Photo credit: David Merrett
It sounds like a bit of a trick question, doesn’t it? How many wheels belong on a Formula 1 car? Do we count the steering wheel? Actually, it’s not a trick question at all and you just need to count the wheels which touch the ground.
If you answered four then you would be right most of the time but this month might give you a little surprise. You might just come across one which makes you do a double take when you see how many tyres are on it.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is where you want to be if you fancy seeing a F1 vehicle which boasted an impressive total of 6 wheels. The model is a March 2-4-0 from the mid seventies and it is, frankly, rather groovy.
It takes its starting point from the Tyrell P24, which was relatively successful and had its “extra” two wheels at the front. The difference with the March is that it has the standard pair of wheels at the front and four at the back.
Testing Problems
The wacky six wheeler was build in Bicester in 1976 and tested out the following year. Due to cash problems it was never entered in a competitive race. It became obvious very quickly during its first spell of testing at Silverstone that extra time and money were needed to solve some basic problems with the gearbox.
The extra wheels at the back are to give it extra grip and it is powered by a Cosworth engine, as are some other classic racing cars which are going to be at the Goodwood event. It runs from the 29th of June through to the 1st of July and is sure to provide some great entertainment for anyone who like a bit of 4 wheeled (or 6 wheeled) action. Don’t forget that you need to buy the tickets in advance.