For the 1977 season, Tyrrell replaced South African driver Jody Scheckter with Swedish driver Ronnie Peterson while retaining Frenchman Patrick Depailler in the second car. Peterson’s arrival in the team created some challenges for Derek Gardner, the designer of the P34, as his height was significantly greater than that of the two previous drivers who had used the six-wheeled car. To address this issue, the engineer modified the monocoque structure, making it more robust to account for the increased stability provided by the four-wheel front end.
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| TYRRELL P34B, Patrick Depailler Interlagos, Brazilian GP 1977 |
The new car, which retained the same mechanical setup except for the newly introduced six-speed gearbox, was renamed the Tyrrell P34B. It featured a slightly updated aerodynamic design compared to the previous season's car, especially with wider sidepods. However, reinforcing the chassis and widening the sidepods came at a cost: the car now weighed 625 kg, 25 kg more than the previous version. This weight increase negatively affected the wear rate of the small front tires, which Goodyear had stopped developing, as well as the braking system and overall performance.
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| TYRRELL P34B, Ronnie Peterson Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1977 |
Throughout the season, the P34 failed to replicate its 1976 results, and the campaign was plagued by numerous retirements, mostly due to overheating issues with the front tires. Disappointed by the car's performance, Gardner resigned midway through the season. His replacement, Maurice Philippe, attempted to fix the problems by widening the front axle track to allow more airflow to the small front wheels, helping them cool down. However, this solution nullified Gardner’s initial efforts to create a sleek, aerodynamically efficient car.
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| TYRRELL P34B, Ronnie Peterson Monza, Italian GP 1977 |
Furthermore, widening the track resulted in an additional weight increase. In the final races of the season, the radiators were also repositioned inside the front snowplow-style wing to shift more weight forward for better handling. Despite all of Tyrrell’s efforts to restore competitiveness to the unique P34B, the desired results never materialized. The season ended with 27 points and a fifth-place finish in the Constructors' Championship, with the team reaching the podium only three times, all in third place.
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| TYRRELL P34B, Patrick Depailler Watkins Glen, USA East GP 1977 |
After this experience, Tyrrell abandoned the six-wheeled project for good, although other teams, including Lotus, March, and Williams, later explored similar concepts without ever bringing them to completion. Eventually, the FIA mandated a four-wheel-only rule, putting an end to any further six-wheel projects. Tyrrell later sold all P34-related materials to private collectors, keeping only Scheckter’s car, the only six-wheeled Formula 1 car ever to win a race.
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