The 1995 season, which was completely negative in terms of sporting results for the Tyrrell team, had adverse effects that continued into 1996. The efforts made in 1994 by Ken Tyrrell, owner of the eponymous team based in Ockham, Surrey, to secure financial backing from major sponsors—most notably Mild Seven, Nokia, and Calbee, allowed the historic British team to hire two key technical figures: Technical Director Harvey Postlethwaite and designer Mike Gascoyne. However, these efforts were completely undermined by the poor results achieved during the 1995 Championship. In fact, only Mild Seven continued its partnership with the Tyrrell team in 1996, but to a lesser extent than in the past, while the other sponsors abandoned the team, leaving old Ken's pockets sadly empty.
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| TYRRELL 024, Ukyo Katayama Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1996 |
The arrival of a new sponsor, Korean Air, was certainly not enough to cover the ever-increasing costs of competing at a high level in mid-1990s Formula 1. As a result, Tyrrell was forced to entrust the design of the new Tyrrell 024 solely to Postlethwaite and Gascoyne, forgoing the expertise of aerodynamicist Jean-Claude Migeot, who, together with Postlethwaite, had created the first Formula 1 car with a raised nose back in 1991. Ironically, the most notable feature of the new 024 was in fact its raised nose, despite the car being developed with no particular innovations, simply evolving the design of the 1995 023.
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| TYRRELL 024, Mika Salo Monza, Italian GP 1996 |
Apart from the new chassis with the raised nose and the side panels protecting the driver’s head, mandatory from this season, the rest of the car remained practically unchanged from 1995. The suspension setup retained the push-rod configuration at both the front and rear, already used in the previous season after an unsuccessful attempt with the "Hydrolink" mechanical active suspension system owned by Fondmetal. The gearbox, a six-speed semi-automatic sequential with reverse gear, maintained the same features as in 1995 but was now mounted longitudinally instead of transversely, slightly increasing the car’s wheelbase. As for the engine, the 1996 Tyrrell cars continued to use the Yamaha OX11A V10. This new version of the Japanese engine, like all F1 Yamaha engines since 1993, derived from Judd, was a V10 with a 72° V-angle capable of delivering a maximum output of 690 hp at 13,800 rpm. It was significantly lighter than its predecessor, the OX10C, but like the Judd JV it was based on, it had very limited power and suffered from poor reliability. This often forced both 024s to retire due to engine-related issues.
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| TYRRELL 024, Mika Salo Estoril, Portuguese GP 1996 |
Besides the raised nose, which supported a full-width front wing via two pylons, the 024 also differed visually from the 023 in other ways: more recessed sidepods, a much more tapered rear end, and a longer, seemingly bulkier engine cover, an optical effect caused by the new lateral cockpit protections. For the first time in the history of the British team, the two 024s did not race with numbers 3 and 4. Nevertheless, the 1996 season once again saw the same two main drivers from 1995: Japanese driver Ukyo Katayama and Finnish driver Mika Salo. As in 1995, Salo was the only one to score points for the Tyrrell team.
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| TYRRELL 024, Mika Salo Imola, San Marino GP 1996 |
Salo's start to the season was even surprising, managing to score points in three of the first six races, a commendable result considering the car’s limited performance. The rest of Salo’s season was generally respectable, although the improving performance of rival cars increasingly relegated the Finn to midfield finishes. Meanwhile, his teammate Katayama delivered yet another underwhelming season, with very poor results and no fewer than nine retirements in sixteen starts. Salo’s 5 points allowed Ken Tyrrell’s team to finish eighth in the Constructors’ Championship, an outcome consistent with the team's results in recent seasons.
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