WOLF WR1 Ford Cosworth DFV

   Thanks to the vast financial resources of oil magnate Walter Wolf, Canada could boast a successful team in Formula 1 history: Walter Wolf Racing. Although the team's headquarters were in Reading, England, it was considered a Canadian team in honor of its founder.

WOLF WR1, Jody Scheckter
Monza, Italian GP 1977 

   Wolf's journey in motorsport began with an unsuccessful attempt to enter Formula 1 through Lamborghini. In 1975, Wolf became the majority shareholder of Frank Williams Racing Cars, acquiring 60% of the team and renaming it Wolf-Williams Racing. The new team acquired the assets of the Hesketh 308C from Lord Alexander Hesketh, who was struggling financially, and assigned the design of the car to engineer Harvey Postlethwaite. The Wolf-Williams FW05, used in the 1976 season, failed to deliver satisfying results, leading to a split between Wolf and Williams. The latter was forced to start over from scratch, while Wolf retained control of the team, renaming it Walter Wolf Racing and continuing with Postlethwaite as the designer.

WOLF WR1, Jody Scheckter
Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1977

   The first car built by the new team was the Wolf WR1, designed well before the start of the 1977 season. It was an innovative and refined single-seater, with a compact and elegant design featuring a striking black and gold livery. The slender nose housed the front radiator, while the elongated side pods contained the lateral radiators positioned transversely to the engine. No dedicated air intakes were present, as the engine cover was completely open at the top. The WR1 featured an aluminum monocoque chassis and was powered by the classic three-liter Ford Cosworth DFV V8 engine, paired with a six-speed Hewland FGA400 gearbox. It had a wheelbase of 2612 mm and a weight of 585 kg. Over the course of the season, two identical cars were built, named WR2 and WR3, following the British tradition of assigning chassis numbers without changing the model name.

WOLF WR1, Jody Scheckter
Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1977

   The team entered the 1977 World Championship with a single car, entrusted to South African driver Jody Scheckter. In its debut race at the Argentine Grand Prix, the Wolf WR1 shocked the paddock by winning the race, a feat never before achieved by a debuting team. This record remained unbeaten until 2009, when Brawn GP replicated the achievement with Jenson Button. Postlethwaite's design proved to be highly competitive: throughout the 1977 season, Scheckter also won the Monaco and Canadian Grands Prix and secured six additional podium finishes.

WOLF WR1, Jody Scheckter
Monza, Italian GP 1977

   Thanks to these results, the South African driver finished the championship in second place behind Niki Lauda, while Walter Wolf Racing secured fourth place in the Constructors' Championship—an extraordinary achievement for a newly founded team. Wolf continued competing until 1979 but failed to replicate the success of its debut season. In 1980, the team was sold to Emerson Fittipaldi and merged into Fittipaldi Automotive, bringing an end to the Canadian squad’s adventure in Formula 1.