Matra MS120
The Matra MS120 was a Formula 1 racing car from Matra . The first MS120 was built in 1970. The racing car was used in different configurations until the end of the 1972 season.
history
The year 1970 was a turning point for Matra. The distribution of the road vehicles was taken over by Simca and Simca 100% by Chrysler . With this takeover, the collaboration between Matra and Ken Tyrrell ended , which in 1969 brought both Matra and the Tyrrell Racing Organization two world titles.
development
In 1970 , Matra started again as a pure works team. The 8-cylinder Cosworth engine , which could no longer be used due to the association with Chrysler, was replaced by the in-house 12-cylinder engine. Jean-Luc Lagardère actually pursued the goal of building a racing car that consisted only of parts produced in France. The engine has been completely redesigned; Among other things, it got a new crankcase to act as a load-bearing part, and the cylinder heads were also improved. The engine now developed around 480 hp, but consumed more fuel than the DFV engine.
Bernard Boyer developed a completely new chassis. The car was angular and had a sloping body. Only the suspensions came from the MS80 . Jean-Pierre Beltoise drove the MS120 into the points five times in 1970 and was third in both Belgium and Italy . The second works driver, Henri Pescarolo, also drove the MS120 in Monaco to third place. At the end of the season, Matra reached sixth place in the constructors' championship.
In 1971 , New Zealander Chris Amon joined the team, who won a Formula 1 race in Argentina that was not part of the world championship at the beginning of the year . It was the only Formula 1 race that the fast man from Oceania could win in his career. Success was achieved with the MS120. The MS120B was available for the runs for the World Championship . The car had a more stable chassis, more rounded lines and a front wing (nose) over the entire width. However, the vehicle could not meet the high expectations. Amon finished third in Spain , but after the last race of the season, he was only seventh in the Constructors' Cup with nine points. At the Italian Grand Prix in Monza , Amon had the chance to win. The unlucky one lost his helmet visor while in the lead and fell back from the top group. While Peter Gethin was the first to cross the finish line in the tightest finish in Grand Prix history, Amon was only sixth.
Further development
The two MS120B were reworked and reworked into an MS120C in the 1972 Formula 1 season . At the same time, we were working flat out on the new racing car, the MS120D . Until it appeared, the now only works driver, Amon, switched back and forth between types "B" and "C". The MS120D made a brilliant debut at the French Grand Prix . Amon put the car on pole position during practice and led the race when a punctured tire forced him to pit. The New Zealander stormed through the field and finished third. Amon also started from pole position at Monza, but had to give up the race prematurely after an engine failure.
At the end of 1972, Matra ended its Formula 1 activities and concentrated entirely on the World Sports Car Championship . The V12 engines finally celebrated Grand Prix victories as a power unit in Ligier's racing cars in the 1970s .
literature
- José Rosinski: Matra. La Saga 1965-1982. ETAI, Boulogne 1997, ISBN 2-7268-8301-X .
