Innovation is a vital aspect of Formula 1, with various technical advances over the years helping to propel certain teams and drivers to glory as well as gaining iconic status for their ingenuity.
In a new series on F1 TV – Boldest Innovations – Will Buxton and Sam Collins take a closer look at groundbreaking feats of engineering from the sport’s past, focusing on a different development in each episode and featuring contributions from some of the technical teams, experts and drivers behind these impressive cars.
WATCH: Tech Talk Retro – How some of the most iconic cars in F1 history changed the sport
Episode 1 (shown in the video above) explores the story of the famous Tyrrell P34, the six-wheeled car that exploited a loophole in the regulations – and incredibly went on to take a sole victory at the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix with Jody Scheckter.
Buxton and Collins hear more about the background of the unusual innovation and how it sparked a development race amongst the team’s rivals.
Next up in Episode 2 (shown in the video below) is active suspension. This bold feature was a key aspect of Nigel Mansell’s championship-winning Williams in 1992 – but did it really make the FW14B the most technologically advanced car ever?
Former Williams team members Paddy Lowe and Frank Dernie, as well as Mansell himself, reflect on the innovation as the episode breaks down the work that went on behind the scenes to get the car to the track.
