderia Ferrari was busy in the first half of the season with the traditional sports car races and lost also at Le Mans for the first time against Ford Surtees won in the rain the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa- Francorchamps, but was dissatisfied. Quickly turned out that the car with 600 kg was much too heavy and the V12 for it had too little power. Lorenzo Bandini drove a Ferrari Dino 246F1 with the lighter Dino V6 engine, although this had only 2.4 liters of displacement. After a falling out with team manager Eugenio Dragoni left John Surtees, Formula 1 World Champion of 1964, Ferrari and went to Cooper -Maserati, where he was runner-up after another victory.

Now Ferrari gave the formula 1 more attention. At the Grand Prix of Italy on the fast track of Monza, in which the weight of the 312 was hardly a hindrance, there was a highly acclaimed double victory by Ludovico Scarfiotti and Mike Parkes. In 312 of Scarfiotti there came a modified engine with 32 -valve technology used. However, these successes were piecemeal against the rigorous work of Brabham, the driver and earned the team of Jack Brabham designer title. Ferrari but was at least second in the constructors' championship.

1967 season

For 1967, the chassis has been improved, a combination of tubular frame and monocoque, without being able to reduce the weight of the now approximately 550 kg heavy car on the weight limit of 500 kg. The engine has been adapted three-valve cylinder heads were fitted with reverse cross-flow direction, that is, the exhaust system was now positioned centrally above the intake sticking out sideways. The power rose to 360-390 hp.

The year has started with a disaster when Lorenzo Bandini was killed in 312F1 at the Grand Prix of Monaco. A variant with a long chassis was used for the tall Mike Parkes, but the Formula 1 career of the British ended in the same year after a serious accident at Spa. Only Chris Amon collected points through three third places. The season was thus conceivable disappointing for Ferrari, both in Formula 1 and the sports cars, where Ford triumphed again at Le Mans and in the World Cup.

Season 1968

After a rule change in the sports car world championship Ferrari decided not to use a factory and was able to fully concentrate on the Formula 1. A further revision of the chassis and engine brought the 312F1 now on the competitive weight. After Lotus had introduced spoiler in Monaco, the 312 got over the engine an adjustable by the driver wing. The Belgian Jacky Ickx won the rainy French Grand Prix at Rouen and was the first rider to win a world championship race with a rear wing. It was also the first victory for Ferrari in nearly two years, but should remain only for the same period. Ickx was ever the discovery of the year and could sit down several times in the scene. In the final standings of the World Cup, the young man from Brussels came fourth. Ferrari was in the Fourth Cup of the designers also.

1969 season

1969 Ickx had migrated to Brabham, put the Scuderia almost the entire season only a 312F1 with Chris Amon driving in the World Cup one. Then there were bets in a sports car, which was based on the F1, the Ferrari 312P. The chassis has been changed slightly, the engine revised so that he indicated 430 hp on the dyno. The last season of the 312F1, in the aerodynamic devices have played an important role was to failure. Amon came with the car to the finish and barely managed only in the Netherlands for a podium finish. Frustrated left the New Zealanders still during the season Ferrari. His successor, Pedro Rodríguez was the last race of the 312F1 in Mexico so seventh.

Ferrari finished last in the constructors' championship. In contrast to the British competition that used the Cosworth V8, could be increasingly support of sponsors and took in their colors, Ferrari did not expand on this innovation and also retained the classic Rossa Corsa with. By sale of company shares to FIAT Enzo Ferrari again earned funds for further developments.

The successor of the 312, the Ferrari 312B was equipped in 1970 with a 180 -degree 12-cylinder flat engine. With this new engine concept, not quite correctly referred to as a boxer, won the Scuderia in the 1970s, several world championships, even in the sports car.

Specifications

Statistics in Formula 1

Literature and sources

• Mike Lang: Grand Prix! Race -by -race account of Formula 1 Haynes Publishing Group, Sparkford 1982, ISBN 0-85429-321-3.
• David Hodges: race car from A to Z to 1945 engine book publishing house, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-613-01477-7. .
• Pino Casamassima: Storia della Scuderia Ferrari. Nada Editore, Vimodrome 1998, ISBN 88-7911-179-5.
• Leonardo Acerbi: 60 years Ferrari. Heel, King Winter 2007, ISBN 978-3-89880-815-6