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Brabham BT33 - 1970 Season

Started by SJ Lambert , Sep 15 2015 08:55

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82 replies to this topic

#51 SJ Lambert

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Posted 05 June 2016 - 10:25

Stommelen's best race in Austria.

Edited by SJ Lambert, 24 December 2016 - 11:07.

#52 Simon Hadfield

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Posted 05 June 2016 - 18:44

It is interesting to compare the ride height of these cars today with that used in period....

Edited by Simon Hadfield, 05 June 2016 - 18:56.

#53 SJ Lambert

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 03:36

It's so nice to see the BT33 applauded like this. Jack's performances with it in that final season of his frontline career really were terrific. He always regretted listening to his wife, Betty, and to his Mum and Dad, who had all urged him not to push his luck any further after the deaths of Piers Courage and Bruce McLaren. He told me he reckoned he could have had another three or four years at, or near, the top. Don't forget his Formula 2 swan song as well that year - at Tulln-Langenlebarn - in which he was again leading on the very last lap when something went wrong, and robbed him of yet another win. It annoys me when his true skills as a driver are too often under-rated. He was quite a rough, tough, aggressive and unpredictable driver - but he was also genuinely quick...

DCN

Thanks Doug, doing this review has whetted my appetite for the Grand Prix cars of 1970 and beyond, so I've purchased a copy of the 1970 Autocourse (found one in Budapest!!) as well as a copy of your History of the GP Car 1966-85! I look forward to celebrating the achievements of designers and drivers from the spaceframe pre Cosworth era right on through (my current favourite is the early aluminium riveting period!!) !!

I for one am glad Sir Jack got through unscathed, he was after all our Antipodean Fangio!!

Edited by SJ Lambert, 06 June 2016 - 04:09.

#54 john aston

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 06:08

Lovely stuff - BT 33 a favourite of mine too;as a hillclimb marshal I saw Tony Griffiths 'BT33/3 may times. Lovely car - but the driver was profoundly disliked by startlne marshals for his antics (which resulted in him getting virtually no help from us ).

And wow- nothing from the copyright police ...

#55 eldougo

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 07:52

Lovely stuff - BT 33 a favourite of mine too;as a hillclimb marshal I saw Tony Griffiths 'BT33/3 may times. Lovely car - but the driver was profoundly disliked by startlne marshals for his antics (which resulted in him getting virtually no help from us ).

And wow- nothing from the copyright police ...

Tell us more John these are the stories most of the world missed.. :up:

#56 john aston

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 16:51

Tony Griffiths was a deeply unpleasant man from my perspective as an 18 year old marshal- and my view was shared by others on the team. Nearly all drivers of that era - Lane, Williamson, Thwaites , Good , McDowell et al were friendly, chatty and appreciative of our efforts. Back then we had to push start most big single seaters at the Harewood start area - they would arrive in batches. Once started ,most would do a burn out or two. . Griffiths would wave imperiously and look at us as though he had found us stuck to his shoe- and never a word, never any sign of thanks. Matters came to a head when we started his BT33 , he did his burn out and I was behind the car with another marshal to guide the car to the starting lights - as we had done hundreds of times before. Without any warning Griffiths put the car in reverse and floored it - we fell over getting out of the bloody idiot's way and were both angry and quite shaken up . No apology , no explanation, He never got any help from me again the b****d ...

And I thought reverse gears in Hewland boxed F1 cars were notoriously fragile anyway ?

#57 Ray Bell

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 20:27

More often hard to select reverse, I'd say...

He does sound like an objectionable type.

#58 StanBarrett2

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Posted 08 June 2016 - 19:27

Motoring News 15 Jan 1970 - the first chassis is set to go to Rolf Stommelen, with Jack to occupy the second fatter (more fuel) one.

Interesting to compare the info above with Eoin Young's piece from the April 1970 Road & Track

Both stories have the bit about BT33 being painted in the old MRD colours, but no scribe has ever told us the why's and what for reasons behind the change.

macoran

Edited by StanBarrett2, 08 June 2016 - 19:29.

#59 StanBarrett2

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Posted 08 June 2016 - 19:35

Nice one! - You've inspired me to grab a fistful of 1970 Autosports covering some the Grands Prix (and one from January that purportedly has BT33 coverage as well)....

So I have grabbed a stack of Road & Track from the period.

"Black" Jack in his typical style at Jarama 1970.

Road & Track cover issue August 1970

macoran

Edited by StanBarrett2, 08 June 2016 - 19:37.

#60 D28

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Posted 08 June 2016 - 20:36

Interesting column from Eoin Young mentioning the Matra deal for 1970; I always wondered why he drove for them at that stage in his career, now I know. His last major international win was actually in the Matra MS660 with Cevert at the 1000 km Paris Oct 18 1970. A week later at Mexico he announced his retirement, though he did do a couple of more races in the 1980s.

#61 Charlieman

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 19:10

I like the Motoring News 15 Jan 1970 story: "Note the water pipes running along the outside of the car." Perhaps it is better to heat the fuel tanks a smidge rather than to roast the driver.

I wonder about those ducts over the front suspension which appeared later in the season. Air coming across the front wing -- at a very high inclination -- would be very turbulent. Had they found a clever result of turbulence?

#62 StanBarrett2

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 20:44

I like the Motoring News 15 Jan 1970 story: "Note the water pipes running along the outside of the car." Perhaps it is better to heat the fuel tanks a smidge rather than to roast the driver.

I wonder about those ducts over the front suspension which appeared later in the season. Air coming across the front wing -- at a very high inclination -- would be very turbulent. Had they found a clever result of turbulence?

Can you link me to a photo of said ducts ?? I can't recall any, and can't find pics of them in my library .

macoran

#63 Charlieman

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 20:53

Can you link me to a photo of said ducts ?? I can't recall any, and can't find pics of them in my library .

macoran

Look above to the Autosport and Road & Track cover photos.

#64 StanBarrett2

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 21:40

I don't really think they are ducts, rather the (in the shade) part of the monocoque.

The nosecone ends in such a way (red line) that it would appear to be an aperture behind it.

This photo, also Spanish GP, with more of a top view may show it better.

Sketch of the monocoque...I think you are looking at the arrowed (green) part.

my thoughts anyway

macoran

#65 Charlieman

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 22:37

You are probably right about ducts, Stan.

I think that the front wing in the second photo is close to stalling.

And that the pseudo aero ducting for the radiator is total cobblers. You can't move air without a cost.

#66 SJ Lambert

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 04:39

I didn't have the MN covering USGP, have now got a copy so may fire up again with a bit more material in the next few days........

#67 charles r

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 08:54

Just finishing Mark Hughes' excellent F1 Retro 1970, which gives a great perspective on that traumatic season and also highlights what truly bad luck Jack had that year. He was still at the peak of his powers at 44.

Interesting too, how close Rindt had come to re-signing for Brabham, apparently he had a verbal agreement, which Jack rued not holding him to.

It also points the finger at another culprit, apart from RD, for the Brands debacle... Nick Goozee

There is also a detailed analysis of all the cars, including the beautiful BT33.

Highly recommended if you are a fan of that era.

(It prompted me to search out Ted Simon's, A Chequerd Year, a mere £201.34p on Amazon)...!

#68 GreenMachine

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 09:21

Brabham%201970-M.jpg

The Brabham/Nye 'The Jack Brabham Story' (2004)

#69 Tim Murray

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 10:31

These earlier threads may be of interest:

Brabham and the British GP 1970

Brands Hatch 18th July 1970

The first includes this post:

From the Sep '03 F1 Racing: "At the 1970 British Grand Prix...it emerged later that the fuel metering unit on his Brabham BT33 had been set on 'full rich' rather than the correct 'lean' setting appropriate for the race...So who was the culprit?...the error was in fact made by Nick Goozee...who...told F1 Racing, "It was my mistake. We were at Brands Hatch and there had been a bit of a panic getting the cars ready for the start. We always warmed up the DFVs with the metering unit set to 'full rich' but we were supposed to put them back to 'lean' for the race. In the melee I left the little wheel at 'full rich' and Jack ran out of fuel, as we know. I got quite a bollocking for it after the race...For some reason Ron, who's still a good friend, incidentally, has always been blamed. It's good to set the record straight after so long."

Presumably the bollocking Nick got wasn't from Jack, if he didn't get to know until years later. See also Charles E Taylor's interesting theory that the metering unit might have reset by itself, in which case neither Goozee nor Dennis would have been to blame.