1976 - 1977 Tyrrell P34 Cosworth - Images, Specifications and Information

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In the late 1960s and early 1970s the understanding of racing car aerodynamics grew dramatically. Key words were now downforce and drag; the first was pursued while the other was tried to be shed as much as possible. Downforce is the force generated by the driving wind going over specially shaped body parts, usually wings, on the car, which increases the grip. This usually comes at the expense of drag, which is the air resistance of the car. Racing car designers were now looking for a balance between the two, which resulted in enough downforce to go round corners and little drag to go fast on the straights. When wings were first introduced they could be moved up and down depending on whether grip or speed was required, but these moveable aerodynamic devices were outlawed after a number of heavy accidents.

Ken Tyrrell and his chief designer Derek Gardner were designing a new Formula 1 car for 1976, when the latter came up with an idea to decrease drag without losing downforce. The freely spinning front wheels on open wheeled racers generate a lot of additional drag compared to fully bodied cars. In the past this was dealt with by fitting smaller wheels, but this decreased the amount of rubber touching the track, which in turn had a negative effect on the grip levels. Gardner also realised a lot could be gained if the front wheels could be smaller and together with tire supplier Goodyear developed a tiny 10-inch front wheel. The trick up Gardner's sleeve was to equip his new racer with four front wheels to compensate for the grip lost. The groundbreaking six wheel layout of the Project 34, or P34 Tyrrell would stun even the sport's biggest insiders and surprisingly actually worked.

Although the development work on the P34 had already started late in the summer of 1975, the car was not ready yet for the opening round of the 1976 season. Gardner was faced with a variety of unique problems caused by the unusual layout. A major concern was the front brake system, especially the order in which the wheels locked under heavy braking; if the front set locked first it effectively shortened the wheelbase and if the rears locked first the wheelbase was lengthened. To make the most of the small tires, a shovel type front wing was fitted, which almost completely covered the front wheels from the airflow. The moncoque tub designed for the P34 was also very low; the driver sat on the car rather than in it. The pilots were protected from the elements by a large wrap-around cockpit surround. Two windows were quickly added to this cockpit surround to give the drivers a clear view on the front wheels.

At the fourth round of the 1976 season, the unusual Tyrrell P34 debuted in the hands of Patrick Depailler. He promptly qualified the new car on the second row, transforming the onlookers amazement into admiration. Brake problems saw Depailler crash into the barriers after he had already slipped from third to fourth. Nevertheless, the six-wheeled Tyrrell had made a promising debut. In the following races, the development process paid off with consistent top six qualifying results and podium finishes. The real reward came in Sweden where Jody Scheckter and Depailler drove their P34s to a 1-2 finish. The duo remained competitive throughout the year and finished third and fourth in the driver's Championship behind James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Tyrrell was third in the constructor's Championship, hot on the heels of Ferrari and McLaren. For 1977, a variety of modifications were carried through, most notably the reshaped cockpit surround and a change of livery. Sadly Goodyear was not up to the task to continue developing the oddly sized front tires and the six-wheeler lost all its advantages. It was the first season without a win for Tyrrell since he entered the sport as a manufacturer.

After two years, the project was abandoned and Tyrrell entered the 1978 with the conventional four-wheeled 008. In Tyrrell's wake, a wide variety of teams have experimented with six-wheelers, although most of them had four rear wheels. They correctly figured out that not just the the front wheels, but also the huge rear wheels contributed greatly to the car's frontal area. None of these experimental vehicles was ever raced, making the Tyrrell P34 very much a unique experiment. Unlike most experiments, it also proved to be competitive. In the current regulations, the FIA describe a car as a vehicle with four wheels, so it is very unlikely the P34 will ever be succeeded. In the 1990s many of the P34's contemporaries took to the track in highly popular historic Formula 1 championships, but the unusual front wheel size left the Tyrrell sidelined for years, until historic racer Martin Stretton persuaded Avon to construct him some new 10 inch slicks. He has since been very successful in his P34 winning the Thoroughbred Grand Prix championship twice. A few years ago a second P34 made its appearance in the hands of Italian racer Mauro Pane.

Featured above are the two Tyrrell P34s that are still actively campaigned. Stretton's P34/6 is seen in the first six shots at the 2005 Silverstone Classic and in the following six at the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix. At Monaco he was joined by Pane in his P34/5, as seen in the last six pictures. Reliving the Swedish glory days, both cars finished on the podium with Stretton taking a well deserved victory after a heavy fight with two Penskes.