Derek Gardner

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Tyrrell 001, the first Gardner-designed vehicle, with which the team won the Constructors' Championship in 1971
The Tyrrell-Ford P34 with Jody Scheckter in 1976 in the south bend of the Nürburgring

Derek Gardner (born September 19, 1931 in Warwick - † January 7, 2011 in Lutterworth ) was a British automotive engineer and designer , who was known for developing advanced transmission systems and designing several racing cars for the Tyrrell team .

Career

Gardner had his first contact with Formula 1 in 1969 when he was employed by Harry Ferguson Research, where he developed drive systems for Matra . In 1970 he met Ken Tyrrell , who was using Matra cars at the time, and Tyrrell decided to work with Gardner.

During 1970, Gardner developed a custom chassis for Tyrrell , which was built in his home garage and presented to the public at the Italian Grand Prix . The Tyrrell 001 made its first World Championship appearance under Jackie Stewart at the following Canadian Grand Prix in Mont Tremblant .

From the 1971 season , Tyrrell consistently used its own cars, all of which were developed by Gardner. The cars Tyrrell 001 through 005 were all unique pieces; the digits denote the chassis numbers. It was only from 006 onwards that the designation referred to a vehicle type of which a very small edition was usually produced.

Garner's " debut in Formula 1 " was also his most successful construction: Jackie Stewart qualified the 001 on his debut in pole position and was in the lead until he retired on lap 34 due to an axle damage. The car was later developed into the Tyrrell 002 and 003, and drivers Jackie Stewart and François Cevert scored seven wins with it in 1971. Stewart won the drivers 'championship and Tyrrell took the constructors' title.

Gardner's most famous design was certainly the Tyrrell P34 , commonly known as the "six-wheeler". The car had four purpose-built front wheels and 254 mm (10 in.) Diameter tires at the front and two normal-sized wheels at the rear. Together with the Brabham BT46B "Fancar" developed in 1978, the six-wheeled Tyrrell was one of the most radical approaches ever to be successful in Formula 1 competition and has been described as the most famous design in the history of global motorsport. His last design for Tyrell was the 008 . Gardner then left Formula 1 to work for the transmission manufacturer Borg-Warner .

Gardner also designed boats , electric bicycles and microlights during his long career as a designer . He died in Lutterworth in 2011 at the age of 79.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Rob Widdows: The best kept secrets ... In: motorsportmagazine.com. September 2008, accessed April 25, 2020 .
  2. ^ David Hodges: A – Z of Grand Prix Cars 1906–2000 , p. 228.
  3. ^ Lutto nella Formula 1-La scomparsa di Derek Gardner .
  4. ↑ oldracingcars.com: Derek Gardner. Accessed April 25, 2020 (English).
  5. ↑ Stefan Ziegler: Former Tyrrell designer Derek Gardner has died. In: motorsport-total.com. motorsport-total.com, January 11, 2011, accessed April 25, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Gardner, Derek
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British automobile designer
DATE OF BIRTH September 19, 1931
PLACE OF BIRTH Warwick
DATE OF DEATH January 7, 2011
Place of death Lutterworth