As the name suggests, the Brabham BT45B, used by Bernie Ecclestone’s team in the 1977 season, was a direct evolution of the BT45 (1976), refined under the expert hands of Gordon Murray.
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| BRABHAM BT45B, Carlos Pace Buenos Aires, Argentinian GP 1977 |
Built at Brabham’s Chessington facilities in Surrey, England, the car retained the 1976 aluminum monocoque chassis and was still powered by the Alfa Romeo 115.12 3.0L V12 boxer engine, producing 500 hp, paired with a six-speed Hewland/Brabham gearbox. The pull-rod double-wishbone suspension, with coil springs and anti-roll bars, was redesigned to address stability issues from the previous season, which stemmed from the large size and weight of the powerful Italian V12.
BRABHAM BT45B, John Watson
Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1977
The BT45B retained the snowplow-style nose air intakes but finalized the rear radiator placement, positioning them vertically ahead of the rear wheels, deep within the wide, flat side pods. After resolving the early reliability issues encountered in its first season with Alfa Romeo, the new Brabham was finally ready to compete at the front. The driver lineup for 1977, featuring experienced Brazilian Carlos Pace and young Northern Irishman John Watson, looked promising. The season started well, with Pace finishing 2nd in Argentina.
BRABHAM BT45B, Carlos Pace
Interlagos, Brazilian GP 1977
However, after two retirements in Brazil, Pace led the race in Kyalami (South Africa) for 13 laps before retiring, while Watson finished 6th. Tragically, after the South African Grand Prix, Carlos Pace was killed in a plane crash, leaving a huge void in the Brabham team. Watson, now lacking a strong teammate, struggled to adapt, failing to find confidence in the car and suffering from the BT45B’s reliability issues.
BRABHAM BT45B, John Watson
Kyalami, South African GP 1977
To replace Carlos Pace, Brabham signed German driver Hans-Joachim Stuck, who managed to finish on the podium twice (Germany and Austria). Meanwhile, Watson only scored twice—a 6th place in Sweden and a 2nd place in France. With 19 retirements and only 9 points-scoring finishes, Martini Racing Brabham ended the season 5th in the Constructors' Championship with 27 points, far below the team’s expectations, led by Bernie Ecclestone.
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