As was customary for Günter Schmid, owner of the Auto Technisches Spezialzubehör (ATS) team, the end of the 1981 season was marked by yet another split with the team’s current engineer. This time, Hervé Guilpin was accused of incompetence by Schmid and left the team, once again leaving the German squad without a technical lead. In his place, American Don Halliday was appointed to oversee the development of the single-seater already seen on track in 1981, which had not progressed since Guilpin’s departure.
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| ATS D5, Eliseo Salazar Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1982 |
Obviously, the HGS1 designation (with HG representing Guilpin's initials) could no longer be used, so the team reverted to its previous “D” naming convention, picking up where it had left off in 1980. The new car was thus named ATS D5 and, despite being a direct descendant of the HGS1, it was considered a model of its own due to the extensive redesign, particularly noticeable in its much more rounded bodywork.
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| ATS D5, Manfdred Winkelhock Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1982 |
The design followed that of a classic early-80s wing-car, with a relatively short and rounded nose, long and high side pods, and a generous air intake. A notable detail was the engine cover, which frequently changed shape during the season in search of better airflow to the engine/gearbox unit, which remained the traditional Ford-Cosworth DFV and Hewland FGA 400 combination. The chassis and suspension remained unchanged from the HGS1, with a wheelbase of 2718 mm and a weight of 585 kg.
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| ATS D5, Eliseo Salazar Österreichring, Austrian GP 1982 |
With the “D5,” ATS returned to regularly fielding two cars, despite lacking a true main sponsor. These were driven by German Manfred Winkelhock and Chilean Eliseo Salazar. The German car remained a second-tier competitor, and the two drivers collected only 4 points over the season, the result of two fifth-place finishes. Salazar was also involved in a bizarre incident with reigning World Champion Nelson Piquet during the German Grand Prix at Hockenheimring.
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| the fighting between Salazar and Piquet at German GP |
As Piquet, who was leading the race at the time, approached the new Ostkurve chicane to lap Salazar, the Chilean inexplicably braked late, lost control of his ATS, and struck Piquet’s Brabham-BMW, forcing both to retire. Piquet, after getting out of his car, attempted to assault the Chilean driver with a right hook worthy of a boxing champion.
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