Spirit 101
Spirit 101D
CategoryFormula One
ConstructorSpirit
Designer(s)Gordon Coppuck
Tim Wright
PredecessorSpirit 201C
Technical specifications[1][2][3][4]
ChassisAluminium alloy monocoque
Suspension (front)Double wishbones, coil springs
Suspension (rear)Double wishbones, coil springs
Engine1984-1985: Hart 415T, Straight 4, 1,459 cc (89.0 cu in), turbo, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted.
1984: Ford Cosworth DFV, 2,993 cc (182.6 cu in), V8 naturally aspirated, mid-mounted.
TransmissionHewland FGB 6-speed manual
Weight540 kg (1,190 lb)
FuelShell
TyresPirelli
Competition history
Notable entrantsSpirit Racing
Spirit Enterprises Ltd
Notable driversItaly Mauro Baldi
Netherlands Huub Rothengatter
Debut1984 Brazilian Grand Prix
RacesWinsPolesF/Laps
19000
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0
n.b. Unless otherwise stated, all data refer to
Formula One World Championship Grands Prix only.

The Spirit 101 was a Formula One car for the 1984 and 1985 Formula One seasons. The car was designed by Gordon Coppuck and Tim Wright.

Development

Spirit decided to continue in Formula One for 1984 with Hart turbocharged engines. Initially, twice world champion Emerson Fittipaldi and Italian Fulvio Ballabio were slated to drive, with funding from Ballabio's sponsors. However Fittipaldi left to find a drive in Indycars after finding the machine uncompetitive and Ballabio was refused an FIA Super Licence. Instead, Italian Mauro Baldi found funds and was nominated as the team's sole driver, Stefan Johansson being released as he could not find the funding to continue. The 101 was a neat but underpowered car and Baldi struggled to move away from the rear of the grid. Jean-Louis Schlesser had planned to take over from the third race before the threat of litigation from RAM Racing, as he still owed them money.

Racing History

1983

The first version of the car was presented largely incomplete at the Italian Grand Prix and didn't race during the season.

1984

In 1984 the first chassis was adapted to house the Hart 415T engine and become the "101B", with new sidepods. Later a new better build chassis was built and debuted at the 1984 San Marino Grand Prix, while the first was later newly modified as "101C" to adopt the Ford Cosworth DFV (third type of engine in few months), with the previous year side pods, and after the Detroit was refitted with Hart engines to be used as T-Car.

The 101B debuted at the 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix and Baldi retired with a broken distributor.[5] At the South Africa the Italian finished eighth.[6]

The Belgian Grand Prix saw Baldi retire with broken suspension[7] and at the San Marino the Italian finished eighth.[8] The French Grand Prix saw Baldi retire with engine failure.[9]

The Italian failed to qualify for the Monaco.[10]

Baldi was replaced by Dutchman Huub Rothengatter for the Canadian Grand Prix, who was fourteen laps down and was not classified.[11]

For Detroit the Hart Engine was replaced by the Ford Cosworth DFV but the Dutchman failed to qualify.[12] Rothengatter retired from the Dallas Grand Prix with a Fuel Leak,[13] At the British race the Dutchman was nine laps down and was not classified.[14] The German Grand Prix saw Rothengatter finish ninth.[15] At the Austrian race the Dutchman was twenty eight laps down and was not classified.[16]

Rothengatter retired from the Dutch Grand Prix with throttle problems,[17] and finished ninth at Italy.[18]

Baldi replaced Rothengatter for the final two races: the European Grand Prix saw Baldi finish eighth[19] and 15th in Portugal.[20]

The Spirit team had scored no World Championship points during the year.

1985

The 101-02 chassis (having been progressively upgraded throughout 1984) was updated into the Spirit 101D for 1985 and Baldi continued to drive. The first race of 1985 was the 1985 Brazilian Grand Prix and Baldi retired because a turbocharger broke,[21] The Italian spun off and retired at Portugal.[22] The San Marino Grand Prix saw Baldi retire because of an electrical fault.[23] Allen Berg had arranged a deal to take over the seat later in the season. Money was even tighter, however, and after three rounds John Wickham, the co-founder of Spirit, decided to take up an offer from Toleman to buy out the team's tyre contract and folded the F1 outfit.

The Spirit team had scored no World Championship points during the year.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrants Chassis Engines Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Points WCC
1984 Spirit Racing 101 Hart 415T S4 (t/c) P BRA RSA BEL SMR FRA MON CAN DET DAL GBR GER AUT NED ITA EUR POR 0 NC
Mauro Baldi Ret 8 Ret 8 Ret DNQ 8 15
Huub Rothengatter NC Ret NC 9 NC Ret 8
101C Ford Cosworth DFV V8 DNQ
1985 Spirit Enterprises Ltd 101D Hart 415T S4 (t/c) P BRA POR SMR MON CAN DET FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA BEL EUR RSA AUS 0 NC
Mauro Baldi Ret Ret Ret

References

  1. ↑ "Spirit 101". Stats F1. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "Spirit 101". Stats F1. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  3. ↑ "Spirit Ford/Hart". Jonathan Davies. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "Spirit Hart". Jonathan Davies. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  5. ↑ "Grand Prix results, Brazilian GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  6. ↑ "Grand Prix results, South African GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  7. ↑ "Grand Prix results, Belgian GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "Grand Prix results, San Marino GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  9. ↑ "Grand Prix results, French GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  10. ↑ "Grand Prix results, Monaco GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  11. ↑ "Grand Prix results, Canadian GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  12. ↑ "Grand Prix results, Detroit GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "Grand Prix results, Dallas GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  14. ↑ "Grand Prix results, British GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  15. ↑ "Grand Prix results, German GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  16. ↑ "Grand Prix results, Austrian GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  17. ↑ "Grand Prix results, Dutch GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  18. ↑ "Grand Prix results, Italian GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  19. ↑ "Grand Prix results, European GP 1984". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  20. ↑ "Grand Prix results, Portuguese GP 1984". grandprix.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  21. ↑ "Grand Prix results, Brazilian GP 1985". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  22. ↑ "Grand Prix results, Portuguese GP 1985". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  23. ↑ "Grand Prix results, San Marino GP 1985". grandprix.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
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