BRM P15

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BRM P15

BRM P15
Constructor: United KingdomUnited Kingdom BRM
Designer: Peter Berthon
Eric Richter
Successor: BRM P30
B.RM P25
Technical specifications
Chassis: Ladder frame
Engine: BRM V16
Length: 4013 mm
Width: 1422 mm
Height: 889 mm
Wheelbase: 2642 mm
Weight: 736 kg
Tires: Dunlop
statistics
Driver: United KingdomUnited Kingdom Reg Parnell Peter Walker Ken Richardson Hans Stuck
United KingdomUnited Kingdom 
United KingdomUnited Kingdom 
GermanyGermany 
First start: 1951 British Grand Prix
Last start: 1951 British Grand Prix
Starts Victories Poles SR
2 - - -
World Cup points: 2
Podiums: -
Leadership laps: -
Status: end of season 1951
Template: Infobox racing car / maintenance / old parameters

The BRM P15 (alternative spelling: BRM P15 , occasionally also: Type 15 ) was the first Formula 1 racing car made by British Racing Motors (BRM) from Bourne ( Lincolnshire ), founded in 1947 . The car was created as a joint project with the support of numerous British companies and, as a British national project and World Beater, was intended to beat the Italian and French competition in Grand Prix racing. The development of the car was followed intensively by the press and with sometimes euphoric reports. The car, which is also simply called the BRM V16 in the literature because of its sophisticated sixteen-cylinder engine, did not meet the expectations of its designers and the public. The car had to be withdrawn several times before the start of a race, and some races failed under spectacular, sometimes humiliating circumstances. That is why the BRM P15 is considered one of the big flops in Formula 1 history. Its unsuccessfulness is ultimately considered to be the main reason why the 1952 and 1953 Automobile World Championships were not held with Formula 1 racing cars.

Origin and course of the project

Concept of collective development

Bourne, Lincolnshire: memorial stone for Raymond Mays, the initiator of the BRM P15

British Racing Motors was founded in 1947 by British racing driver Raymond Mays and engineer Peter Berthon . The idea behind this was to combine various British companies into a national motorsport project. Mays had headed the private British racing car manufacturer English Racing Automobiles (ERA) in the pre-war period and had also driven races for its works team. At that time, the English designs were inferior to those of the French, Italian and German manufacturers, who appeared as representatives of their nations and in any case received some state support. During the war, Mays came up with the idea of ​​building a British national team. After the end of the war, he promoted his ideas nationwide and received support from the British government. From 1947 onwards, numerous British companies also took part in the project. They included Rolls-Royce , English Steel and Lucas Industries . Some companies developed or produced components of the racing car free of charge, others provided contributions in kind. The Austin Motor Company's contribution was , for example, the provision of a racing truck. How many suppliers there were in total is unclear. Most sources put around 150 to 160 companies, Raymond Mays said 350 ten years after the project ended. The British Racing Motor Research Trust was set up to finance and monitor the project, and it also collected donations in cash and in kind from the population . In total, a budget of GBP 25,000 per year should have come together through crowdfunding , which is considered to be a minimal budget in view of the fact that BRM was equally responsible for the construction and the racing activities. Mays later claimed the trust had raised around £ 160,000 in total by the end of 1952. The enthusiasm of the British population for the project went so far that uninvolved privateers submitted construction proposals and offered to help with the search for errors.

Insignificance after rule change

The development and assembly of the car dragged on over several years. It took two and a half years for the P15 to be ready to drive. From 1950 the team took part in racing events. The P15 was unsuccessful in competitions in the class for which it was intended. In 1950 and 1951 he was only registered for individual Formula 1 races. Only one of them had world championship status, all other events were championship-free races.

The lack of success of the BRM P15 was one of the reasons why the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) hosted the automobile world championship, which had previously been advertised for Formula 1, in Formula 2 from 1952 . After Alfa Romeo withdrew from motorsport at the end of 1951, only Ferrari and BRM remained as Formula 1 designers for the 1952 season . When BRM did not take part in the first Formula 1 race in 1952, the FIA ​​assumed that only Ferrari would be factory represented in Formula 1 this year and feared an unattractive world championship. To prevent this from happening, she announced the automobile world championship in 1952 and 1953 for Formula 2, in which there was a broader base of designers. For BRM this meant that the P15, which had been designed for Formula 1, no longer played a role in the world championship. On the other hand, the company did not have a racing car that was suitable for taking part in the automobile world championship in the now decisive Formula 2. BRM then withdrew from the World Championship for two years and only contested side races in Great Britain, continental Europe and New Zealand with the P15.

After P15: Organizational new beginning

At the end of 1952 the British Racing Motors Research Trust was dissolved. The entrepreneur Alfred Owen , who with his Rubery Owen group had been one of the supporters of the project from the start, took over the team. In 1953, under Owen's direction, BRM further developed the P15 into the P30 , which was used in some non-world championship races from 1954. The BRM team, now operating as the Owen Racing Organization, only took part in the Formula 1 World Championship again with its own designs in 1956 , using the newly designed P25 , which is viewed as a simple design in every respect and thus the opposite of the P15.

construction

Chassis and body

Slim body: BRM P15
Larger front opening and additional cooling air inlets: BRM P15 (production model No. 1) in a late version

The chassis construction was considered simple and conceptually borrowed from the 1930s; Critics said the chassis of the P15 was “more a glimpse into the past than into the future.” The P15 had a simple tubular frame with two longitudinal bars with a diameter of 2.5 inches (approx. 64 millimeters) and several cross struts. Pipe brackets were attached to the side, which carried the body panels. The frame was made by Rubery Owen.

The front wheels were suspended from a crank-arm axle and provided with spindle steering , while there was a De-Dion axle at the rear . The innovative gas springs were supplied by Lockheed . There is evidence in British motorsport literature that Peter Berthon drew on features from pre-war Mercedes and Auto Union racing cars in designing the suspension . Up to 1951 the P15 was equipped with drum brakes on all four wheels , from 1952 disc brakes were used.

The body of the P15 was designed at Standard , a high-volume car manufacturer from Coventry . It had unusually straight lines for its time. It was revised several times, in particular because of persistent overheating problems, additional ventilation openings were soon cut into the engine cover, and from the summer of 1952 the initially oval front radiator opening was significantly larger.

There were two separate fuel tanks. The larger 25 gallon (113 liter) tank was located between the cockpit and engine above the driver's legs, while the smaller 15 gallon (68 liter) tank was located behind the driver's seat.

drive

In contrast to the chassis, the P15 drive, designed by Peter Berthon and Harry Mundy , was very complex. The engine was a sixteen-cylinder - V engine with a bank angle of 135 degrees and dry-sump lubrication . The block and cylinder heads were made of light metal. Conceptually, there were two eight-cylinder V-engines connected to one another on their respective rear sides. The tenfold bearing crankshaft was in two parts. Four cylinders with wet cylinder liners made of gray cast iron were combined under a cylinder head. The power was taken off in the middle, where the gear drive for the four overhead camshafts was also located. The displacement amounted to a total of 1496 cm³ (bore 49.53 mm, stroke 47.8 mm). Initially, gasoline injection was planned, but it was not implemented. Instead, two large SU carburettors prepared the mixture. There was an inlet and an outlet valve for each cylinder. The engine was charged with a two-stage centrifugal compressor supplied by Rolls-Royce. Its design was derived from the supercharger of the Rolls-Royce Merlin aero engine . It rotated at four times the crankshaft speed and was driven by the output shaft via a gear transmission. The ignition system came from Lucas Industries. There were a total of four ignition distributors for four cylinders each. The supply of the engine with mixture was problematic at times; The reason for this were incorrectly calculated valves.

The five-speed gearbox was installed transversely and sat behind the driver on the rear axle.

The information on engine power varies widely. The target was 600 bhp (447 kW) at 15,000 revolutions per minute; however, this value was undoubtedly never reached. At the factory, BRM claimed that the engine produced around 550 bhp (410 kW) in racing trim. This information has been adopted from many publications. The motorsport historian Mike Lawrence, on the other hand, cites internal works documents based on far lower performance data. After that, the engine actually only achieved 330 bhp (246 kW) in its first race. In its last development stage in 1953, the maximum output was 440 bhp (328 kW); this was about as much as the power of an uncharged Ferrari engine. Measurements by Rolls-Royce engineers from 1950 showed that the ancillary units swallowed a lot of power; the loss of performance was more than 50 percent. Another problem was that the maximum engine output was only available in a very narrow speed range, at least in the first few years.

Painting

In the first few years all P15s were painted a light green. In August 1952 the team changed the color to the darker shade of British Racing Green .

production

The completion of the first P15 took more than two years. A total of four vehicles were built, namely a prototype and the three production models “No. 1 "," No. 2 "and" No. 3 ".

  • The prototype was completed at the end of November 1949, six months after the first engine was completed. The prototype was only used in two test drives at the Folkingham military airport, which is close to the BRM plant, on November 29 and December 15, 1949, and in a demonstration lap at the 1950 British Grand Prix . The car still exists.
  • The production model No. 1 was ready for use in August 1950. The car was regularly used in races until September 1953. With him, the team scored their first victory at the Woodcote Cup in 1950 . His last race was the 1953 Hastings Trophy . This vehicle also still exists.
  • The production model No. 2 appeared in September 1950 and remained in use until April 1954. Ken Wharton damaged it badly in an accident at the 1954 Glover Trophy . The car was then scrapped.
  • The production model No. 3 was completed in August 1952. It debuted at the National Trophy with Reg Parnell and took a win there. Ken Wharton destroyed the car in May 1953 at the Albi Grand Prix . After the race, the car was dismantled. It formed the basis for the first copy of the P30.

The two surviving examples are now in the possession of museums. Vehicle # 1 is in the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu , the second in Tom Wheatcroft's Donington Grand Prix Collection at Donington Park Circuit .

Racing history

BRM P15 at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed
A competitor of the BRM: The British "Thin Wall Special" from Vandervell on a Ferrari basis, most recently with a 4.5 liter naturally aspirated engine

The races of the BRM P15 were disappointing. BRM failed to achieve the goal of being able to compete with Ferrari and other competitors in Formula 1 with the P15. The racing history of the P15 was characterized, especially in the first few years, by withdrawn reports and defects, which even by the standards of the time seemed bizarre and the entire project was in moved into the realm of amateurism. The car, which was intended as a World Beater , was only entered in a single Formula 1 World Championship race and in fact had no influence on the awarding of the title. From 1952 onwards there were repeated races and also victories - Raymond Mays spoke of a maturation process that had meanwhile been completed; the importance of these competitions was actually minor. These were races that all took place outside of the world championships, only went over short distances and were often purely amateur events. At that time, BRM was no longer based on Ferrari or Gordini, but primarily viewed the British Thin Wall Special as a competitor to be beaten. This orientation also had a personal dimension: Tony Vandervell , the initiator of the Thin Wall Special, had initially been a supporter of BRM, but withdrew from the project in 1949 after a lack of progress and was now involved with a gradually modified design based on Ferrari Grand Prix Sport.

1950: a sobering start

No world championship run

Initial planning was based on a debut of the BRM P15 at the British Grand Prix in 1950 , the first world championship round in Formula 1 history, which took place in Silverstone in May 1950 . At that time - three years after development began - the car was not yet ready for competition, so it was not entered for the race. Raymond Mays only drove a few demonstration laps before the start of the race, which was dominated by Alfa Romeo and Talbot , in the presence of members of the British royal family .

Humiliation at the International Trophy

Mocked in the BRM P15: Raymond Sommer

The first report came in August 1950 for the BRDC International Trophy , a Formula 1 race that did not have world championship status. The BRM works team registered two cars for Raymond Sommer and Raymond Mays. In the run-up to the race, both cars suffered engine damage during test drives, whereupon Raymond Mays urged the team to withdraw. Under pressure from the British Motor Racing Research Trust , whose members grew increasingly impatient, the mechanics repaired one of the vehicles overnight so that at least Raymond Sommer could start. In order to qualify, Sommer covered three laps in the run-up to the race, but drove at a greatly reduced speed in order to conserve the material. For the second run of the race he was assigned the last starting place. Immediately after the start, the drive shaft of Sommer's car broke, so that the BRM only moved a few centimeters on its own. The spectators then threw coins in Sommer's cockpit in mockery and alluding to the crowdfunding operated by BRM . The debut of the BRM P15 was seen as a humiliation by the team members. It reminded some observers of the failure of the painstakingly built French racing car CTA-Arsenal in its first race at the French Grand Prix in Lyon in 1947 .

Successes in side races at Goodwood

The works team was more successful a month later at the Goodwood Circuit , where the Woodcote Cup and then the Goodwood Trophy were held on the same day . Both events had nothing to do with the Formula 1 World Championship. The Woodcote Cup was a Formula Libre race, the Goodwood Trophy a Formula 1 race without world championship status. Reg Parnell started both races with the BRM P15. Parnell won the five-round Woodcote Cup in pouring rain and thus achieved the first success for the BRM project. The 12-lap Goodwood Trophy also went to Parnell, who won two races in one day. Observers put into perspective, however, that it only had to assert itself against "weak competition" and that the P15 only proved the car's ability to race for a total of 30 minutes, while its competitiveness over an entire Grand Prix distance, at least four times was so long that it was still open. In addition, strong wind and rain have accommodated the P15 in Goodwood, which is still prone to overheating.

Failure in Spain

The last race of the year was the 1950s edition of the Gran Premio de Penya Rhin at the Circuit de Pedralbes in Barcelona, without a championship . BRM registered two cars here for Reg Parnell and Peter Walker . In qualifying, Parnell set a best time that was seven seconds over Alberto Ascari's Ferrari . Both drivers retired after technical defects: the compressor on Parnell's car broke on lap three, and Walker's oil leak occurred in the transmission after 33 laps.

1951: just one race

1951 became a problematic year for BRM. In the winter months of 1950/51, work on the P15 had come to a complete standstill due to a lack of financial means - the engineer Tony Rudd, who was newly added to the team, retroactively referred to this phase as "BRM's hibernation" - so the racing team was basically not prepared for the new World Cup. Ultimately, BRM only contested one race with the P15 in the 1951 season. The team had registered the P15 for Prince Bira at the Swiss Grand Prix and the French Grand Prix before the start of the 1951 season , but did not take part in any of these races. The missions failed due to missing engines. BRM had carried out some test drives in Folkingham at the beginning of the year. Several engines were damaged. As a result, the team initially lacked the necessary spare parts for repairing or rebuilding engines.

Great Britain Grand Prix

The only competition BRM took part in in 1951 was the Great Britain Grand Prix . It was the P15's only world championship run. The use in this race followed great pressure from the public, who followed the BRM project increasingly critically and, fueled by the press, expected successes.

BRM registered two P15s for Reg Parnell and Peter Walker at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Due to technical problems none of the drivers could take part in qualifying; therefore they had to start the race from the back row. The now 40-year-old Parnell crossed the finish line, five laps behind the winner, in fifth place, the last place in the points. Walker was seventh, six laps behind. Both drivers suffered burns to their feet during the race because the exhaust was not properly insulated. During the race, both drivers avoided full throttle because their feet came too close to the hot exhaust when the accelerator was depressed. Parnell's average speed was 90.5 mph, about 6 mph lower than that of winner José Froilán González ( Ferrari ).

Failure in Monza

The team skipped the subsequent German Grand Prix . The British public was expecting an appearance by the BRM team for the Italian Grand Prix , in which the World Beater was to compete with its Italian competitors on their home track. BRM registered two cars for Reg Parnell and BRM test driver Ken Richardson , who was to replace Peter Walker, whose burns from the Silverstone race had not yet healed. Parnell and Richardson took part in qualifying in Monza and qualified for eighth (Parnell) and ten. However, Richardson did not receive the necessary starting permit from the responsible Royal Automobile Club (RAC). Although he had driven many test kilometers for BRM, he had no experience in an automobile race. BRM then gave his cockpit to Hans Stuck , who happened to be in Monza , who did a few test laps before the gearbox housing broke. After unsuccessful attempts to rebuild the transmission, BRM withdrew both vehicles before the start of the race. Team boss Mays feared that if the defect were repeated, parts flying around could injure spectators.

The team did not compete in the last World Championship run in Spain despite prior notification.

In addition, there was only one report in 1951 for a Formula 1 race without world championship status. BRM announced an appearance at the Goodwood Trophy in September 1951, but did not appear there.

1952: No finish in a Formula 1 race

In 1952, BRM did not take part in the automobile world championship because the P15 did not comply with the regulations of the now decisive Formula 2. In addition to the world championship races, there were 35 Formula 1 or Formula 2 races worldwide that did not have world championship status. In 1952, BRM limited itself to entering one or two P15s for four of these side races. There were also individual starts in Formula Libre races.

formula 1

No finish in the BRM: the reigning world champion Juan Manuel Fangio

At the beginning of the year, three copies of the P15 were announced for the Gran Premio Valentino in Turin , which Stirling Moss , Ken Wharton and the reigning Formula 1 world champion Juan Manuel Fangio would drive. In fact, the team didn't show up at all, because Fangio was to be tested in England instead. In retrospect, team boss Mays admitted that withdrawing from this race was a fatal wrong decision.

At the Albi Grand Prix in southern France on June 1, 1952, Fangio started for BRM for the first time. The second car was driven by José Froilán González . Fangio and González took the best spots amid a competition that consisted mostly of private Ferraris and older Talbot Lagos; During qualifying, Fangio also set a new lap record that was 11 seconds below the previous record. In the race, Fangio initially took the lead and González, who had started poorly, was second after three laps. However, none of them could finish the race. Both retired after engine defects caused by overheating.

Just a week later, BRM started with Fangio and Stirling Moss in the Ulster Trophy . This engagement in Northern Ireland, which was closely related to the race in the south of France, was due to political decisions: A member of the British Motor Racing Research Trust had assured the Northern Irish Prime Minister that the BRM team would appear. The engines damaged in Albi were replaced in a garage in Belfast before the race . The work lasted so long that both Fangio and Moss missed qualifying, so that they finally started from the back row on the Dundrod Circuit . Moss again retired after four laps due to an overheated engine, and Fangio had problems with the fuel supply, which caused him to give up before the end of the race.

At the Daily Mail International Trophy , which was held in early August 1952 on the Boreham Circuit in Essex in the south of England , the team was “humiliated” again: In the race in which Formula 1 and Formula 2 cars competed against each other , Froilán González retired right from the start after a driving mistake, and Ken Wharton, who drove second P15, suffered a gearbox damage after 58 laps.

Formula Libre racing

Winner for BRM in a side race: José Froilán González

The disappointing run in Boreham was followed by some engagements by the BRM team in Formula Libre races, which were mostly successful. In contrast to the Formula 1 races, these were mere short-distance races in which the reliability problems of the P15 did not have a lasting effect. Both of the team's cars initially failed in the BRDC Formula Libre Trophy at Silverstone due to technical defects. At Turnberry airfield, however, Reg Parnell won the Scottish Daily Express National Trophy against weak competition, and a month later Froilán González won the five-lap (12-mile) Woodcote Cup in Goodwood. On the same day, three BRM drivers took the first three places in the Daily Graphic Formula Libre race . In October 1952, Ken Wharton was in the Glasgow Daily Herald Formula Libre 1952 in two leading positions, but then dropped out after a driving error.

1953

In the 1953 season , the BRM works team outside of Great Britain only competed in the Albi Grand Prix , which was not part of the World Championship and for which Formula 1 and Formula 2 cars were equally approved. Fangio, Froilán González and Wharton were registered as works drivers. The Grand Prix d'Albi was held in two separate runs and a final final. Fangio won the second run, Wharton came second in the second run. All three BRM drivers made it to the final. Froilán González crossed the finish line second in the final, but his two teammates were eliminated. The brakes of Fangio's car failed on the 10th lap of the finals, Ken Wharton had a serious accident on the 12th lap when he went off the track at a speed of 140 mph and rolled over several times. His car was badly damaged and was not rebuilt later that year.

Apart from that, BRM started with the P15 in some British Formula Libre races. In April 1953 Ken Wharton won a companion race to the Glover Trophy , in June Fangio and Wharton finished a companion race to the British Grand Prix in second and third, with the competition consisting mainly of pre-war vehicles and Formula 2 cars. There were further victories for Wharton at the AMOC Trophy in Snetterton and the USA Invitation Race , which took place two hours later at the same location , also at the Newcastle Journal Trophy in the Scottish Charterhall and in October 1953 at the Hastings Trophy in Castle Combe . In his memoir, Raymond Mays emphasized that the P15 ran smoothly and reliably at the time. However, the Formula Libre races of 1953 were also poorly attended competitions that only went over short distances.

1954

The P15 made its final appearances in the first few months of 1954 before being replaced by the P30. BRM registered the car for Ken Wharton in January 1954 for the First Grand Prix of New Zealand , where he competed primarily against local drivers and older or less motorized cars, many of which were self-made. Wharton at times drove a car that was not fully functional because he was able to use the rear brakes alone after a defect in the front brakes in the second half of the race. After initial disagreements about the winner, Wharton was classified second. A month later he finished third in the Lady Wigram Trophy ; while he was five minutes behind the winner Peter Whitehead in the Ferrari. The last time the P15 appeared at two short Formula Libre races in Goodwood, which were carried out as a framework race for the Lavant Cup, which is advertised according to the current Formula 1 rules . The five and 25 lap races were known as the Glover Trophy and Chichester Cup . Wharton won both races in P15.

Further development: BRM P30

BRM P30

From 1954, the 1954 Automobile World Championship was again advertised for Formula 1, but followed a set of regulations that had changed compared to previous years. Under the leadership of the new owner Alfred Owen, BRM wanted to take part in Formula 1 again in the medium term, but at the beginning of the 1954 season did not have a car that complied with the new regulations. During this time, the team initially worked with the BRM P30, which was a further developed version of the P15 and is sometimes referred to as the P15 Mark II . The car was considered an interim model that should bridge the time until the presentation of a completely new Formula 1 car. With the P30, BRM wanted to gain initial experience with lighter, shorter racing cars outside of the world championship races.

There were no changes in drive technology, in particular the P30 took over the sixteen-cylinder V-engine of the P15. The wheelbase, however, was shorter (2311 mm) and the car was about 90 kg lighter than the P15. The P30 also had smaller tanks. Finally, there were changes to the suspension and the brakes.

The BRM P30 started in twelve Formula Libre races in 1954 and seven in 1955. The drivers were Ken Wharton, Ron Flockhart and Peter Collins . There were four wins in 1954, and two more the following year.

Reasons for failure

The BRM P15 is mostly viewed as a disappointing car. Juan Manuel Fangio is quoted as saying that the BRM P15 is "the most fantastic car that I have ever driven". But that remained a single praise. Stirling Moss, on the other hand, described the P15 as the worst racing car he had ever driven.

Most of the literature assumes that the BRM P15 was a failed project. Different reasons are given for the failure. In retrospect, Raymond Mays' concept of including as many specialist companies as possible in the BRM project is considered a failure. It did not lead to the hoped-for bundling of competencies; rather, there was a major weakness in this approach. Initially, the decentralized development and construction of the individual components by various independent companies hampered the progress of the project, because the production of free components for BRM was not a priority for the suppliers. The late delivery of a single part could set off a chain reaction. For example, the installation of the already finished coupling was delayed by several months because the necessary connecting pieces were not obtained from the manufacturer of the coupling, but from an independent supplier who had not yet completed these parts. There were also problems with coordination: each supplier built its components according to its own ideas. Problems of adapting to the parts of other manufacturers were often only inadequately solved and took a lot of time. In many cases there were also difficulties communicating between the suppliers involved. The BRM P15 is therefore often cited as an example of the fact that “many cooks spoil the broth”.

Another reason for failure is the complexity of the sixteen-cylinder engine, which the small BRM team was overwhelmed with.

Race results in the automobile world championship

season driver number 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th 8th Points
1951 Flag of Switzerland within 2to3.svg Flag of the United States (1912-1959) .svg Flag of Belgium (civil) .svg Flag of France.svg Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Flag of Germany.svg Flag of Italy.svg Flag of Spain (1945–1977) .svg 2
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Reg Parnell 6th 5
31 DNS
40 DNA
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Peter Walker 7th 7th
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Ken Richardson 32 DNS
GermanyGermany Hans Stuck DNS
Legend
colour abbreviation meaning
gold - victory
silver - 2nd place
bronze - 3rd place
green - Placement in the points
blue - Classified outside the point ranks
violet DNF Race not finished (did not finish)
NC not classified
red DNQ did not qualify
DNPQ failed in pre-qualification (did not pre-qualify)
black DSQ disqualified
White DNS not at the start (did not start)
WD withdrawn
Light Blue PO only participated in the training (practiced only)
TD Friday test driver
without DNP did not participate in the training (did not practice)
INJ injured or sick
EX excluded
DNA did not arrive
C. Race canceled
  no participation in the World Cup
other P / bold Pole position
SR / italic Fastest race lap
* not at the finish,
but counted due to the distance covered
() Streak results
underlined Leader in the overall standings

Technical specifications

BRM P15
Engine:  Sixteen-cylinder petrol engine, V-arrangement,
bank angle 135 degrees
Displacement:  1496 cm³
(bore 49.53 mm, stroke 47.8 mm)
Max. Power:  330 bhp (246 kW) - 550 bhp (410 kW)
Mixture preparation:  2 SU carburettors
Valves:  One intake and one exhaust valve per cylinder
Cooling:  Water cooling
Transmission:  Five-speed gearbox (manual transmission)
Suspension:  Front crank axle
De Dion rear axle
Brakes:  front and rear drum brakes
from 1952: front and rear disc brakes
Chassis:  Steel tubular frame
Body:  aluminum
Wheelbase:  2642 mm
Dimensions
(length × width × height): 		 4013 × 1422 × 889 mm
track 1321 mm (front)
1295 mm (rear)
Weight:  736 kg

literature

  • Adriano Cimarosti: The century of racing , Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-613-01848-9
  • David Hodges: A – Z of Grand Prix Cars 1906–2001. Crowood Press, 2001, ISBN 1-86126-339-2 .
  • David Hodges: Racing cars from A – Z after 1945. Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-613-01477-7 .
  • Mike Lawrence: Grand Prix Cars 1945-1965. Motor Racing Publications, 1998, ISBN 1-899870-39-3 .
  • Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962
  • Pierre Ménard: La Grande Encyclopédie de la Formule 1st 2nd edition. St. Sulpice 2000, ISBN 2-940125-45-7 .
  • Doug Nye: The Big Book of Formula 1 Racing Cars. The three-liter formula from 1966 . Publishing house Rudolf Müller, Cologne 1986, ISBN 3-481-29851-X .
  • Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 .
  • Colin Pitt: BRM Cars , Unique Motor Books, Basildon, ISBN 1-901977-41-2
  • NN: British sixteen cylinder racing engine. In: Automobiltechnische Zeitschrift. 56, No. 8, 1954, pp. 224-225.

Web links

Commons : BRM P15  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ In 1954 and 1955, BRM initially started with a purchased Maserati.
  2. ↑ This structure reflects the factory designations.
  3. ↑ The top three drivers Giuseppe Farina , Luigi Fagioli and Reg Parnell competed for the Alfa Romeo works team; they were the only drivers to complete all 70 laps. Yves Giraud-Cabantous (fourth place) drove a factory Talbot and Louis Rosier (fifth place) a privately used Talbot. Both Talbot drivers were two laps behind the leading trio, sixth-placed Bob Gerard three laps.
  4. ↑ In individual sources, the race is incorrectly referred to as the Spanish Grand Prix, for example on the BRM Association website (accessed on February 15, 2018). The first Spanish Grand Prix after World War II was held in 1951.
  5. ↑ Due to the lack of timing, the race management did not initially know who was the winner. Horace Gould, who drove a Cooper-Bristol, claimed after the finish line that he had completed one lap more than all the other drivers and was then initially classified as the winner. After consultation with the teams and with private timekeepers in the audience, this decision turned out to be incorrect. Gould ended up fourth and Wharton moved up to second. Cf. Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, p. 91.
  6. ↑ There are different information on this in the sources.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e David Hodges: A – Z of Grand Prix Cars 1906–2001. Crowood Press, 2001, ISBN 1-86126-339-2 , p. 45.
  2. ↑ So the name chosen by Raymond Mays, cf. Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, pp. 1 f.
  3. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 73.
  4. ↑ a b Heinz Prüller: Bang and Fall . In: auto motor und sport. Issue 6/1987, p. 266.
  5. ↑ Eberhard Reuss: Hitler's racing battles: The Silver Arrows under the Swastika , Aufbau-Verlag, 2006, ISBN 978-3-351-02625-7 , p. 20 ff.
  6. ↑ David Hodges: AZ of Grand Prix Cars 1906-2001. Crowood Press, 2001, ISBN 1-86126-339-2 , p. 27 for Auto Union and p. 171 for Mercedes-Benz.
  7. ↑ a b c W. Boddy: What I think about the BRM Australian Motor Sports, 1950. Quoted from Colin Pitt: BRM Cars , Unique Motor Books, Basildon, ISBN 1-901977-41-2 , p. 2.
  8. ^ Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, pp. 1 f.
  9. ^ A b Mike Lawrence: Grand Prix Cars 1945–1965. Motor Racing Publications, 1998, ISBN 1-899870-39-3 , p. 35.
  10. ^ A b Pierre Ménard: La Grande Encyclopédie de la Formule 1st 2nd edition. St. Sulpice 2000, ISBN 2-940125-45-7 , p. 195.
  11. ^ A b Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, p. 72.
  12. ↑ Adriano Cimarosti: The century of racing , motor book publisher Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-613-01848-9 , S. 132nd
  13. ↑ David Hodges: AZ of Grand Prix Cars 1906-2001. Crowood Press, 2001, ISBN 1-86126-339-2 , S: 48.
  14. ↑ a b c d e f g Quintin Cloud: The story of the BRM 'Type 15' V16. 8w.forix.com, October 17, 2000, accessed January 8, 2018 .
  15. ↑ a b c d e N.N .: Design for a purpose. A detailed study of the BRM Autocar 1951. Quoted from Colin Pitt: BRM Cars , Unique Motor Books, Basildon, ISBN 1-901977-41-2 , p. 7 ff.
  16. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon, 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 147.
  17. ↑ Description of the BRM P15 and an illustration of an early version on the website www.jenpromuze.cz (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  18. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960 . Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 163.
  19. ↑ a b c David Hodges: A – Z of Grand Prix Cars 1906–2001 , 2001 (Crowood Press), ISBN 1-86126-339-2 , p. 47.
  20. ↑ a b c Mike Lawrence: Grand Prix Cars 1945-1965. Motor Racing Publications, 1998, ISBN 1-899870-39-3 , p. 36.
  21. ↑ a b David Hodges: A – Z of Grand Prix Cars 1906–2001 , 2001 (Crowood Press), ISBN 1-86126-339-2 , p. 48.
  22. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon, 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 80.
  23. ↑ The details of the individual chassis are Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , pp. 418-420.
  24. ↑ Note on www.bournelocal.couk dated May 11, 2014 ( Memento of the original dated February 26, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed on February 26, 2018). @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bournelocal.co.uk
  25. ^ A b Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, p. 89.
  26. ↑ Mike Lawrence: Grand Prix Cars 1945-1965. Motor Racing Publications, 1998, ISBN 1-899870-39-3 , p. 252.
  27. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon, 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 81.
  28. ↑ Great Britain Grand Prix statistics on the www.motorsport-total.com website (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  29. ^ A b Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon, 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 85.
  30. ^ Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, p. 34.
  31. ^ Statistics of the BRDC International Trophy 1950 on the website www.formula2.net (archived version) (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  32. ^ Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, p. 35.
  33. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 96.
  34. ↑ Statistics of the Goodwood Trophy 1950 on the website www.formula2.net (archived version) (accessed February 15, 2018).
  35. ^ Report in the trade journal Motor Sport on October 1, 1950, quoted from Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 97.
  36. ^ Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, p. 40.
  37. ↑ Statistics of the Gran Premio do Penya Rhin 1950 on the website www.formula2.net (archived version) (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  38. ^ Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, p. 46.
  39. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 112.
  40. ^ Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, p. 48.
  41. ↑ Great Britain Grand Prix statistics on the www.motorsport-total.com website (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  42. ^ Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, p. 49.
  43. ^ Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, p. 51.
  44. ↑ Starting grid for the 1951 Italian Grand Prix on the website www.motorsport-total.com (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  45. ^ Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, p. 53.
  46. ↑ Mike Lawrence: Grand Prix Cars 1945-1965. Motor Racing Publications, 1998, ISBN 1-899870-39-3 , p. 38.
  47. ↑ Doug Nye: The Big Book of Formula 1 Racing Cars. The three-liter formula from 1966 . Verlagsgesellschaft Rudolf Müller, Cologne 1986, ISBN 3-481-29851-X , p. 127.
  48. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 149.
  49. ↑ Statistics of the Gran Premio Valentino 1952 on the website www.motorsportmagazine.com (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  50. ^ A b Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, pp. 69, 70.
  51. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 149.
  52. ^ Statistics of the Albi Grand Prix 1952 on the website www.motorsportmagazine.com (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  53. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 151.
  54. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , pp. 160 f.
  55. ↑ Statistics of the Ulster Trophy 1952 on the website www.motorsportmagazine.com (accessed February 15, 2018).
  56. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 167.
  57. ^ Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, p. 74.
  58. ↑ Statistics of the International Trophy 1952 (referred to there as Boreham F1 ) on the website www.motorsportmagazine.com (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  59. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 165.
  60. ↑ Statistics of the Scottish Daily Express National Trophy 1952 on the website www.oldracingcars.com (accessed on February 15, 2018)
  61. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , pp. 169-173.
  62. ↑ Results of the Formula Libre races in 1952 on the teamdan.com website (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  63. ↑ Statistics of the Grand Prix d'Albi 1953 on the website www.formula2.net (archived version) (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  64. ^ Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, p. 86.
  65. ↑ Overview of the Formula Libre races of 1953 on the website www.teamdan.com ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed February 15, 2018). @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.teamdan.com
  66. ↑ http://www.sergent.com.au/motor/1954.html Race report on the 1954 Grand Prix of New Zealand on the website www.sergent.com (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  67. ↑ Statistics of the Lady Wigram Trophy 1954 on the website www.sergent.com (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  68. ↑ Statistics of the Lavant Cup 1954 and the side races on the website www.formula2.net (archived version) (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  69. ^ Raymond Mays, Peter Roberts: BRM , Cassell & Company, London, 1962, p. 90.
  70. ↑ Statistics of the BRM missions on the website www.brmassociation.org (accessed on February 15, 2018).
  71. ↑ Anthony Carter: Motor Racing: The Pursuit of Victory 1930-1962 , Veloce Publishing, 2011, ISBN 978-1-84584-279-6 , p. 75.
  72. ↑ Quoted from Mike Lawrence: Grand Prix Cars 1945–1965. Motor Racing Publications, 1998, ISBN 1-899870-39-3 , p. 38.
  73. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon, 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 64.
  74. ^ Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon, 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 65.
  75. ↑ Mark Whitelock: 1½.litre Grand Prix Racing 1961-1965 - Low Power, High Tech. Veloce Publishing, 2006, ISBN 1-84584-016-X , p. 189.
  76. ↑ Source for the technical data: Doug Nye, Tony Rudd: BRM The Saga of British Racing Motors. Volume I: The Front Engined Cars 1945–1960. Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1994, ISBN 0-947981-37-3 , p. 431 f.
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