Brabham BT52
Category | Formula One | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constructor | Brabham | ||||||||
Designer(s) | Gordon Murray (Technical Director) David North (Chief Designer) Paul Rosche (Chief Engine Designer (BMW)) | ||||||||
Predecessor | BT50 | ||||||||
Successor | BT53 | ||||||||
Technical specifications[1][2] | |||||||||
Notable drivers | 5. Nelson Piquet 6. Riccardo Patrese | ||||||||
Debut | 1983 Brazilian Grand Prix | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
Drivers' Championships | 1 (1983, Nelson Piquet) |
The Brabham BT52 was a Formula One car designed for the Brabham team by longtime Brabham designer Gordon Murray for the 1983 season. The car ran on Michelin tyres and was powered by the BMW M12/13 four-cylinder turbocharged engine, which in 1983 produced a maximum power of approximately 1,280 bhp (950 kW) in qualifying trim, detuned to around 850 bhp (630 kW) for the proper races. Its drivers were 1981 World Champion Nelson Piquet and Riccardo Patrese.[4]
History
After the
The car was easy to drive and Piquet used it to good effect that season. Fighting with
With Piquet winning his second World Drivers' Championship with 59 points, and Patrese finishing 9th on 13 points, Brabham finished third in the Constructors' Championship with 72 points, 7 behind second placed Renault and 17 behind winners Ferrari.
The BT52 was updated after the Canadian Grand Prix to the BT52B and proceeded to win three of the remaining seven races of the season. The two variants of the chassis can easily be distinguished as the colour scheme was also reversed at the same time. A further update came later in the season when Brabham adopted the Ferrari style 'winglets' on the rear wing in order to generate more downforce. The BT52 was replaced for the 1984 Formula One season by the Brabham BT53.[7]
Gallery
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Pts | WCC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1983 | S4 tc
|
BRA | USW | FRA | SMR | MON | BEL | DET | CAN | GBR | GER | AUT | NED | ITA | EUR | RSA | 72 | 3rd | |||
BT52 | Nelson Piquet | 1 | Ret | 2 | Ret | 2 | 4 | 4 | Ret | ||||||||||||
BT52B | 2 | 13 | 3 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||
BT52 | Riccardo Patrese | Ret | 10 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | ||||||||||||
BT52B | Ret | 3 | Ret | 9 | Ret | 7 | 1 |
References
- ^ "STATS F1 • Brabham BT52". Statsf1.com. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- ^ "STATS F1 • Brabham BT52B". Statsf1.com. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- ^ "Brabham F1 Racecars Weismann Transaxles • Brabham BT52B". weismann.net. Archived from the original on 7 April 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
- ^ Boeriu, Horatiu (24 January 2017). "Watch BMW Build The Most Powerful F1 Engine Ever - BT52 1,280 horsepower". BMW Blog. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ "TECH TUESDAY: The ground-breaking Brabham BT52". formula1.com. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ "1983 Brabham BT52 BMW - Images, Specifications and Information". Ultimatecarpage.com. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ "X-ray spec -- Brabham BT 52". Motor Sport Magazine. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2019.