Unlike other teams of the era, which focused on assembling the chassis while purchasing engines and gearboxes from external suppliers, British Racing Motors (BRM), much like Ferrari, always designed and built its own engines, gearboxes, and chassis in-house. BRM's most successful period was the early 1960s, when the British team won a World Championship with Graham Hill in 1962. However, from the mid-1960s onward, performance and results declined significantly, leading to an economic crisis that affected the team in the early 1970s.
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| STANLEY-BRM P201, Bob Evans Paul Ricard, French GP 1975 |
In 1974, the British team officially withdrew from competition. For the 1975 season, Louis Stanley took over what remained of the old BRM and continued racing for the next two seasons under the name Stanley-BRM. The car used for the 1975 season was the old P201, designed by Mike Pilbeam, with only minor updates carried out by Pilbeam himself.
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| STANLEY-BRM P201, Bob Evans Kyalami, South African GP 1975 |
The car retained its aluminum monocoque chassis, which housed the BRM P242 engine, a 2998cc V12, paired with a BRM-built 5-speed gearbox. The P201 was relatively compact, with a wheelbase of 2591 mm and a weight of 586 kg, but its appearance was rather ungainly. It featured a snowplow-style front wing and two large side air intakes to cool the radiators, which were moved to the rear that season. Additionally, the large air scoop above the driver’s head contributed to the car’s bulky look, a necessity due to the high air demand of the British 12-cylinder engine.
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| STANLEY-BRM P201, Bob Evans Brands Hatch, Race of Champion 1975 |
Mid-season, the front wing was modified, replacing the cumbersome snowplow design with a more conventional wing. The car was initially entrusted to British driver Mike Wilds, but poor results in the early races led to his dismissal and replacement by fellow Briton Bob Evans. However, the driver change did not bring better results, with Evans' best finish being a ninth place at the Belgian Grand Prix.
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| STANLEY-BRM P201, Bob Evans Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1975 |
The 1975 season ended with zero points for Stanley-BRM. The team registered for the 1976 championship with the same BRM P201, updated to the "B" version and driven by Jan Ashley. However, after a disappointing season opener in Brazil, where Ashley retired on the second lap, the team decided to withdraw from competition due to severe financial difficulties.
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