As early as the 1978 season, Gordon Murray had begun working on developing the extractor fan concept seen on the rear of the Brabham BT46B. His idea was to double the fans while reducing their size to extract air from both Venturi channels. However, the FIA’s rejection of the BT46B immediately halted the development of what would have been the BT47. As a result, Brabham shifted to designing a more conventional car. However, to achieve the same level of downforce as the best wing cars of the era, the South African engineer needed a differently configured engine than the V12 Boxer Alfa Romeo that the team, owned by English manager Bernie Ecclestone, had used for the past two seasons.
 |
| BRABHAM BT48, Nelson Piquet Zandvoort, Dutch GP 1979 |
Alfa Romeo was thus involved in the development of a new engine, still a V12 but with a 120° architecture, featuring a much narrower crankcase to allow for the creation of lateral extractor tunnels essential for optimizing ground effect. Alfa Romeo thus returned to playing a central role in the design of the new Brabham BT48, which Gordon Murray, with David North as chief designer, developed around the new 2991cc Alfa Romeo 1260 V12 engine. The chassis was completely new, still an aluminum monocoque, while the car now had a wheelbase of 2743 mm, 150 mm longer than its predecessor, to accommodate longer sidepods.
 |
| BRABHAM BT48, Niki Lauda Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1979 |
Murray’s trademark sharp lines were evident in the aesthetics of the BT48, which featured a streamlined yet angular nose, massive sidepods, and a fully enclosed engine cover. The car had a striking appearance, especially due to its low and sleek profile. A notable feature was the front end, where the side wings on the nose were minimal and, in many races, not even installed due to the immense downforce generated by the large sidepods.
 |
| BRABHAM BT48, Nelson Piquet Zandvoort, Dutch GP 1979 |
Despite Murray’s sound design, the new Alfa Romeo engine suffered from persistent reliability issues throughout the season. As a result, the team’s two drivers, former World Champion Niki Lauda and rising Brazilian star Nelson Piquet, managed to score only 8 points in the 13 races in which the BT48 competed. After a season plagued by constant retirements, Niki Lauda arrived at the Canadian Grand Prix only to announce his immediate retirement from Formula 1, leaving Bernie Ecclestone in complete shock. Ecclestone was forced to sign Brazilian driver Ricardo Zunino within hours, Zunino had already traveled to Canada with his personal sponsor, seeking a seat for the following season.
 |
| BRABHAM BT48, Niki Lauda Jarama, Spanish GP 1979 |
Following Lauda’s departure, Brabham decided to abandon Alfa Romeo engines in favor of Ford-Cosworth DFV V8s. A modified chassis, designed to accommodate a resized fuel tank, was fitted with the Ford V8 and renamed the BT49. This new chassis introduced, for the first time, the use of honeycomb aluminum panels for the most stressed parts of the frame. The quality leap was immediate: in the final race of the season, Piquet qualified on the front row and set the fastest lap in the race, proving that Murray’s design had regained competitiveness, an excellent chassis and aerodynamics, but never supported by a reliable engine.
Comments
Post a Comment