MCZ F1 : Zakspeed Info Page

Zakspeed History & Team Record

Long time Ford sports car entrant Erich Zakowski decided in 1984 to turn his companies turbocharging talents to F1, building not only the engine but the carbon fiber/Kevlar chassis as well.  It was a huge project and one that proved to have disastrous timing.  The engine was designed by Norbert Kreyer and used a single Garrett turbocharger, producing around 700 horsepower - well below the output of the leading powerplants.

Teething troubles meant the car did not make its race debut until the 1985 Portuguese GP and reliablity was a major problem throughout the season.  Regular driver Jonathan Palmer was injured while practicing for the Spa 1000 Km sportscar race and his place was taken by German F3000 driver Christian Danner for the final two races.  

The 861 chassis was a development of the 841 and although engine output was boosted to around 750 bhp, the car was overweight and reliability was still a major problem.  Both Palmer and Huub Rothengatter left the team at the end of the season, along with designer Paul Brown.

The talented pairing of Martin Brundle and Christian Danner brought the team a small amount of success in 1987 in the all new 871 chassis, but it was the beginning of the end for turbocharging in F1 and the boost restrictions placed on the turbo cars in 1988 made it hard for the team to even qualify.     

The team took on a Japanese flavor in 1989, taking on Aguri Suzuki in return for a the use of Yamaha normally aspirated engines.  The OX88 engine was however very complex (employing a 5 valve head and cams instead of belts), underpowered (around 10 percent less than the Ford HB) and unreliable.  Suzuki did not make it out of prequalifying at any race, while Bernd Schneider managed to make the grid only twice.  At the end of the season the team withdrew from F1.

Return to the F1 Teams Index

or help support this site by visiting our Cafe Press Store