Cooper T81

Last updated

Cooper T81
Category Formula One
Constructor Cooper Car Company
Designer(s) Derrick White
Predecessor Cooper T77
Successor Cooper T86
Technical specifications
Chassis Aluminium monocoque
Suspension (front)lower wishbones, upper rocker arms, inboard coil springs over dampers
Suspension (rear)top links, reversed lower wishbones, twin radius arms, coil springs over dampers
Axle track F: 1,495 mm (58.9 in)
R: 1,455 mm (57.3 in)
Wheelbase 2,490 mm (98.0 in)
Engine Maserati 2989cc V12 naturally aspirated Mid-engined, longitudinally mounted
Transmission T81: ZF 5DS25
T81B: Hewland DG300 5-speed manual gearbox,
Fuel BP
Tyres (Works team) Dunlop (1966),
Firestone (1966/7)
Competition history
Notable entrants Cooper Car Company, R.R.C. Walker Racing Team
Notable drivers Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon,
Flag of Sweden.svg Jo Bonnier,
Flag of the United States.svg Richie Ginther,
Flag of Austria.svg Jochen Rindt,
Flag of Mexico.svg Pedro Rodríguez,
Flag of Switzerland.svg Jo Siffert,
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Surtees,
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jacky Ickx
Debut 1966 Syracuse Grand Prix
RacesWins Poles F/Laps
21212
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0

The Cooper T81 was one of the last Formula One racing cars produced by the Cooper Car Company. It was designed ahead of the 1966 World Championship season to operate within the new 3 litre engine regulations that came into effect that year. In place of the 1.5-litre Coventry Climax used under the previous formula, the T81 was powered by Maserati Tipo 9 2.5-litre V12 engines which had been bored out to 3.0-litres. These were supplied by the Chipstead Group, Maserati's UK distributors, who had taken control of Cooper the previous April.

Cooper had prepared a chassis, designated T80, to take the Climax FWMW flat-16 1.5 litre engine for 1965 but the engine had suffered development problems and more importantly was no more powerful than the existing FWMV V8. Cooper then repurposed the chassis as a development mule for the Maserati V12, in which guise it made a single race appearance, at the 1966 BRDC International Trophy.

In many ways the T81 was a typical example of its time, with a rear engine, front radiator, inboard front suspension and a monocoque chassis. In fact the car was Cooper's first monocoque chassis, although by this time such an arrangement had already become standard in Formula 1, having been pioneered by the Lotus 25 four years earlier. The T81 made its race debut in the 1966 Syracuse Grand Prix. [1]

But while the shortage of competitive 3.0 litre F1 machinery at the start of 1966 made the T81 popular, there were suggestions that Cooper were overstretching themselves and that as a result the preparation of the cars was suffering. However John Surtees, who had replaced Ginther after walking out on Ferrari, took the car's first win in the final race of the 1966 season in Mexico, and in turn Surtees's replacement, Pedro Rodríguez, won the very next race, the 1967 season opener in South Africa. A T81B variant was first raced by Rindt at the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix. Cooper finished third in the Constructors' Championship in 1966 and 1967, their highest placing since 1962, but it would be their last flourish.

The T81's last race came at the start of the 1968 season in South Africa in the hands of privateers Jo Siffert and Jo Bonnier, as by this time the works team had moved on to the T86 chassis. As it happened, Cooper folded at the end of the 1968 season, making the T81 the last Cooper to win a World Championship Grand Prix.

In all the T81 (and T81B) was entered a total of 85 times in its 21 race lifespan, achieving 2 wins, 1 pole position, 6 podiums, and 23 points finishes, earning 74 points in total.

Jo Bonnier's Cooper T81, painted in the Swiss racing red of his Anglo-Suisse Racing team. Cooper T81 Anglo-Suisse.jpg
Jo Bonnier's Cooper T81, painted in the Swiss racing red of his Anglo-Suisse Racing team.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

YearEntrantEngineTyresDriver123456789101112PointsWCC
1966 Cooper Car Company Maserati V12 D MON BEL FRA GBR NED GER ITA USA MEX 30 (35)3rd
Jochen Rindt Ret245Ret342Ret
Richie Ginther Ret5
Chris Amon 8
John Surtees RetRetRet2Ret31
Moisés Solana Ret
R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Jo Siffert RetRetNCRetRet4Ret
Guy Ligier Guy Ligier NCNCNC109DNS
Anglo-Suisse Racing Team F Jo Bonnier NCRet7RetRetNC6
1967 Cooper Car Company Maserati V12 F RSA MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER CAN ITA USA MEX 283rd
Pedro Rodríguez 15Ret965116
Jochen Rindt RetRetRet4RetRetRet
Alan Rees 9
Richard Attwood 10
Jacky Ickx 6
Rob Walker Racing Team Jo Siffert RetRet1074RetRetDNSRet412
Joakim Bonnier Racing Team Jo Bonnier RetRetRet68Ret610
Guy Ligier Guy Ligier 10NC
1968 Cooper Car Company Maserati V12 F RSA ESP MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER ITA CAN USA MEX 0NC
Brian Redman Ret
Rob Walker Racing Team Jo Siffert 7
Joakim Bonnier Racing Team Jo Bonnier Ret

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References

  1. Cooper, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved on 22 January 2015