Brabham BT42
 Brabham BT42 (2011) | |||||||||||
| Category | Formula One | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designer | Gordon Murray | ||||||||||
| Predecessor | Brabham BT37 | ||||||||||
| Successor | Brabham BT44 | ||||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||||
| Chassis | Triangular section monocoque | ||||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Rising rate pullrod actuated | ||||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Multi-link | ||||||||||
| Wheelbase | 2388mm | ||||||||||
| Engine | Cosworth DFV 3.000cc | ||||||||||
| Transmission | Hewland 5-Speed + Reverse | ||||||||||
| Tyres | Goodyear | ||||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||||
| Notable entrants | Motor Racing Developments | ||||||||||
| Notable drivers | |||||||||||
| Debut | 1973 Spanish Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
The Brabham BT42 was a Formula One racing car used by Brabham for the 1973 Formula One season. This car marked the team's first design entirely by Gordon Murray after the departure of team co-founder and previous designer Ron Tauranac.[1]
Development
[edit]Gordon Murray became chief designer after being offered the role by new team boss Bernie Ecclestone.[2] The car proposed a triangular section alluminium monocoque, with the by then ubiquitous Cosworth DFV as a fully stressed member paired with a Hewland gearbox.
The car featured rising rate pullrod actuated front suspension and a multilink rear suspension. It was fitted with Goodyear tyres.
The most striking part of the car being the angular yet simple bodywork design which Murray himself refers to as "triangular".[3] As well as the return of the BT34's front mounted double radiators nick-named "Lobster Claw". Aditionally, the downward sloping sidepods gave the car an even more unique look, yet served to fit one fuel cell underneath each side. Allowing to mount a smaller, triangular main fuel cell behind the driver, moving the center of gravity towards the rear, improving responsiveness.[3]
The car was a marked improvement from the previous years' BT37 with Carlos Reutemann scoring best place results in France and The United States. The BT42 became the base upon which the successful Brabham BT44 would be designed.
Formula One World Championship results
[edit](key) (results in bold indicate pole position, results in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Pts | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Motor Racing Developments | Cosworth DFV | G | ARG | BRA | RSA | SPA | BEL | MON | SWE | FRA | GBR | NED | GER | AUS | ITA | CAN | USA | 221 | 4th | |
| Carlos Reutemann | Ret | Ret | Ret | 4 | 3 | 6 | Ret | Ret | 4 | 6 | 8 | 3 | |||||||||
| Wilson Fittipaldi Júnior | 10 | Ret | 11 | Ret | 16 | Ret | Ret | 5 | Ret | Ret | 11 | 17 | |||||||||
| Ceramica Pagnossin MRD | Andrea de Adamich | Ret | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rolf Stommelen | 11 | Ret | 12 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||
| John Watson | Ret | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974 | Goldie Hexagon Racing | Cosworth DFV | F | ARG | BRA | RSA | SPA | BEL | MON | SWE | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | AUS | ITA | CAN | USA | 351 | 5th | |
| John Watson | 12 | Ret | Ret | 11 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 16 | 11 | |||||||||||
| Carlos Pace | DNQ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Scuderia Finotto | Carlo Facetti | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Helmut Koinigg | DNQ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Gérard Larrousse | Ret | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Motor Racing Developments Ltd. | G | Teddy Pilette | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||
| The Chequered Flag | Ian Ashley | DNQ | DNQ | ||||||||||||||||||
| Team Canada F1 Racing | Eppie Wietzes | Ret | |||||||||||||||||||
| Allied Polymer Group | Lella Lombardi | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||
^1 Total points scored by all Brabham cars.
References
[edit]- ↑ Lawrence, Michael (1999). Brabham - Ralt - Honda: The Ron Tauranac story.
- ↑ Cross, Nigel; Cross, Anita Clayburn (1996). "Winning by Design: the methods of Gordon Murray, racing car designer" (PDF).
- 1 2 Gordon Murray Interview | Beyond The Grid | Official F1 Podcast. FORMULA 1. 2019-06-05. Retrieved 2026-08-04 – via YouTube.