PENSKE PC1 Ford-Cosworth DFV

   Penske Racing was founded in 1969 by the American entrepreneur and motorsports enthusiast Roger Penske. After competing in several overseas races, in 1973, Penske purchased the facilities of the small race car manufacturer McRae Cars Ltd in Poole, United Kingdom. He hired Geoff Ferris as a design engineer and appointed Heinz Hofer, his manager in the American Can-Am series, as the head of the Formula 1 project. Completing the team, alongside the six mechanics already working at the McRae workshop, was engine expert Karl Kainhofer, who joined in mid-1974. By the end of the summer of 1974, the team unveiled its first single-seater, the Penske PC1. The car featured an aluminum monocoque chassis built around a Ford Cosworth DFV V8 engine and a Hewland FG 400 gearbox, with a wheelbase of 2540 mm and a weight of 582 kg.

PENSKE PC1, Mark Donohue
Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1975

   Its design bore a strong resemblance to the American Parnelli, with a very tapered and squared-off nose, wedge-shaped side pods, and radiators placed in front of the rear wheels, alongside the engine. The PC1 debuted in the last two races of 1974, but it was only in 1975 that Roger Penske entered his team for the full Championship season. The designated driver was American Mark Donohue, who struggled to achieve significant results with the PC1, except for a fifth-place finish in Sweden. By the French Grand Prix, the team had run out of spare parts for the PC1 and shifted its focus to developing a more competitive and high-performance car. As a result, from the following race onward, the team switched to a March 751, purchased from the British manufacturer.

PENSKE PC1, Mark Donohue
Paul Ricard, French GP 1975

   However, during the final practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix, Donohue suffered a serious accident that resulted in a severe concussion, leaving him unconscious. Tragically, his death was confirmed the following day. In response, Penske Racing withdrew from the next race, the Italian Grand Prix, returning for the United States Grand Prix with the newly developed Penske PC3, driven by Northern Irish driver John Watson.

PENSKE-MARCH 751, Mark Donohue
Nürburgring, German GP 1975

   During free practice, technical issues with the PC3 forced the team to revert to the PC1 for the race, where Watson managed to finish in ninth place. Ultimately, Donohue’s fifth-place finish in Sweden remained the only points-scoring result for Penske in 1975, securing the team 12th place in the Constructors' Championship.