Ferrari 333SP
The Ferrari 333SP was a sports car prototype which was developed in 1993 at the Scuderia Ferrari and produced by Ferrari Engineering and Michel Otto.
Prehistory
The racing activities of Ferrari were more than four decades closely associated with the sports car racing. Already in the 1940s, the Scuderia celebrates first successes in the next Monopostosport victories in sports car racing. 1948 won Clemente Biondetti at the Mille Miglia in 1949 and celebrated Luigi Chinetti and Peter Mitchell - Thomson, 2nd Baron Selsdon on a Ferrari 166MM the first of nine overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. From the late 1950s until the mid 1960s, Ferrari was the dominant brand in international sports car racing. Only Ford ended 1966 with enormous financial effort, the long-standing hegemony Ferraris at Le Mans. Present, the most recent Ferrari victory in the 24 -hour race in western France celebrated 1965 Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory on a reported by the North American Racing Team Ferrari 250LM.
By 1973, the Scuderia was active in sports car racing and presented before the end of the season a further participation in the championships view. The factory driver Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni tested in the winter of a new prototype, the Ferrari 312PB - 74. Although the driver quite positive answers to the new race car, the car never appeared on a race track. In the Formula 1 season 1973 Ferrari became less competitive, you stepped in some races, such as the Nürburgring, not even on. The decision to abandon sports car racing and mothball the new prototype, was a tactical consideration with far-reaching consequences. Since 1953 the Scuderia had not been in the sports car world championship at the start only in 1968. But the commitment of both the Formula 1 and sports car racing was now beyond the technical and logistical capabilities of Ferrari. To this end, a tight budget, this double act was as good as excluded. Since the success of John Surtees 1964, waited in Marenello to an overall victory in the Formula 1 World Championship. To achieve this goal finally were focused from now on entirely on this single-seater formula. In the spring of 1974, the leadership of the racing team, therefore, the involvement in sports car racing, decided to adjust.
Development history and technology
The design and manufacture of the 333SP was due to the initiative of an Italian entrepreneur and racing driver, the owner of Momo, Giampiero Moretti.
Moretti was Gian- Luigi Buitioni to convince the president of Ferrari North America, of the usefulness of a commitment by Ferrari in the North American IMSA WSC series. He found support also in the marketing and sales managers from Ferrari, who saw an important tool for the U.S. export market in sports car stakes.
After the end of the Group C World Championship and the IMSA GTP series, originated with the WSC series, a new racing formula with clear rules and reasonable costs. Designed and built the prototype with Ferrari Engineering, in close coordination with the Scuderia. The actual construction work took Gian Paolo Dallara and Tony Southgate, who had long experience in racing cars.
The chassis was made of carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb; this construction gave the 333SP a weight advantage over the competition. The car was almost always at the weight limit and sometimes even less, so that the suspension tuning could be adapted to the respective race tracks with additional weights. When engine was a 600 hp V12 engine is used, which is still 1992 Ferrari F92A came directly for use by Formula 1 motor F130 derived. While the engine, which was a cylinder angle of 60 degrees, in Formula 1 had a displacement of 3.5 liters - this increases for use in the 333SP to 4 liters.
As mentioned several times before, Ferrari bypassed the Homologationsregel on this vehicle. The leaders of the International Motor Sports Association already took offense at the intricate art of the 12- cylinder engine with five valves per combustion chamber and complained that the engine, as provided for by the Technical Regulations did not come from a production vehicle. Only through the presentation of the Ferrari F50, the engine block was identical with that of the 333SP, silent criticism.
The 333SP was one of the first sports car prototype with a sequential gearbox. Largest weakness of the car were at the beginning of the test drives, which were contested by Mauro Baldi, Nicola Larini and Dario Benuzzi, the brakes. Enjoying suspension components from Formula 1, but the driver reported a very good driving behavior.
Costs and quantities
The 333SP was designed exclusively as a customer's vehicle. Contrary to some media reports, the Scuderia had to take no interest in the car on their own at the start. The sophisticated technology, however, the race car was extremely expensive. The basic version cost with motor U.S. $ 500,000. The racing version, with two spare engines, a spare body, drive shafts, radiator, brake discs and replacement suspensions devoured the double sum.
Overall, Ferrari Engineering and later at Michlotto 45 chassis were built and numbered 001-045. The first prototype, 001, was destroyed during a test drive and rebuilt later for a collector again. Also six other chassis, 035, 037, 042, 043, 044 and 045 were built for collectors.
Racing applications
1994
Although the first chassis were completed in the spring of 1994, these contractual compliance were delivered to three teams. In addition to Giampiero Moretti also acquired Andy Evans ( for Scandia Motorsport) and Antonio Ferrari ( for Euro Motorsport) chassis. His racing debut this racing car for the 2 - hour race at Road Atlanta in 1994. Having Maure Baldi had made in training the fastest lap time in Momo - 333SP won Jay Cochran for Euro motorsport race before Baldi, of the cockpit with the Chilean Eliseo Salazar shared.
There followed a series of victories. The following 2- hour race at Lime Rock won Moretti and Salazar also were victorious in the race at Watkins Glen. After Moretti and Salazar also triumphed in Indianapolis, Andy Evans and Fermín Vélez won the 2- hour race at Laguna Seca. Despite these successes by the late entry into the championship, none of the Ferrari team was able to secure neither the team nor the drivers' championship. The drivers' title was secured by South African Wayne Taylor. The Manufacturers' Championship won Oldsmobile.
1995
After the superiority of 1994, the Ferrari team went to Favourites position in the IMSA WSC 1995. The first race of the year was the 24 - hour race at Daytona. Having so far only 2 -hour races having been what it questionable whether the 333SP could survive a 24 -hour race without any major problems before the race meeting. Four cars were reported. The Scandia prototypes with start numbers 3 and 33 were driven by Fermín Vélez / Andy Evans / Paul Gentilozzi / Eric van de Poele and Maure Baldi / Michele Alboreto / Stefan Johansson. For Momo Giampiero Moretti, Eliseo Salazar, Wayne Taylor and Didier Theys were at the start. In Euro Motorsport 333SP Massimo Sigala, Gianfranco Brancatelli, Elton Julian and Fabrizio Barbazza sat. Although the mid-term all four cars were clearly in the lead, only one came to the finish. Three cars were as feared by technical defects. Only Euro Motorsport came on the eighth rank to the finish and in the standings. However, with a gap of 45 laps to the winning quartet Giovanni Lavaggi / Marco Werner / Jürgen Casual / Christophe Bouchut Kremer K8 on a Spyder.
On the debacle of Daytona success followed in the 12 Hours of Sebring. The victory of Evans / Velez / van de Peole was the first Ferrari for 23 years with the oldest sports car race in the United States. In 1972, Mario Andretti and Jacky Ickx won on a 312PB for until then the last time for the Italian brand on the Sebring International Raceway.
From the third round of the season at Road Atlanta came with the team of the Swiss Fredy Lienhard to a fourth Ferrari team. In 1995, the competition was stronger and the Ferrari teams have had to admit defeat more often. Through steady Points, the Spaniard Fermin Velez and the Manufacturers' Championship, Ferrari secured.
In 1995, for the first use of a 333SP in Europe. Against the express wish of the Scuderia announced the Euro Motorsport Racing Inc. its 333SP at the 24 -hour race this year. At Massimo Sigala and Jay Cochran former French Formula 1 driver René Arnoux joined the team. The car was already after seven laps by an engine failure.
1996
At the first race of the season, the 24 - hour race at Daytona, the new Momo - regular driver Massimiliano Papis made for an extra spectacle. Since the race at the Daytona International Speedway, the U.S. racing fans "Mad Max" call him. Papis drove the Ferrari 333SP with the starting number, and before his last stint the car was higher in the second place, but was badly damaged after the accident. The body was more or less only held together by duct tape. Nevertheless delivered Papis an idea of the highest class. First he rounded back ( in managerial lay a Riley & Scott Oldsmobile, driven by Wayne Taylor), he reduced his gap through a series of record rounds to a few seconds. Taylor dragged his prototype, who suffered from an overheated engine, only more slowly around the course. What Taylor, who now also drove at the limit, finally rescued, was the enormous fuel consumption of the Ferrari, triggered by the record rounds of Papis. As Papis few laps came to refuel again, witnessed the race one of his most amazing events. Papis raced full speed - measured 320 km / h - through the pit lane ( a speed limit was only a year later introduced ) to get fuel. He lost the race with just under a minute behind Taylor.
His first victory on a 333SP Papis won the 3- hour race at Road Atlanta, which he won jointly with Giampiero Moretti. Despite wins at Lime Rock and Watkins Glen and some other podium finishes Papis could not win the overall title. This secured again Wayne Taylor and how 1994 was the Manufacturers' Championship at Oldsmobile.
1996 Andy Evans announced his 333SP at Le Mans. He bildetet a team with Velez and Yvan Muller. After 33 laps the car without gasoline remained standing on the track in the tank. A second 333SP was of rating before Belgium who used the car of Scandia Motorsport. This car had on Sunday morning in an accident and also different from.
1997
1997 began with the FIA Sportscar Championship to develop a new sports car racing series, which was based on the technical and sporting regulations WSC in Europe. Thus, the 333SP came in Europe regularly used. These races were marked by very small start fields, where the competitors were quite designated. Joest Racing TWR Porsche WSC brought to -95 at the start and Courage Compétition sat Courage C36 and C41 prototypes. Fredy Lienhard and Didier Theys won the race in Zolder.
In Le Mans for the first time was a 333SP to the finish. For spectators and media representatives of the third race at Le Mans was again the attraction and Moretti, Theys and dads brought the car in spite of many technical problems in the sixth position overall finish.
Despite some success in each race, a total victory in the IMSA series was again.
1998
1998, there was finally hope for the long overall victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona, the Moretti import together with Baldi, Theys and Arie Luyendyk. Even the 12 - hour race at Sebring was won again and at the end of the year, Ferrari won the manufacturers' championship for the second time.
1999-2003
The last race of a 333SP it was in June 2003, when Giovanni Lavaggi and Xavier Pompidou failed with a nine year old car with a sports car race at Monza with engine failure.