After closing an excellent 1990 season with fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, what would remain the best result in the final years of Tyrrell's presence in Formula 1, the historic British team prepared to face 1991 with renewed spirit, primarily thanks to the semi-official supply of Honda RA101E V10 engines, which had been phased out by McLaren at the end of 1990. Thanks to the agreement reached in 1990 between Ken Tyrrell and Ron Dennis, the Japanese V10s were supplied exclusively to the storied team based in Ockham, Surrey. Although the engines still bore the Honda logo, their tuning was entrusted to the Japanese company Mugen Motorsport.
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| TYRRELL 020, Stefano Modena Spa-Francorchamps, Belgian GP 1991 |
Mugen was founded in 1973 by Hirotoshi Honda, son of Honda Motor Company founder Soichiro Honda, and Masao Kimura. From 1991 onwards, Mugen took charge of the development of Honda’s V10 engines without direct involvement from the parent company. The RA101E V10 engine was extensively revised by Mugen and, although it kept the Honda logo for 1991, it was renamed the Mugen MF351H from 1992. For the 1991 season, the innovative and above all competitive Tyrrell 019, used in 1990, was only slightly revised by Harvey Postlethwaite. That year, he was joined by George Ryton, who replaced Jean-Claude Migeot, who had returned to Ferrari. Like Postlethwaite and Migeot, Ryton had also worked previously with the Maranello-based team, albeit indirectly, having worked in John Barnard’s UK atelier during Barnard’s tenure as Ferrari's technical director.
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| TYRRELL 020, Stefano Modena Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1991 |
The new Tyrrell 020 retained the distinctive raised nose concept, now larger and featuring sharper, more angular lines that gave the car a more imposing and modern appearance. The rear of the car also featured slight modifications, mainly due to the need to install the new Honda V10 engine, which had significantly different size and volume requirements compared to the previous Ford-Cosworth V8, especially in terms of the cooling system. The suspension setup remained unchanged, continuing with the by-then standard pull-rod layout at both the front and rear. The gearbox was still a modified six-speed Hewland unit developed by Tyrrell’s own technicians. Despite the promising foundations, the new 020, entrusted once again to veteran Honda driver Satoru Nakajima and newcomer Stefano Modena (who replaced Jean Alesi), failed to live up to expectations. The installation of the new Honda V10 upset the delicate weight distribution balance that had existed with the Ford-Cosworth V8. After a couple of points finishes at the season opener in Phoenix, reliability quickly became the Achilles’ heel of the 020, which, despite strong performances, often failed to finish races.
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| TYRRELL 020, Stefano Modena Hungaroring, Hungarian GP 1991 |
Modena in particular delivered some impressive performances, retiring while running third at Imola, and in Monaco, after qualifying second, he managed to hold second place for 42 laps before yet another retirement. In Canada, the team finally found some satisfaction with Modena finishing second, in a race marked by the retirements of several front-runners. The poor performance of the Pirelli tires, soon to withdraw from Formula 1 and thus no longer motivated to develop new compounds, combined with a serious design flaw in the car, handicapped Ken Tyrrell’s machines. Even after partially resolving the weight distribution issue, the team was unable to keep up with the competition.
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| TYRRELL 020, Satoru Nakajima Hungaroring, Hungarian GP 1991 |
In the final part of the season, the 020 regained some competitiveness, but results remained below expectations. Modena managed to score points in just one more race, the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. At the end of the season, the 020 scored a total of 12 points, placing Tyrrell sixth in the Constructors’ Championship. Still, old Ken was left with regret for not having made the most of Postlethwaite and Migeot’s brilliant innovation, the raised nose, which paved the way for a design concept still in use to this day.
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