In 1978, Walter Wolf Racing participated in the World Championship with a single car entrusted to South African driver Jody Scheckter, the runner-up in the 1977 championship. The season began with the same car that had impressed the previous year, the WR4 chassis, following the typical numbering system of British teams. After a challenging start to the season, Scheckter found himself leading the South African Grand Prix at the Kyalami circuit before being forced to retire. The only positive result in the first part of the championship came in Monaco, where the South African secured a third-place finish, capitalizing on the numerous retirements of more competitive cars.
 |
| WOLF WR5, Jody Scheckter Jarama, Spanish GP 1978 |
However, the WR4, derived from a design by Harvey Postlethwaite from several years earlier, struggled to compete against the modern ground-effect cars. For this reason, at the beginning of 1978, the team developed a new chassis, the WR5, designed to better exploit ground-effect aerodynamics. Postlethwaite drew inspiration from the Lotus 78, a common practice at the time, but introduced a distinctive feature: a central radiator positioned in front of the cockpit rather than in the nose, a choice that proved ineffective both aesthetically and aerodynamically.
 |
| WOLF WR5, Jody Scheckter Monza, Italian GP 1978 |
The WR5 featured a triangular nose with a full-width wing, while its long, squared sidepods followed the typical wing-car design of the era. The bodywork ended just ahead of the rear axle, leaving the 2997 cc Ford Cosworth DFV V8 engine exposed, along with the gearbox-suspension assembly paired with the six-speed Hewland FGA 400 gearbox. The new car made its debut during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend when Scheckter tested it in the early practice sessions but opted to revert to the WR4 for the race, considering it more reliable.
 |
| WOLF WR5, Jody Scheckter Brands Hatch, British GP 1978 |
From the following race in Belgium, the WR5 was used consistently, and despite various difficulties, Scheckter still managed to secure two second-place finishes and a third-place finish in the remainder of the season. This allowed the Reading-based team to finish fifth in the constructors' championship with 24 points. The South African’s strong performances earned him a contract with Ferrari for the 1979 season, where he would go on to win the world title.
 |
| WOLF WR5, Bobby Rahal Watkins Glen, USA East GP 1978 |
For the final two races of the season, Wolf also fielded a second car for Bobby Rahal. However, the American driver struggled to adapt to the competitiveness of Formula 1 compared to the IndyCar series and failed to achieve any notable results.
Comments
Post a Comment