9 replies to this topic

[Megatron]

I know that in 1988 Dallara ran their F3000 machine in Brazil and in 1987 March did likewise. I think because neither of the actual F1 machines were ready.

Question is, was there any other ocassion where an F3000 car was entered in an F1 race? Also, what modifactions did they have to make and could this still be allowed?

[Zawed]

March definitely ran a F3000 car, but I never heard about the Dallara...You would looking for F3000 manufacturers stepping up to F1 and I can't recall any more other than Jordan, but they came in with a fully fledged F1 design. Another one (I think) was Onyx??

PS if this is for your book, you should look at buying the Autocourse History of the GP car if have'nt already got it. Its a very good reference book.

[William Dale Jr]

The Dallara F3000 appeared in a quiz at 8W, there might be info there.

[Gary C]

Surely there's NEVER been an F3000 car in Formula 1??? Cars are always to F1 spec, I doubt if the manufacturer would get away with just putting a DFV (say) in the back of an F3000 chassis. It wouldn't get through the regulations, would it?

[Witt]

I think Coloni also ran a modified version of their f3000 car in 1989, before their F1 car was ready.

[Michael Müller]

One has to recognize the origin of the Formula 3000, it was brought to life as a home for outdated F1 cars before special F3000 cars had been built.

[Rob G]

Megatron, to answer your last question, it will never happen again. Since the late eighties, the chassis rules (dimensions and crash-testing) have become so strict that modifying existing F3000 chassis to conform to F1 would be impossible.

[mhferrari]

It could occur, but of course there would need to be modifications.

[Vitesse2]

The Dallara was a 3087, which Scuderia Italia took to Brazil in 1988 in order to avoid the penalties involved in missing a race. Alex Caffi was the unfortunate driver who had the embarrassment of not even pre-qualifying!!

The March was designated 87P and was produced in a hurry in order to qualify for FOCA membership. It was basically an 87B F3000 car but with suspension and bodywork from the new 871 F1 car. Ivan Capelli qualified it for Brazil 1987 but all the team's engines blew in practice, so it non-started: in any event it would never have finished the race because as a F3000 car its fuel tanks were too small to run a full GP (oh those halcyon days before refuelling!!!)

The first Coloni, the FC187, appeared very late in 1987 (Italy) but it was a specifically F1 design, not a F3000 as Coloni never built one (AFAIK).

The Lola LC87 was based on the T87/50 F3000 car, but with a larger engine (obviously!)

Zawed mentioned Onyx, who did step up from F3000, but the ORE-1 was their first car: in F3000 they had run semi-works Marches.

In an earlier era of course, March took a Formula 2 722 and created the 721G F1 car, after John Cannon had ordered a modified 722 for F5000 and put it on pole in its first race.

[LittleChris]

What about the first RAM, I thought that was loosely based on an F3000 tub. I seem to remember that Phillippe Aliot stuffed the original one big time at Woodcote.