There is little to say about the March 761 and the 1977 season of the team led by Max Mosley and Robin Herd. The two co-founders were already engaged in other projects: the former was involved in FOCA (Formula One Constructors' Association), which he would go on to lead alongside Ecclestone in 1978, while the latter was redirected, at BMW’s request, to the design of Formula 2 chassis.
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| MARCH 761, Alex Ribeiro Long Beach, USA West GP 1977 |
The March 761 that took to the track in 1977 was, in fact, the exact same car as the previous season, without a single update. It had the same monocoque chassis, the same Ford Cosworth DFV engine, the same five-speed Hewland DG400 gearbox, the same suspension, and the same braking system. Even the bodywork remained unchanged, featuring the distinctive snowplow-style front wing covering the front wheels, curved sidepods housing the radiators in a vertical longitudinal position relative to the car, and a small airbox behind the driver’s head, leaving the engine exposed. Despite these limitations, the British team managed to secure a couple of sponsors, Hollywood and Rothmans, which at least guaranteed the salaries of the drivers rotating through the official cars during the season. These included Brazilian Alex-Dias Ribeiro, South African Ian Scheckter, German Hans-Joachim Stuck, and Briton Brian Henton. However, none of them managed to achieve noteworthy results due to the car’s severe lack of competitiveness.
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| MARCH 761, Ian Scheckter Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1977 |
Ironically, it was precisely this lack of competitiveness that became the 761’s greatest virtue: its affordability made it appealing to small private teams. One such example was Chesterfield Racing, founded by American driver Brett Lunger using his family’s wealth, accumulated in the gunpowder trade, and sponsorship from tobacco company Liggett (with brands like Chesterfield, Lark, and L&M). The team entered 13 races, achieving a best finish of ninth place in the Netherlands.
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| MARCH 761, Arturo Merzario Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1977 |
Another privateer, RAM Racing, also used the 761, fielding several drivers, including Finnish Mikko Kozarowitsky, Briton Andy Sutcliffe, and Dutchmen Boy Hayje and Michael Bleekemolen. However, despite support from sponsor F&S Properties, results were even worse, as none of their drivers managed to make it past pre-qualifying. Italian Arturo Merzario, unable to secure a seat for 1977, purchased a 761 himself and, using his own financial resources without any sponsorship, established the Merzario Team. He entered eight Grand Prix events and consistently qualified for the race. Like Merzario and Lunger, Briton Brian Henton also chose to create his own team. After acquiring a 761, he founded the British Formula One Racing Team, which entered four Grand Prix races, though Henton never managed to qualify for a race.
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| WILLIAMS-MARCH 761, Patrick Néve Monza, Italian GP 1977 |
A different case was the Williams GP Engineering team. Revived by Frank Williams and Patrick Head from the remains of the previous Wolf-Williams outfit, the team entered the 1977 season with a modified March 761, rebranded as the Williams-March 761. The car was entrusted to young Belgian Patrick Nève, who participated in eight Grand Prix races, starting with the Spanish Grand Prix. Although the team failed to score points, its best result came at Monza, where Nève finished seventh. By that time, the car had undergone significant modifications by Patrick Head, who redesigned the nose and front suspension.
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