In 1975, the American racing team Tyrrell Racing Organization introduced the strangest Formula 1 car ever produced, the Tyrrell P34. It is a six-wheeler that proved successful in its first season and led other teams to start thinking about designing their own six-wheeled platforms. However, in 1978, the project was abandoned and Formula 1 stipulated that cars must have four wheels. One example of this car, the 2008 Tyrrell P34 will be auctioned.
The car is owned by former motor racing driver Jody Scheckter, Formula 1 champion in the 1979 season. He is the only driver from the continent of Africa to have won a Formula One race or the World Drivers’ Championship. In his 8-year career (1972-1980), he achieved 10 victories, 33 podiums, 3 pole positions and 5 fastest laps.
The Tyrrell P34 was designed by Derek Gardner, Tyrrell’s chief designer. He believed that the car could have smaller wheels under the wings, while another pair of wheels would compensate for the reduced contact surface of the smaller ones. His plan was also to reduce air resistance compared to rivals that used larger tires. Also, he thought that additional wheels would enable better braking, which did not prove to be a good solution on the track.
“The braking should have been better and it was on the straights, but as soon as you turned, the little wheels would slip and you would have to let off the pedal, so there was no advantage,” Scheckter previously told Motor Sport.
The cockpit is designed so that through transparent panels the driver can better position the car in turns, see the tires and monitor their consumption.
The Tyrrell P34 is powered by a Ford-Cosworth DFV 3.0-liter V8 engine with over 475 hp (354 kW) @10,000 rpm.
The car will be auctioned in Monaco on May 11, 2024 and the estimated value is between €450,000 – €650,000 EUR.
Source: RM Sotheby’s
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