Aurora AFX Formula 1 Series
The Aurora AFX Formula 1 Series , also known as the British Formula 1 Championship , was a monoposto racing series that ran from 1978 to 1982 with Formula 1 racing vehicles .
The series
The racing series got its name from the British Aurora Company, which was the main sponsor of the series from 1978 to 1980. The championship arose from the Group 8 Shell Sport Championship , which was initially driven with Formula 5000 racing cars , but in which Formula 1 and Formula 2 racing cars were also registered in 1976 and 1977 . From 1978 onwards, only Formula 1 and Formula 2 vehicles were used. For the most part, these were discarded vehicles from the World or European Championship, such as the McLaren M23 , the Ensign N180 , the Williams FW07 or the Lyncar 006 , which the Aurora teams acquired. However, individual models such as the March 781 , Chevron B41 or the BRM P230 only appeared in the Aurora series or were even specially developed for it.
The series attracted a lot of drivers; the starting fields were large, in 1978 a total of 38 pilots tried to qualify for the respective races. In 1980 there was a woman's only victory in a Formula 1 race; Desiré Wilson won the Brands Hatch race on April 7th . The 15-time motorcycle world champion Giacomo Agostini , who took part in a total of 22 races in the series with his team and a Williams FW06 in 1979 and 1980, attracted particular attention .
Most of the events were held on racetracks in Great Britain; The only exceptions were the races in Nogaro , Monza , Zolder and Zandvoort . The first overall winner in 1978 was Tony Trimmer in a McLaren M23. The last title in this series went to Jim Crawford in 1982 .
Overall winner
| year | series | master | vehicle | driven races | Pole positions |
Victories | Podiums | Fastest racing laps |
Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Shell Sport F1 Series |
 Tony Trimmer
|
McLaren M23 - Cosworth | 8/12 | 4th | 5 | 8th | 5 | 149 | |
| 1979 | Aurora F1 Series |
Rupert Keegan
|
Arrows A1 -Cosworth | 13/15 | 5 | 6th | 6th | 4th | 65 | |
| 1980 | Aurora F1 Series |
.svg){kind=small} Emilio de Villota
|
Williams FW07 -Cosworth | 12/12 | 6th | 5 | 9 | 4th | 85 | |
| 1981 | No championship | |||||||||
| 1982 | British F1 Series |
Jim Crawford
|
Ensign N180 -Cosworth | 4/5 | 3 | 3 | 3. | 4th | 34 | |
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Overview of Agostini's results in the Aurora series (accessed June 10, 2011).