Miguel Sánchez
Beyond the piloting, the sound or the speed, one of the greatest charms in the F1 history It's your technology. In this way, we have been able to contemplate the premiere of multiple technologies in terms of engines, chassis, gearboxes or aerodynamics.
A panoply of highly engineered innovations that are attractive both on and off the track, making it one of the most well-known ways of getting involved in racing fans. “queen category of motorsports”.
Thus, decades like the sixties were especially striking due to the large number of novelties put on the grid in each successive season. Something due to the small English teams like Cooper, Lotus or McLaren; responsible for setting the bar higher and higher in terms of chassis, aerodynamics or weight distribution to escape the superiority shown by the power output of teams belonging to engine factories.
However, if we have to choose not a time but an exact year in which F1 presented a series of truly disruptive and successful new models, it could well be 1954. A year in which Mercedes, Lancia and Maserati They stood up to the dominance established by Ferrari thanks to their respective W196, D50 and 250F.
AN EVIDENT INEQUALITY
Heir to the European Drivers' Championship held before the Second World War, F1 celebrated its inaugural season in 1950 under the sign of great inequality. And, while the engine manufacturers had a large amount of resources, the small private teams could barely dream of reaching the top positions due to the low power of their mechanics.
What's more, even some of the most important teams - such as Ferrari, BRM or Maserati - were struggling to balance their accounts while remaining competitive. A financial problem well exemplified by Alfa Romeo itself, which had to abandon the F1 World Championship at the end of 1951 after having won with its Alfetta the first two seasons.
Thus, and in order to give a certain respite with which to homogenize the starting grid, for 1953 it was decided to govern F1 with the regulations of the most basic F2; a step back that, as a result, should serve as a springboard with which to open the range of the premier category to a greater number of teams and manufacturers.
TWO YEARS MARKED BY FERRARI'S DOMINANCE
Although the decision to adopt the F2 regulations as its own was made under impeccable sporting logic, the truth is that many of the teams were caught off guard. Something that did not happen to Ferrari, which had an extremely competitive F2 ready thanks to the work carried out by Aurelio Lampredi since 1951 with the 500 F2.
Adapted to a regulation where the displacement was limited to two liters while supercharging was banished, this single-seater was capable of producing up to 170 HP already in its first versions in order to propel a weight of only 560 kilos.
Likewise, the simplicity of its mechanics - with fewer moving parts than that exhibited by Ferrari's V12 or the Alfetta's supercharged inline eight - resulted in above-average reliability capable of ensuring thirty victories among the thirty-three races where took the exit; In short, more than enough to ensure victory in the 1952 and 1953 seasons with Alberto Ascari behind the wheel.
1954, RETURN TO A OWN REGULATION IN THE HISTORY OF F1
For the 1954 season, F1 was once again governed by its own regulations. Thanks to this, the limit on the displacement rose to two and a half liters while more liberalities were allowed in all types of technical aspects. All of this with a view to once again being, by far, the most advanced sports category in the world with the permission of the sport-prototypes exhibited at the World Cup of Brands.
In short, a situation for which the main manufacturers had been preparing for two years while Ferrari, too accustomed to victory, had only prepared an update of the 500 F2 in the form of the 625 F1; basically the same as its predecessor although, of course, its engine was drilled to 2.498 cc to perform like this 210 CV.
That said, on the starting grid that year the contrast between the continuous designs, even accommodative, and the newly created ones taking advantage of those two years of lower demands thanks to the F2 regulations was striking; enough time for Rudolf Uhlenhaut, Giocacchino Colombo and Vittorio Jano They will do excellent jobs at Mercedes, Maserati and Lancia respectively.
LANCIA D50, A VERY WELL THOUGHT DISTRIBUTION OF WEIGHTS
During the 1930s Vittorio Jano was one of the most notable competition engineers when it came to questioning the increase in displacement and power exhibited by GP designs. Due to this in their successful Alfa Romeo P2 and P3 established a new concept that focused on compact size, light weight and HP gain not so much based on cubic capacity but thanks to the action of the compression index.
That said, after the Second World War Vittorio Jano influenced these principles even more, leading the design of the revolutionary Lancia D50. To begin with, not only did it pay great attention to the weight - with 620 kilos on the scale it was 70 lighter than the Mercedes W196 in its version with the wheels visible and even 30 more than the Ferrari 625 F1 with a four-cylinder engine - but also to the way in which it was distributed.
In this way he managed to considerably lower the center of gravity by placing the 8 HP V250 engine diagonally; a daring display with which he managed to position the pilot not on but next to the transmission shaft, thus allowing a lower height at the base of your seat.
He also arranged two gasoline tanks, one on the side between each of the wheels; the best way to homogeneously distribute the lack of weight produced as the fuel was spent. Perfect to, in the end, ensure neutral behavior regardless of the load carried at any given time.
MASERATI 250F, LIGHTWEIGHT CHASSIS AND OUTSTANDING MECHANICS
With vehicles like the Type 60/61 “Birdcage” to his credit it is not at all strange to be interested in the work carried out at Maserati in relation to competition chassis. Something in which the 250F single-seater, based on an extremely tubular one, can give us very interesting clues. rigid and light covered in its body with aluminum plates.
Regarding the engine, the work led by Gioacchino Colombo together with Alberto Massimino and Vittorio Bellentani bore fruit in a block with six cylinders in line and double camshaft later replaced by a V12 with up to 310 HP in the later and only iteration of the model.
And, beyond its inaugural season, the Maserati 250F was active until the withdrawal of the Italian brand citing financial problems; those same ones that forced it to take the course of serial production of models like the 3500 GT. Enough time to win the 1957 World Cup with Fangio at the wheel or reap the following praise from Stirling Moss: “It is the best front-engine car I have ever driven.”
MERCEDES W196, PURE F1 HISTORY
During the 1930s, Mercedes had demonstrated overwhelming dominance in the European Drivers' Championship with such sensational models as the W25, the W125 or the W154. On this basis of successes the return of the German house to the top of the competition was marked by one of the greatest technological milestones ever seen in F1: the W196.
Based on a tubular chassis with a triangulated structure - very similar to that used by the Maserati 250F -, it used an alloy of magnesium in order to reduce weight as much as possible. Furthermore, in order to improve stability, both axles had torsion bars as well as other elements designed with the intention of giving all possible poise.
Regarding the mechanics, and although at first the possibility of mounting supercharging had been considered, finally a naturally aspirated engine with eight cylinders in line and 2.496 cc was chosen to deliver 257 HP already in its first versions, 340 CV as a final objective reaching around 10.000 rpm.
Likewise, the use of desmodromic valves was a notable advance along with direct fuel injection taken from the aeronautical technology used in the Messerschmitt BF 109 fighters. A set of elements that are outstanding in their performance and, therefore, responsible for leading the W196 to victory in nine of the twelve races where it started. Enough to win the World Cup in both 1954 and 1955. Sensational.
Images: RM Sotheby's, FCA Heritage, Mercedes Benz.
