Spirit Racing
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2009) |
Base | |
---|---|
Constructors' Championships | 0 |
Drivers' Championships | 0 |
Race victories | 0 (best finish: 7th, 1983 Dutch Grand Prix) |
Podiums | 0 |
Points | 0 |
Pole positions | 0 (best grid position: 13th, 1983 German Grand Prix) |
Fastest laps | 0 |
Final entry | 1985 San Marino Grand Prix |
Spirit Racing was a racing car constructor and racing team from the United Kingdom. Founded in 1981, it participated in the
Formula Two
Spirit Racing was founded in August 1981 by ex-
Formula One
Before the F2 championship was over, Honda had built prototypes for a turbocharged Formula One engine. After a dummy unit was sent to Spirit, the team modified one of its 201 chassis to meet F1 regulations, and began a testing programme with the new engine in November 1982 at Silverstone, with plans to join the F1 World Championship midway through the 1983 season. Honda were anxious to keep a low profile – much as they had been when they had first entered F1 two decades earlier – and so the team avoided testing at the same time as other F1 teams, while also taking its programme to Willow Springs and Riverside in California.[2] Then, when the decision was made to enter one car into the World Championship, Johansson was chosen as the driver – he was seen as a faded talent having made a disappointing F1 debut for Shadow in 1980, whereas Boutsen was seen as a star of the future.
After a further test at
The team then continued in the championship until the penultimate race of the season, the European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch. Johansson tended to qualify ahead of most of the naturally-aspirated cars, and finished seventh at Zandvoort, but mechanical problems continued to blight the car. In the meantime, the team was building its first purpose-designed F1 car, the 101, but at the same time, Honda were showing concern at the lack of progress and were being courted by Williams, who offered a record of success. Following a disastrous weekend for Spirit at Monza, where the 101 was presented but not driven and Johansson suffered another early retirement, the Japanese company decided to supply its engines to Williams only, and Spirit thus missed the final race of the season at Kyalami.[2]
Spirit decided to continue in 1984 with
The 101 chassis (having been progressively upgraded throughout 1984) was updated again for 1985 and Baldi continued to drive. Allen Berg had arranged a deal to take over the seat later in the season. Money was even tighter, however, and after three rounds Wickham decided to take up an offer from Toleman to buy out the team's tyre contract and folded the F1 outfit. Wickham initially promised to be back with a new car in 1986 but that never happened.
Formula 3000
Spirit briefly resurfaced in Formula 3000 in 1988, running Bertrand Gachot, Steve Kempton and Paolo Barilla with some success, but co-founder Wickham left the outfit midway through the season and the team folded at the end of the year.
Formula Two results
(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)
Year | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | Driver(s) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1982 | Spirit 201 | Honda V6 | B | SIL | HOC | THR | NUR | MUG | VAL
|
PAU | SPA | HOC | DON | MAN | PER | MIS | |
Thierry Boutsen | 12 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 1 | Ret | 9 | 4 | 1 | 6 | ||||
Stefan Johansson | Ret | Ret | 14 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | Ret | 4 | 11 | Ret | 11 | 7 |
Complete Formula One results
(key)
Year | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Points | WCC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1983 | Spirit 201C
|
Honda RA163E V6t |
G | BRA | USW | FRA | SMR | MON | BEL | DET | CAN | GBR | GER | AUT | NED | ITA | EUR | RSA | 0 | NC | ||
Stefan Johansson | Ret | Ret | 12 | 7 | Ret | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
1984 | Spirit 101 | L4t
|
P | BRA | RSA | BEL | SMR | FRA | MON | CAN | DET | DAL | GBR | GER | AUT | NED | ITA | EUR | POR | 0 | NC | |
Mauro Baldi | Ret | 8 | Ret | 8 | Ret | DNQ | 8 | 15 | ||||||||||||||
Huub Rothengatter | NC | Ret | NC | 9 | NC | Ret | 8 | |||||||||||||||
Spirit 101C | Ford Cosworth DFV V8 |
DNQ | ||||||||||||||||||||
1985 | Spirit 101D | L4t
|
P | BRA | POR | SMR | MON | CAN | DET | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | NED | ITA | BEL | EUR | RSA | AUS | 0 | NC | |
Mauro Baldi | Ret | Ret | Ret |
References
- ^ "Constructors: Spirit Racing". Grandprix.com. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ a b Watkins, Gary (July 2005). "Independent Spirit". Motor Sport. London. Retrieved 18 June 2016.