Okay, so, today I’m gonna share my experience with messing around with the F1 1967 BRM. Let me tell you, it’s been a ride.
First off, I got my hands on some info about this classic racing car. You know, BRM, they were big back in the day, started in 1945, and hung around until 1977. They even won the constructors’ title in ’62, with Graham Hill as their champion driver. Pretty cool, right?
I got started by digging into the history a bit more. Learned that the 1967 season was the 21st for FIA Formula One, and BRM was right in the thick of it. I was really intrigued by some other stuff I found, like how the Ferrari F2007 was a super dominant car, way more than the BRM, winning every race in a season once. Crazy stuff. But, back to BRM, I found out Jean-Pierre Beltoise won at Monaco for them in ’72, and they kept tweaking their P160 model until ’74.
So, with all this in my head, I started to play with a model of the ’67 BRM. One of the first things I noticed was the floor of the car. I read that the floor on these F1 cars is a big deal for aerodynamics. It’s all about that downforce and how the air flows under the car. I spent a good chunk of time just examining that.
Then I moved on to the engine. Now, there was this new BRM V12 engine that came out in ’67. Apparently, it was meant for sports cars but ended up outperforming the standard BRM engine when it was put in the McLaren M5A. Because of some delays, McLaren even started the ’67 season with a modified F2 racer with a 2.1-litre BRM V8. I tried to replicate this setup, just to see how it felt, though I’m no professional driver, mind you.
Here’s a little list of things I focused on during my project:
- Engine: Tried to understand the difference between the V8 and the V12, and how they impacted the car’s performance.
- Aerodynamics: Spent a lot of time looking at the floor and how it was designed to generate downforce.
- History: Read up on BRM’s history, their wins, and their drivers. Found some cool stories about guys like Denny Hulme and teams like Brabham.
- Model: I used this older car model that I have had for many years to simulate the driving experience of the 1967 BRM.
I also learned about an exhibition ride with this car in Czechoslovakia, presented by Mike Spencer. That got me thinking about how this car was shown off back in the day.
The ups and downs
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though. There were times when I got frustrated. Like when I couldn’t quite figure out how the different engine setups really changed the car’s handling. Or when I realized how much the sport has changed since the ’60s. But, you know, that’s part of the fun, figuring things out.
In the end, I felt like I got a pretty good sense of what this car was all about. It’s a piece of history, a reminder of a different era in racing. I’m really glad I took the time to dive into it. It’s not just about the speed or the wins, but the stories behind these machines and the people who built and raced them. Pretty amazing, when you think about it.
Anyway, that’s my little adventure with the F1 1967 BRM. Hope you enjoyed hearing about it. It’s definitely got me wanting to learn more about these old F1 cars.
