ZAKSPEED 841 Turbo

   Once he digested Ford’s backtrack, when in 1984 the company entrusted the design of its Formula 1 turbo engine to Cosworth rather than his own workshop, Erik Zakowski nevertheless decided to push forward with his project to bring his own team into Formula 1. This led to the development of the Zakspeed 841, the first fully German-built car to appear in Formula 1 since Porsche raced its “804” single-seater in 1962. From the engine to the chassis and all components, the single-seater from the fledgling German team based in Niederzissen, a small town in western Germany near Bonn, was entirely built in-house in Zakowski’s workshop.

ZAKSPEED 841, Jonathan Palmer
Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1985

   The project’s financial backing was supposed to come from West, but despite its good intentions, the tobacco sponsor was not able to fully cover the considerable expenses of such an ambitious endeavor. As a result, the funding was staggered over time, delaying the car’s debut to the 1985 season. The year 1984 was instead used solely for testing and refining the first version of the 841, with German driver Manfred Winkelhock behind the wheel.

ZAKSPEED 841, Jonathan Palmer
Paul Ricard, French GP 1985

   The car’s design was entrusted to British engineer Paul Brown, who created a car that was relatively pleasant to look at, although the squared-off sidepods felt very “old style” and the rear tapering was quite crude, with the bodywork stopping before the rear axle, leaving the suspension, gearbox, and engine fully exposed. The most interesting component was probably the “1500 L4” turbo engine, a 1495 cc unit developed in-house by Zakowski’s right-hand man, Norbert Kreyer. It was based on a Ford inline-4 block and credited with producing a hefty 850 horsepower.

ZAKSPEED 841, Christian Danner
Brands Hatch, European GP 1985

   The rest of the car, which had a wheelbase of 2820 mm and a weight of 565 kg, was fairly conventional: a carbon monocoque chassis, pull-rod suspension, and a five-speed gearbox developed by Zakspeed itself, based on a classic Hewland design. After nearly exhausting the budget provided by the sponsor and building two complete chassis, Zakowski decided to enter only one car for the 1985 season. He entrusted it to British driver Jonathan Palmer, choosing to compete in only the eleven European races to optimize travel costs. In the 1980s, it was common for second-tier drivers to race in multiple categories, but 1985 turned out to be an especially tragic year. Winkelhock died during the 1000 km of Mosport, and at the 1000 km of Spa-Francorchamps, Stefan Bellof also lost his life. Jonathan Palmer, the Zakspeed driver, was seriously injured, forcing an early end to his season.

ZAKSPEED 841, Christian Danner
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgian GP 1985

After skipping the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the Zakspeed team returned for the Belgian Grand Prix, held at Spa-Francorchamps, near home. The driver chosen to take the 841 to the track was young German Christian Danner, the reigning national Formula 3 champion, making his Formula 1 debut. Despite its turbo engine and Goodyear tires, the Zakspeed car proved both underperforming and fragile, suffering a long string of mechanical retirements throughout the season. The only time it made it to the checkered flag was at the Monaco Grand Prix, where Palmer finished eleventh.