Cooper T81
Jo Bonnier's Cooper T81, in the colours of his Anglo-Suisse Racing team
CategoryFormula One
ConstructorCooper Car Company
Designer(s)Derrick White
PredecessorCooper T77/Cooper T80
SuccessorCooper T86
Technical specifications
ChassisAluminium monocoque
Suspension (front)lower wishbones, upper rocker arms, inboard coil springs over dampers
Suspension (rear)top links, reversed lower wishbones, twin radius arms, coil springs over dampers
Axle trackF: 1,495 mm (58.9 in)
R: 1,455 mm (57.3 in)
Wheelbase2,490 mm (98.0 in)
EngineMaserati 2989cc V12 naturally aspirated Mid-engined, longitudinally mounted
TransmissionT81: ZF 5DS25
T81B: Hewland DG300 5-speed manual gearbox,
FuelBP
Tyres(Works team) Dunlop (1966),
Firestone (1966/7)
Competition history
Notable entrantsCooper Car Company, R.R.C. Walker Racing Team
Notable driversNew Zealand Chris Amon,
Sweden Jo Bonnier,
United States Richie Ginther,
Austria Jochen Rindt,
Mexico Pedro Rodríguez,
Switzerland Jo Siffert,
United Kingdom John Surtees,
Belgium Jacky Ickx
Debut1966 Syracuse Grand Prix
RacesWinsPolesF/Laps
21212
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0

The Cooper T81 is a Formula One car produced by the Cooper Car Company for the 1966 Formula One season. It represented something of a comeback for Cooper's fortunes, winning two races and enabling Cooper to finish third in the Constructors' Championship in 1966 and 1967.[1][2]

Development

The T81 was designed ahead of the 1966 World Championship season to operate within the new 3 litre engine regulations that came into effect that year. It would be powered by Maserati's Tipo 9 2.5-litre V12 engines which had been bored out to 3 litres. These were supplied by the Chipstead Group, Maserati's UK distributors, who had taken control of Cooper in April 1965.[3] Cooper had tested the engine in the interim T80 model.

In many ways the T81 was a typical example of its time, with a rear engine, front radiator, inboard front suspension and a monocoque chassis. In fact the car was Cooper's first monocoque chassis, although by this time such an arrangement had already become standard in Formula 1, having been pioneered by the Lotus 25 four years earlier. The T81 made its race debut in the 1966 Syracuse Grand Prix.[4]

Strenuous efforts were made to save weight for the 1967 season; this lighter car was dubbed the T81B.[5]

Race history

The T81 debuted at the non-championship 1966 Syracuse Grand Prix. The works team was not present but Rob Walker entered a car for Jo Siffert and Guy Ligier entered his own car. Siffert qualified third but retired with a broken universal joint, while Ligier qualified fifth and finished sixth and last.

The World Championship debut was at the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix. Jochen Rindt and Richie Ginther were the works drivers, qualifying in seventh and ninth position respectively. Both retired with mechanical problems. Guy Ligier and Jo Bonnier were also present and finished the race but were unclassified.

With up to three works entries, and three privateer cars, there were suggestions that Cooper were overstretching themselves and that as a result the preparation of the cars was suffering. However John Surtees, who had replaced Ginther after walking out on Ferrari, took the car's first win in the final race of the 1966 season in Mexico, and in turn Surtees's replacement, Pedro Rodríguez, won the very next race, the 1967 season opener in South Africa. The T81B variant was first raced by Rindt at the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix.

Cooper finished third in the Constructors' Championship in 1966 and 1967, their highest placing since 1962, but it would be their last flourish.

The T81's last race came at the start of the 1968 season in South Africa in the hands of privateers Jo Siffert and Jo Bonnier, as by this time the works team had moved on to the T86 chassis. As it happened, Cooper folded at the end of the 1968 season, making the T81 the last Cooper to win a World Championship Grand Prix.

In all the T81 (and T81B) was entered a total of 85 times in its 21 race lifespan, achieving 2 wins, 1 pole position, 6 podiums, and 23 points finishes, earning 74 points in total.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

Year Entrant Engine Tyres Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Points WCC
1966 Cooper Car Company Maserati V12 D MON BEL FRA GBR NED GER ITA USA MEX 30 (35) 3rd
Jochen Rindt Ret 2 4 5 Ret 3 4 2 Ret
Richie Ginther Ret 5
Chris Amon 8
John Surtees Ret Ret Ret 2 Ret 3 1
Moisés Solana Ret
R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Jo Siffert Ret Ret NC Ret Ret 4 Ret
Guy Ligier Guy Ligier NC NC NC 10 9 DNS
Anglo-Suisse Racing Team F Jo Bonnier NC Ret 7 Ret Ret NC 6
1967 Cooper Car Company Maserati V12 F RSA MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER CAN ITA USA MEX 28 3rd
Pedro Rodríguez 1 5 Ret 9 6 5 11 6
Jochen Rindt Ret Ret Ret 4 Ret Ret Ret
Alan Rees 9
Richard Attwood 10
Jacky Ickx 6
Rob Walker Racing Team Jo Siffert Ret Ret 10 7 4 Ret Ret DNS Ret 4 12
Joakim Bonnier Racing Team Jo Bonnier Ret Ret Ret 6 8 Ret 6 10
Guy Ligier Guy Ligier 10 NC
1968 Cooper Car Company Maserati V12 F RSA ESP MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER ITA CAN USA MEX 0 NC
Brian Redman Ret
Rob Walker Racing Team Jo Siffert 7
Joakim Bonnier Racing Team Jo Bonnier Ret

References

  1. ↑ "Stats F1 1966".
  2. ↑ "Stats F1 1967".
  3. ↑ "Cooper T81 Maserati". Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  4. ↑ "Cooper T81 history". Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  5. ↑ "Cooper T81B history". Retrieved 29 August 2022.
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