KAUHSEN WK01 e WK05 Ford-Cosworth DFV

   In the 1960s, Willibald “Willi” Kauhsen was a decent racing driver, competing primarily in sports cars for Porsche and Alfa Romeo. In 1971, he decided to retire from driving to become a team manager, founding the Willi Kauhsen Racing Team. Over the next decade, Kauhsen achieved significant success in various sports car competitions and Formula 2, where he fielded talented drivers such as Ingo Hoffmann, Klaus Ludwig, Vittorio Brambilla, and the young Alain Prost.

KAUHSEN WK01, Gianfranco Brancatelli
Paul Ricard, pre-season tests '79

   The team’s racing commitments also took them to Japan, where Kauhsen met Matsuhisa Kojima. With Kojima’s backing, who sought an operational base in Europe, the plan for Kauhsen's entry into Formula 1 was set in motion in 1978, supported financially by Toshiba. At the Suzuka circuit in late 1977, the Kojima KE009B, bearing the colors of the Willi Kauhsen Racing Team and strongly inspired by the Ferrari 312 T3, made its first runs. The Japanese car was entrusted to the promising Finnish driver Keke Rosberg. However, the severe accident during the 1977 Japanese Grand Prix, when Villeneuve’s Ferrari spun into the crowd, causing fatalities, sparked intense controversy in Japan, leading to the cancellation of the 1978 race.

KAUHSEN WK01, Gianfranco Brancatelli
Paul Ricard, pre-season tests '79

   As a consequence, Toshiba and Kojima withdrew their support, leaving Kauhsen entirely alone. Undeterred, but lacking an adequate infrastructure, Kauhsen tasked Hans Gerhard, Carl Cramer, and Eduard Jäger from Aachen University of Applied Sciences with conducting aerodynamic studies for a Formula 1 car. The team also hired aerodynamicist Klaus Kapitzka and designer Kurt Chabek, who, with just three mechanics, developed the new Kauhsen WK01. This car featured a highly unusual aerodynamic design, completely lacking a front wing and with a rear wing positioned in front of the rear axle. Niki Lauda famously remarked, “If this car works, then every other designer is an idiot.” Lauda's words proved accurate, as in FIA’s official tests at Paul Ricard, the WK01, driven by Italian Gianfranco Brancatelli, was difficult to handle and, most importantly, incredibly slow.

KAUHSEN WK05, Gianfranco Brancatelli
Jarama, Spanish GP 1979

   After modifications, two more prototypes, WK02 and WK03, were built, closely resembling the WK01 but with some adjustments to improve drivability. In January 1979, a new white livery, chosen by Patrick Nève's sponsor, adorned the car as it returned to Paul Ricard, still trailing by about five seconds compared to the slowest competitor. Nève and his sponsors immediately abandoned the project, prompting Kauhsen to revert to conventional solutions. The new WK04 chassis, completed in March 1979, featured a more traditional design, with the rear wing in its “natural” position behind the rear axle. However, due to its short wheelbase, the sidepod radiators were poorly positioned for effective ground effect utilization. To resolve this, one final chassis, the WK05, was built with a significantly longer wheelbase and an oil radiator integrated into the nose.

KAUHSEN WK05, Gianfranco Brancatelli
Zolder, GP del Belgio 1979

   From being a revolutionary concept, the Kauhsen became a conventional wing car. It was entered in two 1979 World Championship races, in Spain and Belgium, but failed to pre-qualify in both, trailing by around 10 seconds from the pole sitter. These were the team’s only two Formula 1 appearances. Afterward, Kauhsen shut down his operation, selling all assets to Arturo Merzario, who had driven for the team in the 1975 World Sportscar Championship, securing multiple victories.