Protos (Formula 2)
Protos was a British racing car manufacturer of the Formula 2 .
In 1967 Protos manufactured a racing car for the Formula 2 class. The order came from the Ron Harris team, the inspiration for the construction from Brian Hart . The innovative designer Frank Costin worked at Protos , who dealt with the problems of aerodynamics in racing vehicles from an early age.
The design of the Protos was bold and unconventional. For the monocoque, Costin chose the composite construction made of plywood, which was reinforced by metal beams, but the lines were extremely aerodynamic. The full cladding of the cockpit with a plexiglass dome, which gave the vehicles their distinctive appearance, was eye-catching and innovative. The small FVA engine was carried by a sub-tubular frame. The front also had aerodynamic panels that stretched from the suspension to the characteristic windshield in front of the cockpit. The plywood monocoque was designed by Costin in such a way that it was designed like a safety cell, all technical components were only attached to each other. Pedro Rodríguez benefited from this construction method, which was unusual for the time, at the last round of the championship in Enna, Sicily, when, while in the lead, he was touched by the following Beltoise on Matra and the Protos crashed against a barrier, leaving the driver's cell intact and Rodriguez unharmed could get out.
However, the car was much too heavy and initially had too much ground clearance. In the 1967 season he was quite competitive (with Kurt Ahrens at the wheel, among others ). Mostly it was engine damage to the sensitive Cosworth FVA engine that led to the early retirement of the Protos. It was not enough to win a run for the Formula 2 European Championship. The best result was second place at the race in Hockenheim .
Drivers on Protos in the 1967 Formula 2 season and early 1968 were a number of world-class drivers at that time: Éric Offenstadt (F), Brian Hart (GB), Kurt Ahrens (D), Pedro Rodríguez (MEX) and Vic Elford (GB).
