Brabham BT46B

Brabham- Alfa Romeo BT46B at the Goodwood Festival of Speed ​​2001

The Brabham BT46B is a Formula 1 racing car designed by the former British racing team Brabham .

History of origin

Niki Lauda won the only time the BT46B was used in Sweden

The dominance of the " ground effect cars " ( Lotus 78 ) developed by Lotus for the 1978 Formula 1 season was overwhelming, so that the competition was forced to act. The first cars launched by Brabham into the season, the BT45C and BT46A , were barely able to follow the Lotus. So developed Gordon Murray , chief designer at Brabham, the BT46B. Since the Alfa Romeo twelve -cylinder V-engine (Tipo 115-12) with a bank angle of 180 degrees was too wide for a ground-effect car, a completely new, revolutionary concept had to be developed. Murray copied parts of the Chaparral 2J , a sports car known as the "Sucker Car" from the US sports car scene. The fans mounted on the rear of the 2J sucked the air from the underbody and blew it out to the rear. This method created a low pressure under the vehicle, which was forced against the ground by the external air pressure, with higher engine speed resulting in a higher suction effect. In contrast to the 2J, however, the Brabham only had one propeller at the stern. As with the Lotus Ground Effect Car, side-mounted aprons ensured a sealed underbody. In order to register the car in accordance with the rules, the fan was officially part of the engine cooling system. The car was approved for the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix .

Use and prohibition

Already during training on the Scandinavian Raceway , the competition recognized what the concept of the so-called "fan car" was doing. The drivers who followed the BT46B complained about the debris and gravel thrown by the propeller. Despite these complaints, Brabham pilots Niki Lauda and John Watson were allowed to take off with the BT46B. At the end of qualifying, only Lotus driver Mario Andretti was faster than Lauda and Watson. Lauda won the race with a lead of almost 34 seconds over Arrows driver Riccardo Patrese ; Watson was eliminated after a spin. After the race, the resistance of the other teams became so great that Brabham team boss and FOCA board member Bernie Ecclestone was forced to withdraw the BT46B. A little later the car was officially declared illegal because the propeller was a "movable aerodynamic unit". Nothing changed in the result in Sweden. The BT46B's first outing was also the last in an official Formula 1 race. Further development of a Lotus propeller car based on the Lotus 79 was discontinued after the judgment.

Technical

The BT46B had a aluminum - monocoque kg and weighed empty 629th It was powered by a twelve-cylinder V-engine with 180 ° bank angle from Alfa Romeo.

Results

driver	No.	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	10	11	12	13	14th	15th	16	Points	rank
1978 Formula 1 season																		53	3.
N. Lauda	1								1
J. Watson	2								DNF

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

Web links

Commons : Brabham BT46B  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/bilder/50-jahre-autodelta-die-abteilung-attacke-von-alfa-romeo-7095236.html?fotoshow_item=30
2. ↑ ultimatecarpage.com: Chaparral 2J Chevrolet
3. ↑ motorsport-magazin.com: Brabham-Alfa BT46B - the vacuum cleaner
4. ↑ f1fanatic.co.uk: Banned! Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT46B 'Fan Car'
5. ↑ statsf1.com: Brabham BT46B