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{{short description|Or Auto Technisches Spezialzubehör, a German wheel manufacturer and sponsor of a Formula One racing team}}
{{short description|German wheel manufacturer}}
{{For|the Italian constructor team and engine manufacturer active in the 1960s with the same name|Automobili Turismo e Sport}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{For|the Italian constructor team and engine manufacturer active in the 1960s with the same name|Automobili Turismo e Sport}}{{More citations needed|date=June 2018}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2018}}
{{Split|ATS Wheels|ATS (F1)|date=November 2020}}
{{Former F1 team
{{Former F1 team
| Logo = [[File:ATS logo.gif]]
| Logo = [[File:ATS logo.gif]]
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| Base = Germany
| Base = Germany
| Founders = [[Günter Schmid]]
| Founders = [[Günter Schmid]]
| Staff = [[Robin Herd]]<br/>[[Giacomo Caliri]]<br/>[[Gustav Brunner]]<br/>[[Jo Ramírez]]<ref name="motorsportarchives">{{cite magazine |title=Wheel nut |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/january-1998/57/wheel-nut/ |magazine=[[Motor Sport (magazine)|Motor Sport]] |date=January 1998 |page=57|last=Cooper|first=Adam}}</ref><br/>[[Vic Elford]]<ref name="motorsportarchives"/><br/>[[Peter Collins (racing team manager)|Peter Collins]]<ref name="motorsportarchives"/><br/>[[Fred Opert]]<ref name="motorsportarchives"/><ref name="roebuck">{{Cite web|url=https://www.autosport.com/f1/feature/4573/grand-prix-gold-1979-british-gp|first=Nigel|last=Roebuck|author-link=Nigel Roebuck|website=[[Autosport (magazine)|autosport.com]]|title=Grand Prix Gold: 1979 British GP}}</ref><br/>[[Alistair Caldwell]]<ref name="motorsportarchives"/>|
| Staff = [[Robin Herd]]<br/>[[Giacomo Caliri]]<br/>[[Gustav Brunner]]<br/>[[Jo Ramírez]]<ref name="motorsportarchives">{{cite magazine |title=Wheel nut |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/january-1998/57/wheel-nut/ |magazine=[[Motor Sport (magazine)|Motor Sport]] |date=January 1998 |page=57|last=Cooper|first=Adam}}</ref><br/>[[Vic Elford]]<ref name="motorsportarchives"/><br/>[[Peter Collins (racing team manager)|Peter Collins]]<ref name="motorsportarchives"/><br/>[[Fred Opert]]<ref name="motorsportarchives"/><ref name="roebuck">{{Cite web|url=https://www.autosport.com/f1/feature/4573/grand-prix-gold-1979-british-gp|first=Nigel|last=Roebuck|author-link=Nigel Roebuck|website=[[Autosport (magazine)|autosport.com]]|title=Grand Prix Gold: 1979 British GP|date=2 July 2012 }}</ref><br/>[[Alistair Caldwell]]<ref name="motorsportarchives"/>|
| Drivers = {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Jean-Pierre Jarier]]<br/>{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Keke Rosberg]]<br/>{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Manfred Winkelhock]]<br/>{{flagicon|CHL}} [[Eliseo Salazar]]<br/>{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Gerhard Berger]]
| Drivers = {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Jean-Pierre Jarier]]<br/>{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Keke Rosberg]]<br/>{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Manfred Winkelhock]]<br/>{{flagicon|CHL}} [[Eliseo Salazar]]<br/>{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Gerhard Berger]]
| Debut = [[1977 United States Grand Prix West]]
| Debut = [[1977 United States Grand Prix West]]
| Races = 101
| Races = 116 (99 starts)
| Cons_champ = 0
| Cons_champ = 0
| Drivers_champ = 0
| Drivers_champ = 0
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}}
}}
{{Portal|Formula One}}
{{Portal|Formula One}}
'''ATS''' (''Auto Technisches Spezialzubehör'') is a [[Germany|German]] company that manufactures alloy wheels for road and racing cars. It is based in [[Bad Dürkheim]] near the [[Hockenheimring]] race circuit. ATS had a [[Formula One]] racing team that was active from 1977 to 1984.<ref>''Daily Express'' page 40 Saturday 18 March 1978</ref>
'''ATS''' (''Auto Technisches Spezialzubehör'') is a German company that manufactures alloy wheels for road and racing cars. It is based in [[Bad Dürkheim]] near the [[Hockenheimring]] race circuit. ATS had a [[Formula One]] racing team that was active from 1977 to 1984.<ref>''Daily Express'' page 40 Saturday 18 March 1978</ref>


==Wheel manufacturer==
==Wheel manufacturer==
[[File:ATS stamp on the back spoke of an AMG alloy wheel.jpg|thumb|ATS stamp on the back spoke of a circa 1984 AMG alloy wheel.]]
[[File:ATS stamp on the back spoke of an AMG alloy wheel.jpg|thumb|ATS stamp on the back spoke of a circa 1984 AMG alloy wheel.]]


ATS was founded in 1969, specialising in lightweight wheels for [[Porsche]], [[Volkswagen|VW]] and [[Mercedes-Benz]] automobiles. ATS manufactured the "Penta" wheel used by Mercedes tuning company [[Mercedes-AMG|AMG]] from 1979 into the 1980s.
ATS was founded in 1969 by [[Günter Schmid]]. The company specialised in lightweight wheels for [[Porsche]], [[Volkswagen|VW]] and [[Mercedes-Benz]] automobiles. ATS manufactured the "Penta" wheel used by Mercedes tuning company [[Mercedes-AMG|AMG]] from 1979 into the 1980s. After sponsoring a string of national [[motorsport]] events, Schmidt decided to enter [[Formula One|Grand Prix]] racing with his own team.

==Formula One team==
ATS owner [[Günter Schmid]] had sponsored various national [[motorsport]] events, before realising [[Formula One|Grand Prix]] racing was an ideal way of promoting his brand. Due to his temper, Schmid was difficult to work with, and the F1 team had a high turnover of staff.


===The 1970s===
===The 1970s===
In 1977, ATS purchased the remaining PC4 chassis from [[Penske Racing]]. [[Jean-Pierre Jarier]] was signed to drive the car, placing 6th on the team's debut at the [[United States Grand Prix West]].
In 1977, ATS purchased the remaining PC4 chassis from [[Penske Racing]] after the American team retired from Formula One. [[Jean-Pierre Jarier]] was signed to drive the car, and the team went off to an auspiciuos start, with Jarier finishing 6th on the team's debut at the [[United States Grand Prix West]].


A second car was entered in the [[1977 German Grand Prix]] for German touring car racer [[Hans Heyer]]. Heyer failed to qualify, but famously took the start anyway in front of his home crowd at the [[Hockenheimring]]. The race organisers only noticed when he retired with a broken gear linkage. [[Hans Binder]] would then take the second car for the rest of the season, though the team missed the final three races of the year.
A second car was entered in the [[1977 German Grand Prix]] for German touring car racer [[Hans Heyer]]. Heyer failed to qualify, but famously took the start anyway in front of his home crowd at the [[Hockenheimring]]. The race organisers only noticed when he retired with a broken gear linkage. [[Hans Binder]] would then take the second car for the rest of the season, though the team elected to sit out from the final three races of the year in [[Japan]], [[Canada]] and the [[United States]].


[[File:Michael Bleekemolen test ATS-wagen voor Grand Prix op Zandvoort Bleekemolen in , Bestanddeelnr 929-8578.jpg|thumb|Michael Bleekemolen testing the ATS HS1 at Zandvoort in 1978]]
[[File:Michael Bleekemolen test ATS-wagen voor Grand Prix op Zandvoort Bleekemolen in , Bestanddeelnr 929-8578.jpg|thumb|Michael Bleekemolen testing the ATS HS1 at Zandvoort in 1978]]


[[Robin Herd]] from [[March Engineering]] was enlisted to build the first genuine ATS [[Formula One]] car, the HS1 being driven by Jarier and [[Jochen Mass]]. Jarier came 8th at the [[South African Grand Prix]], but was fired after an argument with Schmidt, and replaced by [[Alberto Colombo]] for the [[Belgian Grand Prix]]. After two failures to qualify, Colombo was also fired, and replaced by [[Keke Rosberg]] until the [[German Grand Prix]]. There, Jarier returned, having patched up his differences with Schmid, only for them to re-emerge following Jarier's failure to qualify. Binder returned for one race, before [[Michael Bleekemolen]] took over.
In 1978 Schmidt hired former [[March Engineering]] designer [[Robin Herd]] to build the first genuine ATS [[Formula One]] car, the HS1. Jarier was retained and paired with German driver [[Jochen Mass]]. The season proved to be turbulent. Jarier finished 8th at the [[South African Grand Prix]], but was fired after an argument with Schmidt, and replaced by [[Alberto Colombo (racing driver)|Alberto Colombo]] for the [[Belgian Grand Prix]]. After two failures to qualify, Colombo was let go and replaced by [[Keke Rosberg]] until the [[German Grand Prix]]. There, Jarier returned, having patched up his differences with Schmid, only for them to re-emerge following Jarier's failure to qualify. Binder returned for one race, before [[Michael Bleekemolen]] took over. After breaking a leg during testing, Mass was replaced with [[Harald Ertl]]. Ertl didn't qualify for the race, and Rosberg returned for the final two races. Despite the introduction of the new [[ATS D1|D1]] chassis designed by John Gentry that featured skirts, wider track and side pods, the team's fortunes didn't improve.<ref name="Hodges">{{cite book|last=Hodges|first=David|title=A-Z of Formula Racing Cars|year=1990|publisher=Bay View Books|location=Bideford, UK|isbn=1870979168|pages=279}}</ref>

By now Mass had also left following a broken leg in testing. As [[Harald Ertl]] had failed to pre-qualify his Ensign for the [[1978 Italian Grand Prix]], he was given another chance with the first ATS. Ertl didn't qualify for the race, and Rosberg returned for the final two races. The lack of continuity both in the cars and in the garage had been no help to the fledgling team, despite the introduction of the new [[ATS D1|D1]] chassis. The [[ATS D1|D1]] was designed by John Gentry, and featured skirts, wider track and side pods.<ref name="Hodges">{{cite book|last=Hodges|first=David|title=A-Z of Formula Racing Cars|year=1990|publisher=Bay View Books|location=Bideford, UK|isbn=1870979168|pages=279}}</ref>
The [[ATS D1|D1]] was used in the last two races of the 1978 season.<ref name="Hodges" />
The [[ATS D1|D1]] was used in the last two races of the 1978 season.<ref name="Hodges" />


[[Image:Opert ATS.jpg|thumb|[[Hans-Joachim Stuck]] in an ATS F1 car at the [[1979 Monaco Grand Prix]]. Team manager [[Fred Opert]] is pictured in a team shirt, facing the camera, on the right]]<!--More info about where this was taken will be added if and when I get the info from the uploader-->
[[Image:Opert ATS.jpg|thumb|[[Hans-Joachim Stuck]] in an ATS F1 car at the [[1979 Monaco Grand Prix]]. Team manager [[Fred Opert]] is pictured in a team shirt, facing the camera, on the right]]<!--More info about where this was taken will be added if and when I get the info from the uploader-->
1979 saw [[Hans-Joachim Stuck]] arrive, to drive a single car. The new [[Giacomo Caliri]]-designed [[ATS D2|D2]] arrived mid-season but it was an ill-handling car,<ref name="Hodges" /> with Stuck taking the team's only points score of the season with 5th place at the [[1979 United States Grand Prix|United States Grand Prix]] in another new car, the D3,<ref name="Brown">{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Allen|title=ATS D3 car-by-car histories|url=http://www.oldracingcars.com/ats/d3/|website=oldracingcars.com|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref> courtesy of [[Nigel Stroud]].
In 1979 the team reverted to the idea of fielding one single car, with [[Hans-Joachim Stuck]] as the driver. The new [[ATS D2|D2]] designed by John Gentry and [[Giacomo Caliri]] arrived mid-season but it was an ill-handling car.<ref name="Hodges" /> Another chassis designed by Nigel Stroud, the D3, was swiftly introduced and Stuck took the team's only points score of the season with a 5th place at the [[1979 United States Grand Prix|United States Grand Prix]].<ref name="Brown">{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Allen|title=ATS D3 car-by-car histories|url=http://www.oldracingcars.com/ats/d3/|website=oldracingcars.com|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref>


===The 1980s===
===The 1980s===
The team stepped up to a two-car operation again in 1980, with [[Marc Surer]] and [[Jan Lammers]] signed to drive the D3. Surer took 7th at the [[Brazilian Grand Prix]], while Lammers started 4th before retiring at the [[United States Grand Prix West]], but the team were still distinct midfielders, even after the introduction of the new [[Gustav Brunner]]-penned D4.<ref name="Brown 2">{{cite web |last1=Brown|first1=Allen|title=ATS D4 car-by-car histories|url=http://www.oldracingcars.com/ats/d4/ |website=oldracingcars.com |access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref> From the US GP West, they were back down to a single car, with Surer injured, though he returned in the [[French Grand Prix]], this time replacing Lammers. Once again, though, the team failed to score points.
The team stepped up to a two-car operation again in 1980, with [[Marc Surer]] and [[Jan Lammers]] signed to drive the D3 while [[Gustav Brunner]] was hired to design the new D4. Surer finished 7th at the [[Brazilian Grand Prix]], but suffered broken legs after an accident in practice at the [[South African Grand Prix]]. The team chose not to replace Surer and run one single car. Lammers managed to qualify 4th for the [[United States Grand Prix West]] but retired after a collision at the start.<ref name="Brown 2">{{cite web |last1=Brown|first1=Allen|title=ATS D4 car-by-car histories|url=http://www.oldracingcars.com/ats/d4/ |website=oldracingcars.com |access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref> Surer returned for the [[French Grand Prix]] and replaced Lammers, though the team failed to score points for the rest of the season.


The team started the 1981 season with Lammers at the wheel of the D4. At the [[San Marino Grand Prix]], a second car was fielded for [[Slim Borgudd]], who brought sponsorship from Swedish pop band [[ABBA]] as he had drummed with the band in the 1970s. After outqualifying Lammers, Borgudd was retained for the rest of the season. Halfway through the season the team debuted the new HGS1 designed by [[Hervé Guilpin]]. Borgudd finished 6th at the [[British Grand Prix]] but otherwise results were poor.
1981 saw Lammers recalled to drive a single D4, with a second fielded for [[Slim Borgudd]] for the [[San Marino Grand Prix]]. After this, Lammers was dropped once more, with Borgudd driving the single entry. The Swede took 6th place at the high-attrition [[British Grand Prix]], the D4 having by now been replaced by the HGS1, designed by [[Hervé Guilpin]], but otherwise results were poor, and non-qualifications frequent. This was the year where Swedish pop band [[ABBA]] sponsored the team. In fact, [[Slim Borgudd]] had appeared on some ABBA recordings as a drummer.


Schmid made a major effort to get the team together for 1982. Two [[ATS D5|D5]] cars (a heavily upgraded version of the HGS1) were fielded for [[Manfred Winkelhock]] and [[Eliseo Salazar]]. This brought better results, with Winkelhock 5th at the [[Brazilian Grand Prix]] and Salazar 5th at the [[San Marino Grand Prix]] (Winkelhock would have taken 6th at this race, boycotted by most British teams due to a political crisis within the sport, but his car was underweight). While the team were improving, they were midfielders more than anything else. Indeed, the team's most high-profile moment came when Salazar was attacked by [[Nelson Piquet]] on live television at the [[German Grand Prix]], the ATS driver having collided with the race-leading Brazilian while being lapped.
Schmid made a major effort to get the team together for 1982. Two [[ATS D5|D5]] cars (a heavily upgraded version of the HGS1) were fielded for [[Manfred Winkelhock]] and [[Eliseo Salazar]]. This brought better results, with Winkelhock 5th at the [[Brazilian Grand Prix]] and Salazar 5th at the [[San Marino Grand Prix]]. (Winkelhock would have taken 7th at the former, but due to both [[Nelson Piquet]] and [[Keke Rosberg]] being disqualified after the race, Winklehock moved up to 5th, while most of the teams boycotted the latter race, with ATS being one of the few who did race). Salazar also earned unwanted publicity when he collided with the race-leading Brazilian [[Nelson Piquet]] while being lapped at the [[German Grand Prix]]. Piquet physically attacked Salazar once out of the car, and the incident was widely televised.


===BMW engines===
===BMW engines===
[[File:Winkelhock ATS D7 1984 Dallas F1.jpg|thumb|[[Manfred Winkelhock]] in the [[ATS D7]] at the [[1984 Dallas Grand Prix]]]]
[[File:Winkelhock ATS D7 1984 Dallas F1.jpg|thumb|[[Manfred Winkelhock]] in the [[ATS D7]] at the [[1984 Dallas Grand Prix]]]]
However, Schmid used his muscle in the German auto industry to secure a supply of [[BMW Motorsport|BMW]]'s powerful [[BMW M12]]/13 4-cylinder turbocharged engine for 1983. ATS fielded a single new [[Gustav Brunner]] [[ATS D6|D6]] for Winkelhock. There were some excellent qualifying positions and races from the German, but the constant turnover of backroom staff meant that reliability issues were never solved, and 8th place at the [[1984 European Grand Prix|European Grand Prix]] was his best result.
In 1983 Schmid secured a supply of [[BMW Motorsport|BMW]]'s powerful [[BMW M12]]/13 4-cylinder turbocharged engine. ATS fielded a single new [[Gustav Brunner]]-designed [[ATS D6|D6]] car for Winkelhock. There were some good qualifying results from the German, but reliability problems marred his season, and 8th place at the [[1984 European Grand Prix|European Grand Prix]] was his best result.

⚫
For 1984, Brunner's new [[ATS D7|D7]] chassis was introduced, but it was largely the same story, with not inconsiderable speed rarely rewarded, not helped by Brunner quitting after, predictably, yet another an argument with Schmid. Winkelhock ran 3rd at the [[1984 Belgian Grand Prix|Belgian Grand Prix]] before the electrical system failed, but his best finishes were 8th places in the [[1984 Canadian Grand Prix|Canadian Grand Prix]] and the [[1984 Dallas Grand Prix|Dallas Grand Prix]]. From the [[1984 Austrian Grand Prix|Austrian Grand Prix]], a second [[ATS D7|D7]] was added for [[Gerhard Berger]]. After a gearbox failure on the grid at the [[1984 Italian Grand Prix|Italian Grand Prix]], Winkelhock finally lost patience and quit. In the race, Berger placed 6th, but the point was not awarded as the second entry had not been registered at the start of the season. Berger entered the last two races alone, with Winkelhock not replaced.


⚫
For 1984, Brunner's new [[ATS D7|D7]] chassis was introduced. Winkelhock ran 3rd at the [[1984 Belgian Grand Prix|Belgian Grand Prix]] before the electrical system failed, but his best finishes were 8th places in the [[1984 Canadian Grand Prix|Canadian Grand Prix]] and the [[1984 Dallas Grand Prix|Dallas Grand Prix]]. From the [[1984 Austrian Grand Prix|Austrian Grand Prix]], a second [[ATS D7|D7]] was added for [[Gerhard Berger]]. After a gearbox failure on the grid at the [[1984 Italian Grand Prix|Italian Grand Prix]], Winkelhock finally quit. In the race, Berger finished 6th, but the point was not awarded as the second entry had not been registered at the start of the season. After limping to the end of the season with Berger alone,
At the end of the year, BMW revoked the use of their engines due to the bad PR the team and its owner generated, and Schmid folded the ATS team and left the ATS company.<ref name="Hodges" />
BMW revoked the use of their engines, and Schmid folded the ATS team.<ref name="Hodges" />


===Comeback with Rial===
===Comeback with Rial===
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!rowspan="4"| 12th
!rowspan="4"| 12th
|-
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Jean-Pierre Jarier]]
|align="left"|{{flagicon|FRA|variant=1974}} [[Jean-Pierre Jarier]]
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|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| DNQ
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| DNQ
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| DNQ
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| DNQ
|style="background:#F1F8FF;"| PO
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|-
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|align="left"|{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Alberto Colombo]]
|align="left"|{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Alberto Colombo (racing driver)|Alberto Colombo]]
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==External links==
==External links==
{{commonscat|Auto Technisches Spezialzubehör}}
{{commons category|Auto Technisches Spezialzubehör}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080410075819/http://www.ats-wheels.com/english/index_english.html ATS website with Motorsport history]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080410075819/http://www.ats-wheels.com/english/index_english.html ATS website with Motorsport history]


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[[Category:Formula One constructors]]
[[Category:Formula One constructors]]
[[Category:Formula One entrants]]
[[Category:Formula One entrants]]
[[Category:German auto racing teams]]
[[Category:Auto racing teams in Germany]]
[[Category:German racecar constructors]]
[[Category:German racecar constructors]]
[[Category:Companies based in Rhineland-Palatinate]]
[[Category:Companies based in Rhineland-Palatinate]]

Latest revision as of 07:11, 3 April 2024

For the Italian constructor team and engine manufacturer active in the 1960s with the same name, see Automobili Turismo e Sport.

ATS
Full nameATS Wheels
BaseGermany
Founder(s)Günter Schmid
Noted staffRobin Herd
Giacomo Caliri
Gustav Brunner
Jo Ramírez[1]
Vic Elford[1]
Peter Collins[1]
Fred Opert[1][2]
Alistair Caldwell[1]
Noted driversFrance Jean-Pierre Jarier
Finland Keke Rosberg
Germany Manfred Winkelhock
Chile Eliseo Salazar
Austria Gerhard Berger
Formula One World Championship career
First entry1977 United States Grand Prix West
Races entered116 (99 starts)
Constructors'
Championships		0
Drivers'
Championships		0
Race victories0 (best finish: 5th, 1979 United States Grand Prix and 1982 Brazilian and San Marino Grands Prix)
Pole positions0 (best grid position: 4th, 1980 United States Grand Prix West)
Fastest laps0
Final entry1984 Portuguese Grand Prix

ATS (Auto Technisches Spezialzubehör) is a German company that manufactures alloy wheels for road and racing cars. It is based in Bad Dürkheim near the Hockenheimring race circuit. ATS had a Formula One racing team that was active from 1977 to 1984.[3]

Wheel manufacturer[edit]

ATS stamp on the back spoke of a circa 1984 AMG alloy wheel.

ATS was founded in 1969 by Günter Schmid. The company specialised in lightweight wheels for Porsche, VW and Mercedes-Benz automobiles. ATS manufactured the "Penta" wheel used by Mercedes tuning company AMG from 1979 into the 1980s. After sponsoring a string of national motorsport events, Schmidt decided to enter Grand Prix racing with his own team.

The 1970s[edit]

In 1977, ATS purchased the remaining PC4 chassis from Penske Racing after the American team retired from Formula One. Jean-Pierre Jarier was signed to drive the car, and the team went off to an auspiciuos start, with Jarier finishing 6th on the team's debut at the United States Grand Prix West.

A second car was entered in the 1977 German Grand Prix for German touring car racer Hans Heyer. Heyer failed to qualify, but famously took the start anyway in front of his home crowd at the Hockenheimring. The race organisers only noticed when he retired with a broken gear linkage. Hans Binder would then take the second car for the rest of the season, though the team elected to sit out from the final three races of the year in Japan, Canada and the United States.

Michael Bleekemolen testing the ATS HS1 at Zandvoort in 1978

In 1978 Schmidt hired former March Engineering designer Robin Herd to build the first genuine ATS Formula One car, the HS1. Jarier was retained and paired with German driver Jochen Mass. The season proved to be turbulent. Jarier finished 8th at the South African Grand Prix, but was fired after an argument with Schmidt, and replaced by Alberto Colombo for the Belgian Grand Prix. After two failures to qualify, Colombo was let go and replaced by Keke Rosberg until the German Grand Prix. There, Jarier returned, having patched up his differences with Schmid, only for them to re-emerge following Jarier's failure to qualify. Binder returned for one race, before Michael Bleekemolen took over. After breaking a leg during testing, Mass was replaced with Harald Ertl. Ertl didn't qualify for the race, and Rosberg returned for the final two races. Despite the introduction of the new D1 chassis designed by John Gentry that featured skirts, wider track and side pods, the team's fortunes didn't improve.[4] The D1 was used in the last two races of the 1978 season.[4]

Hans-Joachim Stuck in an ATS F1 car at the 1979 Monaco Grand Prix. Team manager Fred Opert is pictured in a team shirt, facing the camera, on the right

In 1979 the team reverted to the idea of fielding one single car, with Hans-Joachim Stuck as the driver. The new D2 designed by John Gentry and Giacomo Caliri arrived mid-season but it was an ill-handling car.[4] Another chassis designed by Nigel Stroud, the D3, was swiftly introduced and Stuck took the team's only points score of the season with a 5th place at the United States Grand Prix.[5]

The 1980s[edit]

The team stepped up to a two-car operation again in 1980, with Marc Surer and Jan Lammers signed to drive the D3 while Gustav Brunner was hired to design the new D4. Surer finished 7th at the Brazilian Grand Prix, but suffered broken legs after an accident in practice at the South African Grand Prix. The team chose not to replace Surer and run one single car. Lammers managed to qualify 4th for the United States Grand Prix West but retired after a collision at the start.[6] Surer returned for the French Grand Prix and replaced Lammers, though the team failed to score points for the rest of the season.

The team started the 1981 season with Lammers at the wheel of the D4. At the San Marino Grand Prix, a second car was fielded for Slim Borgudd, who brought sponsorship from Swedish pop band ABBA as he had drummed with the band in the 1970s. After outqualifying Lammers, Borgudd was retained for the rest of the season. Halfway through the season the team debuted the new HGS1 designed by Hervé Guilpin. Borgudd finished 6th at the British Grand Prix but otherwise results were poor.

Schmid made a major effort to get the team together for 1982. Two D5 cars (a heavily upgraded version of the HGS1) were fielded for Manfred Winkelhock and Eliseo Salazar. This brought better results, with Winkelhock 5th at the Brazilian Grand Prix and Salazar 5th at the San Marino Grand Prix. (Winkelhock would have taken 7th at the former, but due to both Nelson Piquet and Keke Rosberg being disqualified after the race, Winklehock moved up to 5th, while most of the teams boycotted the latter race, with ATS being one of the few who did race). Salazar also earned unwanted publicity when he collided with the race-leading Brazilian Nelson Piquet while being lapped at the German Grand Prix. Piquet physically attacked Salazar once out of the car, and the incident was widely televised.

BMW engines[edit]

Manfred Winkelhock in the ATS D7 at the 1984 Dallas Grand Prix

In 1983 Schmid secured a supply of BMW's powerful BMW M12/13 4-cylinder turbocharged engine. ATS fielded a single new Gustav Brunner-designed D6 car for Winkelhock. There were some good qualifying results from the German, but reliability problems marred his season, and 8th place at the European Grand Prix was his best result.

For 1984, Brunner's new D7 chassis was introduced. Winkelhock ran 3rd at the Belgian Grand Prix before the electrical system failed, but his best finishes were 8th places in the Canadian Grand Prix and the Dallas Grand Prix. From the Austrian Grand Prix, a second D7 was added for Gerhard Berger. After a gearbox failure on the grid at the Italian Grand Prix, Winkelhock finally quit. In the race, Berger finished 6th, but the point was not awarded as the second entry had not been registered at the start of the season. After limping to the end of the season with Berger alone, BMW revoked the use of their engines, and Schmid folded the ATS team.[4]

Comeback with Rial[edit]

Having established a new brand of wheels with Rial, Schmid would return to Formula One in 1988 with the team of the same name.

Complete Formula One World Championship results[edit]

(key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Chassis Engines Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Points WCC
1977 Penske PC4 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G ARG BRA RSA USW ESP MON BEL SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN JPN 1 12th
France Jean-Pierre Jarier 6 DNQ 11 11 8 Ret 9 Ret 14 Ret Ret
Germany Hans Heyer DSQ*
Austria Hans Binder 12 8 DNQ
1978 HS1
D1 		Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G ARG BRA RSA USW MON BEL ESP SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN 0 NC
Germany Jochen Mass 11 7 Ret Ret DNQ 11 9 13 13 NC Ret DNQ DNQ PO
France Jean-Pierre Jarier 12 DNS 8 11 DNQ DNQ
Italy Alberto Colombo DNQ DNQ
Finland Keke Rosberg 15 16 Ret Ret NC
Austria Hans Binder DNQ
Netherlands Michael Bleekemolen DNQ DNQ Ret DNQ
Austria Harald Ertl DNQ
1979 D2
D3 		Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G ARG BRA RSA USW ESP BEL MON FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN USA 2 11th
Germany Hans-Joachim Stuck DNQ Ret Ret DSQ 14 8 Ret DNS DNQ Ret Ret Ret 11 Ret 5
1980 D3
D4 		Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G ARG BRA RSA USW BEL MON FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN USA 0 NC
Switzerland Marc Surer Ret 7 DNS Ret Ret 12 12 10 Ret DNQ 8
Netherlands Jan Lammers DNQ DNQ DNQ Ret 12 NC
Austria Harald Ertl DNQ
1981 D4
HGS1 		Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 M
A 		USW BRA ARG SMR BEL MON ESP FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN CPL 1 13th
Netherlands Jan Lammers Ret DNQ 12 DNQ
Sweden Slim Borgudd 13 DNQ DNPQ DNQ DNQ 6 Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret DNQ
1982 D5 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 A
M 		RSA BRA USW SMR BEL MON DET CAN NED GBR FRA GER AUT SUI ITA CPL 4 11th
Germany Manfred Winkelhock 10 5 Ret DSQ Ret Ret Ret DNQ 12 DNQ 11 Ret Ret Ret DNQ NC
Chile Eliseo Salazar 9 Ret Ret 5 Ret Ret Ret Ret 13 DNQ Ret Ret DNQ 14 9 DNQ
1983 D6 BMW M12/13 1.5 L4 t G BRA USW FRA SMR MON BEL DET CAN GBR GER AUT NED ITA EUR RSA 0 NC
Germany Manfred Winkelhock 15 Ret Ret 11 Ret Ret Ret 9 Ret DNQ Ret DSQ Ret 8 Ret
1984 D7 BMW M12/13 1.5 L4 t P BRA RSA BEL SMR FRA MON CAN DET DAL GBR GER AUT NED ITA EUR POR 0 NC
Germany Manfred Winkelhock EX Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 8 Ret 8 Ret Ret DNS Ret DNS
Austria Gerhard Berger 12 6† Ret 13

* Started illegally, having failed to qualify.
† Ineligible for points.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Cooper, Adam (January 1998). "Wheel nut". Motor Sport. p. 57.
  2. ^ Roebuck, Nigel (2 July 2012). "Grand Prix Gold: 1979 British GP". autosport.com.
  3. ^ Daily Express page 40 Saturday 18 March 1978
  4. ^ a b c d Hodges, David (1990). A-Z of Formula Racing Cars. Bideford, UK: Bay View Books. p. 279. ISBN 1870979168.
  5. ^ Brown, Allen. "ATS D3 car-by-car histories". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  6. ^ Brown, Allen. "ATS D4 car-by-car histories". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 24 September 2017.

External links[edit]

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