Tyrrell 020

Tyrrell 020

Tyrrell 020
Constructor:	Tyrrell
Designer:	George Ryton
Predecessor:	Tyrrell 019
Successor:	Tyrrell 020B
Technical specifications
Chassis:	Monocoque
Engine:	Honda 3.5 V10
Wheelbase:	2940 mm
Weight:	517 kg
Tires:	Pirelli
Petrol:	Shell
statistics
Driver:	Stefano Modena Satoru Nakajima
First start:	1991 USA Grand Prix
Last start:	1991 Australian Grand Prix
Starts Victories Poles SR 32 - - -
World Cup points:	12
Podiums:	1
Leadership laps:	n / A
Status: 1991

The Tyrrell 020 was a Formula 1 racing car with which the Tyrrell Racing Team took part in the 1991 Formula 1 World Championship. With the 020 designed by George Ryton , Tyrrell turned away from conventional customer engines for the first time in its Formula 1 history: Unlike in previous years, the team now had an engine with factory support. The 020 was supposed to build on the powerful predecessor model , but it turned out to be problematic and did not meet expectations. The 020 was the conceptual basis for two other models that were launched in 1992 and 1993 with changing engines under the designations 020B and 020C .

background

The Tyrrell Racing Organization, founded by Ken Tyrrell in 1960 , took part in the Formula 1 World Championship from 1968 . After the team had won three drivers' and one constructor's titles with Jackie Stewart by 1973 , a sporting decline began, which resulted in an exclusion from the world championship in 1984 . After the end of the so-called turbo era, in which Tyrrell had only reluctantly and half-heartedly participated as a Renault customer team, and mediocre performance at the end of the 1980s, a renaissance of the team began in 1989 , in which the designer Harvey Postlethwaite played a key role. Postlethwaite relied on innovative design solutions, which in 1990 led to the Tyrrell 019 , which revolutionized the aerodynamics of Formula 1 cars with its so-called high nose. The 019 was considered one of the best cars of the 1990 season, but could not fully exploit its advantages due to the performance deficit of the Hart- tuned Cosworth DFR engine. For the 1991 season, team boss Ken Tyrrell managed to get a so-called works engine. Through a relationship with McLaren , which also included a collaboration in the sponsorship sector, Tyrrell was able to use Honda ten-cylinder engines in 1991 . These were the engines that McLaren had used with great success the previous year. McLaren gave up the use of ten-cylinder engines in 1991 and instead used exclusively newly designed twelve-cylinder engines from Honda.

The combination of Tyrrell's chassis and Honda's ten-cylinder engine raised high expectations; Ken Tyrrell, for example, spoke of regular victories. In fact, the season was disappointing. Observers attributed this to both the technical package of the 020 and the allegedly not very talented drivers. Both the reliability and the handiness of the car were deficient. Some described the 020 as disastrous. While the 019 was a remarkably effective car, the 020 was "just plain hideous". The unfulfilled expectations meant that Honda withdrew from the Tyrrell team as an engine supplier. A phase of changing engine partners began for Tyrrell.

technology

High front: so-called Concorde nose

Honda V10 engine

The Tyrrell 020 followed the design principles of the successful predecessor model 019 and was also externally similar. In motorsport literature, opinions differ on the extent to which the 020 was a new design. Some observers describe the 020 as a completely new car, others see it as simply a simple revision of the 019. Like its predecessor, the 020 had a raised nose, i.e. a tapered front end with separate wing elements suspended below it. This front section, also known as the Concorde Nose with reference to the aircraft of the same name, was introduced on the Tyrrell 019 in 1990 and was considered a revolutionary concept that was copied by every other racing team in the following years. The 020 also took over the single front shock absorber (“monoshock”) from the 019, which was obtained from Koni . Front and rear struts were provided.

The RA101E engine from Honda served as the drive. Unlike the year before - and unlike McLaren's new twelve-cylinder engine - the preparation and maintenance was not carried out by Honda itself, but by the Honda subsidiary Mugen . The RA101E was a V-type ten cylinder engine with a bank angle of 72 degrees. It was significantly heavier and larger than the Cosworth DFR used in the previous year. The dimensions of the engine required a change in the installation position, which, together with the higher weight, led to a lasting deterioration in the weight distribution. It was not as balanced as the 019, which had been exemplary in this regard, so that the driving behavior of the 020 was significantly worse. The power was transmitted through a manually shifted six-speed transmission that Tyrrell had designed itself using X-Trac parts.

Tyrrell, like Benetton and a few smaller teams, used tires from Pirelli , which in the 1991 season received the reputation of being superior to competing Goodyear tires in qualifying , but inferior in the race. Observers agreed that Pirelli was differentiating between customers and that the tire sets delivered to Tyrrell were not of the quality that Benetton received.

production

Eight type 020 chassis were built. The first chassis was completed in December 1990; One day before Christmas, Stefano Modena carried out the first functional test with him. Seven more chassis were built in the following nine months. The last of them had a modified suspension.

The most commonly used chassis was the 020/6, which was used in a total of eleven races. Chassis 020/8 was only launched once, chassis 020/1 and 020/4 were not used in any race.

The chassis were used during the year as follows:

Grand Prix	Tyrrell 020/1	Tyrrell 020/2	Tyrrell 020/3	Tyrrell 020/4	Tyrrell 020/5	Tyrrell 020/6	Tyrrell 020/7	Tyrrell 020/8
United States	Replacement car	Modena	Nakajima
Brazil	Replacement car	Modena	Nakajima
San Marino		Nakajima		Replacement car	Modena
Monaco		Nakajima		Replacement car	Modena
Canada				Replacement car	Modena	Nakajima
Mexico				Replacement car	Modena	Nakajima
France				Replacement car	Modena	Nakajima
Great Britain				Replacement car		Nakajima	Modena
Germany		Modena		Replacement car		Nakajima
Hungary				Replacement car	Modena	Nakajima
Belgium				Replacement car		Nakajima	Modena
Italy				Replacement car		Modena	Nakajima
Portugal				Replacement car		Modena	Nakajima
Spain				Replacement car		Modena	Nakajima
Japan				Replacement car		Nakajima		Modena
Australia		Replacement car	Modena		Nakajima

Painting and sponsorship

The 020 was painted black and white in 1991. In 1991 the German electrical appliance manufacturer Braun , Epson and Calbee were the main sponsors.

driver

Last Formula 1 year in the Tyrrell 020: Satoru Nakajima

Tyrrell appeared again in 1991 with Satoru Nakajima . His (renewed) commitment came at the request of the engine supplier, who was interested in employing a Japanese racing driver. Honda paid Nakajima's salary. Tyrrell's previous top driver Jean Alesi , who had been successful with the 019 in some races in 1990 and whom Ken Tyrrell thought was "a new Jackie Stewart", was no longer available in 1991. Alesi drove for Scuderia Ferrari this season . His departure, which was linked to an early termination of the contract, brought Tyrrell additional income in the form of a compensation payment from Ferrari. In Alesi's place, the second 020 was now driven by Stefano Modena , who at the beginning of his Formula 1 career had been regarded as the future world champion, but had only achieved few successes in the first few years.

Ken Tyrrell was repeatedly criticized for his driver choice in 1991. Nakajima was generally considered to be tired and not very committed. After the 1991 season he ended his active racing career, but stayed with Tyrrell as a sponsor for several more years. Modena was seen as ambitious but not very thoughtful. Observers thought he was a bad substitute for Alesi.

Races

The Tyrrell 020's best race result was Modena's runner-up in Canada , but the rest of the season was disappointing. Modena finished eighth with 10 points and Nakajima fifteenth with 2 points. Nakajima only crossed the finish line seven times and only achieved a point ranking once.

The drivers retired a few times in promising positions. In the Imola race, for example, Nakajima was fourth after 15 laps when he suffered a gearbox failure. In the same race Modena retired after 41 laps with engine failure; at this point he was in third place. The race was even more dramatic two weeks later in Monaco : Modena was second when his engine broke after 42 laps in the tunnel and he was eliminated again. Oil from this defect, which was distributed on the track, caused the Williams driver Riccardo Patrese , who was behind Modena, to drive into the gangs. Other races, however, were much worse when they reached the finish line. Modena and Nakajima in Mexico finished 12th and 13th, three laps behind the winner Patrese. With places 16 and 17 in Spain , this finish was repeated again later; Modena also crossed the finish line in Hockenheim as 13th and last driver, here four laps behind Nigel Mansell .

Further development

1992

→ Main article : Tyrrell 020B

For the 1992 season , the Tyrrell 020 was modified to the 020B model . The car received a better chassis balance and an Ilmor ten-cylinder V-engine with an aluminum block. A total of around seven kilograms were saved in total weight and the car still weighed 510 kilograms. Otherwise, Tyrrell was unable to develop the car for financial reasons, as a main sponsor was eliminated and no large donor could be found. Instead of Pirelli - Goodyear tires were used.

1993

→ Main article : Tyrrell 020C

In 1993 the 020B was only slightly modified and the name Tyrrell 020C followed . New was a V10 engine developed by Judd on behalf of Yamaha , but it turned out to be too weak and not very reliable. From the Grand Prix of Great Britain was Tyrrell 021 used.

Results

year	Team / chassis	engine	driver	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	10	11	12	13	14th	15th	16	Points	rank
1991	Tyrrell 020	Honda RA101-E V10		United States	BRA	SMR	MON	CAN	MEX	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	ESP	JPN	OUT	12	6th
			Satoru Nakajima	5	DNF	DNF	DNF	10	12	DNF	8th	DNF	15th	DNF	DNF	13	17th	DNF	DNF
			Stefano Modena	4th	DNF	DNF	DNF	2	11	DNF	7th	13	12	DNF	DNF	DNF	16	6th	10

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

literature

• Adriano Cimarosti: The century of racing , Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-613-01848-9
• Patrice Burchkalter, Jean-Francois Galeron: Tout sur la Formule 1 1991 . Surèsnes 1991, ISBN 2-87636-067-5 (French)
• Alan Henry: Auto Course 1991/92 . London 1992 (Hazleton Securities Ltd.), ISBN 0-905138-87-2
• David Hodges: A – Z of Grand Prix Cars 1906–2001 , 2001 (Crowood Press), ISBN 1-86126-339-2 (English)
• David Hodges: Racing Cars from A – Z after 1945 , Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-613-01477-7
• Achim Schlang: GRAND PRIX 1991 , Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, ISBN 3-613-01402-5

Web links

Commons : Tyrrell 020  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Patrice Burchkalter, Jean-Francois Galeron: Tout sur la Formule 1 1991 . Surèsnes 1991, ISBN 2-87636-067-5 , p. 30.
2. ^ ^{A b c d e f} Alan Henry: Auto Course 1991/92 . London 1992 (Hazleton Securities Ltd.), ISBN 0-905138-87-2 , p. 38.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d} David Hodges: A – Z of Grand Prix Cars 1906–2001 , 2001 (Crowood Press), ISBN 1-86126-339-2 , p. 222.
4. ^ David Hodges: Racing cars from A – Z after 1945 , Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-613-01477-7 , p. 255.
5. ↑ statsf1.com: Tyrrell 020 , August 16, 2014
6. ↑ The information relates to the stakes in the races. Other chassis were occasionally used in the training runs. According to Alan Henry: Auto Course 1991/92 . London 1992 (Hazleton Securities Ltd.), ISBN 0-905138-87-2 .
7. ↑ Motorsport aktuell, issues 48/1987, p. 8.
8. ↑ Patrice Burchkalter, Jean-Francois Galeron: Tout sur la Formule 1 1991 . Surèsnes 1991, ISBN 2-87636-067-5 , p. 34.
9. ↑ The best result up to 1991 was third place at the 1989 Monaco Grand Prix.
10. ^ GP San Marino 1991 - race result. In: motorsportarchiv.de. Archived from the original on June 22, 2008 ; accessed on December 13, 2018 . 
11. ^ GP Monaco 1991 - race result. In: motorsportarchiv.de. Archived from the original on June 22, 2008 ; accessed on December 13, 2018 . 
12. ↑ statsf1.com: Tyrrell 020B , August 16, 2014
13. ↑ statsf1.com: Tyrrell 020C , August 16, 2014