The COAT - Round One - Ferrari 246 F1 vs Renault R25 vs Cooper T81

[crmalcolm]

On to the twenty-sixth match in Round One, and we are faced with another 3-ay. The Ferrari 246 F1 vs the Renault R25 vs the Cooper T81.

Ferrari 246 F1 (Ferrari.com):
A new version was derived from the original F2 Dino project for F1.

A new engine, lighter and more powerful than both the old four cylinder units and the Lancia derived eight cylinder engine, was needed urgently. The engine configuration, a 65° V6 with two overhead camshafts per cylinder row and dual ignition, was the same as in the F2 unit from which the project was derived, with only a few, small modifications to allow its installation into the different car. The 246 – indicating 2.4 litre capacity and 6 cylinders – made its track debut in 1958, on January 19 at the Argentine GP, and took the English driver Mike Hawthorn on to the world championship.

However, with success, this year also brought tragedy. The Drivers’ title returned to Ferrari, but the season was marked by the fatal accidents of Luigi Musso, at Silverstone, and Peter Collins, at the Nürburgring. There were two wins: Hawthorn in France and Collins in Great Britain. The greatest rival that year was Stirling Moss’s Vanwall, which secured the first edition of the Constructors’ Championship.

Renault R25 (Renaultsport.com):

New Year, New Car
Renault took a break from F1 at the end of the 1997 season but rejoined in 2000 after taking over the Benetton team. Renamed the Renault F1 Team in 2002, its first win was at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix, then again at the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix. For 2005, new regulations led to the development of the R25 with its innovative front suspension system – a response to the ban on tyre changes – better aerodynamics and an engine that could run in two successive Grand Prix.

Key to the success of the R25 was its reliability and its RS25 V10 three-litre engine, paired with a new on-board electronic system. The engine position was lowered to bring down the centre of gravity in comparison to the R24 model, which had placed third in the previous season to lay a promising foundation for the future.

Significant stiffening of the chassis also helped handling on the R25, along with a reduced weight of only 610 kg thanks in large part to the new electronic control system that allowed for better aerodynamics, weight balance and much faster data processing.

Alonso and teammate Giancarlo Fisichella won three victories and a third place during the first four races of the 2005 season. Chased closely all year by Ferrari and McLaren, the reliability of the R 25 – and the skills of both Renault drivers – won through. After 19 races, seven victories, eight more places podiums and only two retirements, 24-year-old Fernando Alonso claimed the F1 title.

The R25 was fitted with a paddle-operated six-speed semi-automatic gearbox (with one reverse gear). The engine developed 800 bhp, and took the car to a top speed of more than 300 km/hr. Its lightweight chassis was made from aluminum honeycomb composite monocoque and carbon fibre, and its brakes were also carbon fibre all round. With a length of 4.8 m and width of 1.8 m, its wheelbase was 3.1 m.

Cooper T81 (oldracingcars.com(:
The voluminous Cooper T81 was the first of Cooper's 3-litre Formula 1 designs and was powered by a Maserati V12 engine derived from that of the 1950s 250F. The T81 won two Grands Prix and was raced by famous names such as John Surtees and Jochen Rindt.

Much had changed at Cooper in a short time before the debut of the Cooper T81. Charles Cooper had died in October 1964, and his son John was unsure how to take the team forward. The 3-litre Formula 1 was approaching fast, and Cooper would need an engine. Roy Salvadori had a ready-made solution for Cooper as his car sales business had just been bought by Chipstead Motor Group, an organisation put together by car salesmen Mario Tozzi-Condivi and Peter Hodge, and chaired by 31-year-old Marks & Spencer heir Jonathan Sieff. Tozzi-Condivi was an old friend of Maserati owner Adolfo Orsi, who happened to have a suitable V12 engine. The deal was done by April 1965, Chipstead buying the Cooper Car Company for £200,000, and then securing an engine supply contract with Maserati. In Modena, engineer Giulio Alfieri started to update the 1957 2.5-litre 60-degree twin ohc V12 engine with fuel injection and electronic ignition. Owen Maddock's place as Cooper designer had been taken by Derrick White, a South African whose credentials included the chassis of the lightweight Jaguar E-Type. He was assisted by Bob Marston and, as this would be Cooper's first monocoque, by Tony Robinson, who had built Lotus 25-inspired monocoque cars for British Racing Partnership from 1963 to 1965. As White had already studied one of Robinson's BRPs in detail, the T81 not surprisingly followed standard Lotus 25 principles with an open 'bathtub' monocoque comprised of two stressed-skin pontoons joined by a steel floor and three fabricated steel bulkheads. However, housing the Maserati V12, its fuel requirements, and its massive ZF gearbox meant that the T81 was vast compared with the trim Lotus 25. It had inboard front suspension with Lotus-like rocker arms, and standard rear suspension with outboard springs and twin radius rods. Cooper would run two cars for Jochen Rindt and Richie Ginther from their new base at Canada Road, Byfleet, having moved from Cooper's old home in Surbiton. Customer cars were sold to Rob Walker for Jo Siffert, to Jo Bonnier and to Guy Ligier.

The bulky new car proved too cumbersome at Monaco, the opening round of the 1966 season, but Rindt led in the rain in the second round at Spa, before John Surtees picked him off in the new Ferrari. Ginther then left for his planned drive at Honda, and was replaced by Chris Amon, but within days, Surtees fell out with Ferrari and quit, joining Cooper to drive Ginther's car at the French GP with Amon shifted into a hurriedly built third works car. Amon was dropped after that race so that Rindt and Surtees could have a spare car, and development paid off with Surtees leading at the Nürburgring, and although Jack Brabham won, Surtees led his teammate home in second and third. Rindt then led Surtees and Siffert in a 2-3-4 at Watkins Glen before Surtees gave the T81 a deserved first victory at the Mexican GP.

[S griffin]

Once again, can’t see past the Ferrari 500

[merak1974]

The Cooper-Maserati T81 wins this one hands down; great story, fantastic drivers, and inimitable swan song...