1978 marked the end of Lord Alexander Hesketh’s visionary project, which had brought glamour and lightheartedness to a world increasingly dominated by pragmatism and technology in the 1970s. If 1977 had already been a disastrous year, 1978 delivered the final blow to the British team.
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| HESKETH 308E, Divina Galica Jacarepaguà, Brazilian GP 1978 |
The car used was still the 308E, designed two seasons earlier by Nigel Stroud and Frank Dernie. Entered in the 1978 World Championship without any significant updates, the car featured an aluminum monocoque chassis and was powered by the Ford Cosworth DFV V8 engine, which served as a stressed member, paired with a five-speed Hewland FGA400 gearbox. The suspension, originally designed by Harvey Postlethwaite, still relied on a rubber damping system supplied by the Malaysian Rubber Production Association.
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| HESKETH 308E, Derek Daly Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1978 |
The technical characteristics of the 308E had become obsolete compared to the ground-effect cars, making it uncompetitive not only against the Lotus “wing-cars” but also in comparison to other mid-tier teams.
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| HESKETH 308E, Eddie Cheever Kyalami, South African GP 1978 |
Despite new sponsorship from Olympus, Hesketh entered only one car for the 1978 season, initially assigning it to former British Olympic skier Divina Galica. Galica failed to qualify for both South American Grands Prix, and from the third round in South Africa, the seat was handed to American Eddie Cheever, who managed to start the race but retired after just eight laps. In the following three races, British driver Derek Daly attempted to qualify but was unsuccessful.
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| HESKETH 308E, Eddie Cheever Kyalami, South African GP 1978 |
Faced with a lack of results and no prospects for improvement, team manager Tony Horsley decided to shut down all racing activities immediately. With 52 Grands Prix contested, 1 victory, 6 podiums, and a total of 48 points, Hesketh’s Formula 1 adventure came to an end, leaving an indelible mark on motorsport history.
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