Brabham BT18

Brabham BT18

Category	Formula 2 Formula 3
Production	1965 46 cars built
Predecessor	Brabham BT16
Successor	Brabham BT23 (Formula 2) Brabham BT21 (Formula 3)
Technical specifications
Engine	Honda RA300E/RA302E Ford Kent Naturally-aspirated, 10,000 - 11,000 RPM
Competition history
Notable drivers	Jack Brabham Denny Hulme
Wins Podiums 12 22

The Brabham BT18 was an open-wheel formula racing car, designed, developed, and built by British constructor Brabham, for both Formula 2 and Formula 3 racing categories. Powered by a Honda engine, it won 11 out of 12 races in 1966. ^{[1] [2]}

Design and development

The previous Brabham BT16 forerunner initially had a Cosworth SCA, BRM, or Holbay MAE engine. On 20 March 1965, at the Formula Two meeting at Silverstone, it was equipped with the Honda RA300E engine. Displacing 996.7 cc (60.82 cu in), the engine produced 135 bhp at 10,000 rpm. ^[3]

The BT18 was designed as a Formula 2 and Formula 3 racing car. The car had a space frame that was reinforced by load-bearing plates. Two cars, F2-18-66 and F2-19-66, were used by the factory Brabham team with revised Honda RA302E engines, which now gave 150 bhp at 11,000 rpm. ^[4] 32 were Formula 2 racing cars and designated BT18A. Six copies were equipped with a Cosworth SCA engine for private teams. A special version BT18B of 8 examples was fitted for the Honda Racing School with Ford Kent engines for the upcoming 1966 Formula Ford. A total of 46 examples of the BT18 (+A+B) were produced. ^{[5] [6]}

Race history

In 1966, Jack Brabham and Denny Hulme achieved a total of 11 wins in 12 races with the Brabham-Honda BT18. Brabham won the 1966 Trophées de France championship and Hulme was runner-up. ^[7]

F2 results

The European Formula Two Championship began in 1967 and the results for 1966, in which the works BT18 competed in, are made up of races in the British and French national championships and one-off F2 races.

Year	Driver	1*	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
1966		Oulton Park	Goodwood	Pau	Montjuïc	Zolder	Crystal Palace	Reims-Gueux	Rouen-Les-Essarts	Karlskoga	Keimola	Linas-Montlhéry	Bugatti Circuit	Circuit d'Albi	Brands Hatch
	Jack Brabham		1	1	1	1	1	1	Ret	1	1	1	Ret	1	2
	Denny Hulme		2	2	3**	2	2	Ret	1	2	2	3	1
	Chris Irwin													3	Ret
		Round 1	Round 2	Round 2	(Non-Championship)	(Non-Championship)	Round 3	Round 2	Round 3	(Non-Championship)	(Non-Championship)	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 4

• * *Cancelled due to snowfall
• ** Used Cosworth SCA engine ^[8]

F1 results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Engine	Tyre	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Points	WCC
1966	Caltex Racing Team	Cosworth SCA	D		MON	BEL	FRA	GBR	NED	GER	ITA	USA	MEX	—
				Kurt Ahrens						Ret
	Roy Winkelmann Racing			Hans Herrmann						11
				Alan Rees						Ret

References

1. "1966 Brabham BT18". Motorsports Market.
2. "1966 Brabham BT18".
3. "Brabham BT18 Honda F2 1966". GTPlanet.
4. says, Yasu Wada (December 16, 2021). "Brabham Honda…".
5. Brown, Allen. "Brabham « OldRacingCars.com". OldRacingCars.com.
6. "Brabham BT18 Honda – primotipo…". primotipo...
7. "Formula 2 1966 Championship Tables" . Retrieved 2022-11-02.
8. "Formula 2 1966 - Barcelona GP". www.the-fastlane.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-11-03.