Hesketh 308
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The Hesketh 308 and its derived sister model the 308B are
The 308 replaced the ageing March 731 chassis that the team had been using since coming into Formula 1 the previous season, and was loosely based on the March design.
On its debut appearance at the 1974
This early success for the 308 was not repeated, and as the Grand Prix season progressed, the car proved itself to be quick but unreliable, failing several times with a variety of transmission breakages. Hunt also found himself eliminated in accidents with Tom Pryce, firstly in the Netherlands where Pryce collided with him at the first corner, and then two weeks later in France – although this time Pryce was forced into Hunt after he himself had been hit by Carlos Reutemann. Hesketh continued to steer the team towards greater levels of professionalism, and towards the end of the season, Ian Scheckter was entered in a second car for the Austrian race. Although, largely thanks to engine trouble, Scheckter failed to qualify, some within the team felt that running two cars would do much to improve the team's chances for the following season.[3]
For 1975 the 308 was updated to 308B specifications, with revised bodywork and repositioned oil radiators. The car was even more competitive and Hunt challenged for the victory in Argentina and Brazil before he broke his and the team's duck at the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix. It would be the team's only win however. He rounded off the season with several solid placings, which helped Hesketh finish fourth in the constructors' championship. The team folded at the end of the season as Hesketh could not afford to keep financing his unsponsored team, and Hunt moved to McLaren for 1976.
The 308 and 308B cars were sold to privateer teams who achieved little success. Perhaps the most famous post-Hunt Hesketh driver was Guy Edwards who arranged sponsorship with adult magazine Penthouse for 1976, which gained considerable exposure for the team. Edwards tried hard with the car, but did not score any points.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Entrants | Chassis | Engines | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Points | WCC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1974 | Hesketh Racing | 308 | NA
|
F | ARG | BRA | RSA | ESP | BEL | MON | SWE | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | ITA | CAN | USA | 15 | 6th | |
James Hunt | Ret | 10 | Ret | Ret | 3 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 3 | Ret | 4 | 3 | |||||||||
Ian Scheckter | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||||
1975 | Hesketh Racing | 308B | NA
|
G | ARG | BRA | RSA | ESP | MON | BEL | SWE | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | ITA | USA | 33 | 4th | ||
James Hunt | 2 | 6 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 1 | 2 | 4 | Ret | 2 | ||||||||||
Brett Lunger | 13 | 13 | Ret | |||||||||||||||||||
Custom Made Harry Stiller Racing | Alan Jones | Ret | Ret | Ret | 11 | |||||||||||||||||
Polar Caravans | Torsten Palm | DNQ | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||
Warsteiner Brewery
|
Harald Ertl | 8 | Ret | 9 |
References
- ^ a b Wood, John (March 1976). "Hesketh Type 308". Scale Models. Vol. 7, no. 78. Hemel Hempstead: Model & Allied Publications Ltd. pp. 118–121.
- ISBN 0-399-12026-2.
- ^ ISBN 0-914824-01-5.
- "Hesketh 308 STATS F1". Retrieved 2010-11-19.