The 1979 season marked the third year for Italian driver Arturo Merzario as a constructor. The campaign began with the slightly revised 1978 car, the A1B, which retained the old chassis derived from the March 761 that Merzario had used in 1977. For the start of the 1979 season, minor bodywork refinements were made to improve the car’s aesthetics, and the front suspension was updated. The livery also changed, now featuring a striking yellow-and-black color scheme.
 |
| MERZARIO A1B, Arturo Merzario Kyalami, South African GP 1979 |
In 1979, the A1B was the only Merzario car to qualify for races, managing to do so in two out of the four Grands Prix it was entered in, although it retired from both. When the championship returned to Europe, Merzario debuted the new "A2" model, a classic wing car that he personally designed with the help of his trusted mechanic, Simon Hadfield. This car was still based on the old March chassis and used a Ford Cosworth DFV V8 2993cc engine and a Hewland FGA 400 five-speed gearbox. It featured long side pods shaped to form Venturi channels, and the oil radiator was initially mounted in the center of the nose, although this was quickly replaced with a slimmer, more squared-off front end from the Belgian Grand Prix onward. At the Monaco Grand Prix, the car was driven by Gianfranco Brancatelli, but he failed to progress past pre-qualifying, setting a lap time a full eight seconds slower than the last driver to make the cut.
 |
| MERZARIO A2, Arturo Merzario Long Beach , USA West GP 1979 |
Changes were also made to the rear aerodynamics, with the rear wing no longer supported by a central pylon but instead mounted on extended side pods that continued beyond the rear axle. Despite Merzario’s tireless efforts, results were scarce. When the Italian constructor was offered all of the assets from the defunct Kauhsen team, he seized the opportunity. With the help of Guglielmo Bellasi, he acquired the cars and spare parts from the Willi Kauhsen Racing Team.
 |
| MERZARIO A4, Arturo Merzario Hockenheimring , Germani GP 1979 |
The cars were revised by Giampiero Dallara, who incorporated the suspension from the “A3” model and redesigned the bodywork to make it more compact. The new car was named the “A4,” but even this last-ditch attempt by Merzario ended in failure. Once again, the car was the slowest on the grid, consistently failing to qualify. The team’s final appearance in a Formula 1 race was at the 1979 United States Grand Prix East at Watkins Glen before withdrawing from the season’s last race and shutting down the operation entirely.
 |
| MERZARIO A4, Arturo Merzario Zandvoort, Dutch GP 1979 |
In three full seasons of Formula 1, Merzario’s cars managed to finish only one race, the 1977 Belgian Grand Prix. The team also made it to the end of the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp, but it was not classified, as it finished eight laps behind the winner.
Comments
Post a Comment