Ensign Racing

Last updated

Ensign
Ensign.gif
Full nameEnsign Racing Team
Base Burntwood, United Kingdom
Founder(s) Mo Nunn
Noted drivers Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Clay Regazzoni
Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marc Surer
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jacky Ickx
Flag of Brazil.svg Nelson Piquet
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jan Lammers
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Rikky von Opel
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gijs van Lennep
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Roelof Wunderink
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tiff Needell
Formula One World Championship career
First entry 1973 French Grand Prix
Races entered134 (98 starts)
Constructors'
Championships
0
Drivers'
Championships
0
Race victories 0
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 1
Final entry 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix

Ensign was a Formula One constructor from Britain. They participated in 133 grands prix, entering a total of 155 cars. Ensign scored 19 championship points and no podium finishes. The best result was a 4th place at the 1981 Brazilian Grand Prix by Marc Surer, who also took fastest lap of the race.

Contents

Ensign was founded by Morris Nunn who also carried out design duties during the first two seasons of the team's existence. Nunn would later go on to be a prominent chief engineer in the American-based Champ Car series, winning championships with drivers Alex Zanardi and Juan Pablo Montoya in the late 1990s.

Formula One

The N173, Ensign's first Formula One car, being driven at Silverstone in 2012. Ensign at Silverstone Classic 2012.jpg
The N173, Ensign's first Formula One car, being driven at Silverstone in 2012.
An Ensign N177 being raced in a Historic Grand Prix at the Lime Rock Park circuit in 2009. Ensign N177 2009 Lime Rock.jpg
An Ensign N177 being raced in a Historic Grand Prix at the Lime Rock Park circuit in 2009.

Ensign entered Formula One in 1973, with backing from pay driver, Rikky von Opel. Von Opel had driven for the team in Formula Three in 1972 and won the Lombard North Central, British Formula Three Championship that year. [1] Based upon that success, von Opel commissioned a Formula One chassis. [1] Their first season was not successful, von Opel only finished two races [2] and the team's best result that season was 13th at the 1973 British Grand Prix. [2] However, the partnership continued into 1974, but von Opel left after the first race of the season, having been offered a works Brabham drive. [1] He was replaced at Ensign by Vern Schuppan whose only finish was 15th at the Belgian Grand Prix [3] and was later himself replaced by Mike Wilds. Wilds only qualified in America; he finished the race after a pit stop for fuel but was not classified, nine laps behind. [4]

For 1975 Ensign was sponsored by HB Bewaking (a Dutch company) leading them to sign Dutch drivers. Roelof Wunderink and Gijs van Lennep. Wunderink did not have much success, qualifying for three races and finishing one. Gijs van Lennep qualified for all his races and took sixth place in Germany, securing the first points for Ensign in Formula One. Chris Amon also raced for the team in Austria and Italy finishing 12th both times. In 1976 Amon stayed with Ensign having great qualifying results. He qualified third in Sweden and sixth in Britain but only took points in Spain where he finished in fifth place. Patrick Nève replaced Amon in France and Hans Binder replaced Amon in Austria. Jacky Ickx would race the rest of the season for Ensign.

In 1977 Clay Regazzoni raced for Ensign, scoring five points with best finishes of fifth in Italy and America. In 1978 the team entered cars for Danny Ongais and Lamberto Leoni, but Ongais left after two races and Leoni after four races. Jacky Ickx contested the next four races and Derek Daly raced the rest of the season scoring a point in Canada. Also in 1978 Nelson Piquet made his debut in Formula 1 at the German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring driving an Ensign. In 1979 Daly stayed with Ensign but he left after the Monaco Grand Prix and was replaced by Patrick Gaillard. Gaillard only qualified at two out of five races and was replaced by Marc Surer for the final three races of the season.

The N180 at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur Ensign N180 front-right 2010 Pavilion Pit Stop.jpg
The N180 at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

In 1980 Clay Regazzoni again joined Ensign but at Long Beach Regazzoni's brake pedal broke causing him to go straight on at the Queen's Hairpin crashing into the parked car of Ricardo Zunino leaving him paralyzed. Tiff Needell raced in Belgium, but failed to qualify for the Monaco Grand Prix. Jan Lammers raced the rest of the season.

Marc Surer raced for Ensign in 1981 and finished in fourth place in Brazil where he also took fastest lap of the race. Surer also finished sixth in Monaco. Eliseo Salazar replaced Surer from Spain onwards. Salazar finished sixth in the Netherlands. In 1982 Roberto Guerrero raced for Ensign. He only finished in two races.

Meanwhile, the team was also involved in the last year of British F1 Championship, winning the championship with the old MN180B cars and Jim Crawford as driver.

After the 1982 season, Ensign was merged into the Theodore team, which it had previous ties to via financier Teddy Yip and took that team's name. During many seasons, the connection between Ensign and Theodore was so great that in some years they used almost the same car, much as Red Bull Racing has a second but separate team, Toro Rosso, in more recent times.

Ensign driver Roberto Guerrero continued on with the newly merged team for 1983, as did the team's main car designer. [5] The Theodore F1 team did not last the 1983 season, though, and shut down late in the year. [5]

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

YearChassisEnginesTyresDrivers1234567891011121314151617 Points WCC
1973 N173 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 F ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON SWE FRA GBR NED GER AUT ITA CAN USA 0NC
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Rikky von Opel 1513DNSRetRetNCRet
1974 N174 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 F ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON SWE NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA 0NC
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Rikky von Opel DNS
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Vern Schuppan 15RetDSQDSQDNQDNQRet
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Wilds DNQDNQDNQNC
1975 N174
N175
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G ARG BRA RSA ESP MON BEL SWE NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA USA 112th
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Roelof Wunderink RetDNQDNQNCDNQRet
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gijs van Lennep 10156
Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon 1212
1976 N174
N176
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G BRA RSA USW ESP BEL MON SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN USA JPN 212th
Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon 1485Ret13RetRetRet
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Patrick Nève 18
Flag of Austria.svg Hans Binder Ret
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jacky Ickx Ret1013Ret
1977 N177 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G ARG BRA RSA USW ESP MON BEL SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN JPN 10*10th*
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Clay Regazzoni 6Ret9RetRetDNQRet77DNQRetRetRet55RetRet
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jacky Ickx 10
1978 N177 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G ARG BRA RSA USW MON BEL ESP SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN 113th
Flag of the United States.svg Danny Ongais RetRet
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jacky Ickx Ret12RetDNQ
Flag of Ireland.svg Derek Daly DNQRetDSQRet1086
Flag of Brazil.svg Nelson Piquet Ret
Flag of Italy.svg Lamberto Leoni RetDNSDNQDNQ
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Bernard de Dryver DNP
Flag of the United States.svg Brett Lunger 13
1979 N177
N179
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G ARG BRA RSA USW ESP BEL MON FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN USA 0NC
Flag of Ireland.svg Derek Daly 1113DNQRetDNQDNQDNQ
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg Patrick Gaillard DNQ13DNQRetDNQ
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marc Surer DNQDNQRet
1980 N180 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G ARG BRA RSA USW BEL MON FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN USA 0NC
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Clay Regazzoni NCRet9Ret
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tiff Needell RetDNQ
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jan Lammers DNQDNQ14DNQDNQDNQ12Ret
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Geoff Lees RetDNQ
1981 N180B Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 M
A
USW BRA ARG SMR BEL MON ESP FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN CPL 511th
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marc Surer Ret4FRet9116
Flag of Colombia.svg Ricardo Londoño DNP
Flag of Chile.svg Eliseo Salazar 14RetDNQNCRet6RetRetNC
1982 N180B
N181
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 P
A
RSA BRA USW SMR BEL MON DET CAN NED GBR FRA GER AUT SUI ITA CPL 0NC
Flag of Colombia.svg Roberto Guerrero WDDNQRetDNQDNQRetRetDNQRetDNQ8RetRetNCDNS

* Includes five points scored by Patrick Tambay in an Ensign N177 entered by Theodore Racing (see below).

Results of other Ensign cars

(key)

YearEntrantChassisEngineTyresDriver1234567891011121314151617
1977 Theodore Racing Hong Kong N177 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G ARG BRA RSA USW ESP MON BEL SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN JPN
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg Patrick Tambay Ret6Ret5RetDNQ5Ret
1978 Mario Deliotti Racing N175 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G ARG BRA RSA USW MON BEL ESP SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Geoff Lees DNQ
Sachs Racing N177 Flag of Austria.svg Harald Ertl 11RetDNPQDNPQ

Non-championship results

(key)

YearEntrantChassisEngineDriver123
1974Team Ensign N174 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 PRE ROC INT
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Rikky von Opel DNS
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brian Redman 8
1975Bewaking Team Ensign N174 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ROC INT SUI
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Roelof Wunderink 10Ret
N175 Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon 9
1976Team Ensign N174 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ROC INT
Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon 5
N176 Ret
1977Team Ensign N177 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ROC
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Clay Regazzoni 13
1978Tissot Ensign N177 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 INT
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jacky Ickx Ret
Flag of Italy.svg Lamberto Leoni DNA
1979Smith & Jones N174 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ROC GNM DIN
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Robin Smith Ret
1980Unipart Racing Team N180 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ESP
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg Patrick Gaillard 6
 ? Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brian Henton DNA
1981Ensign Racing N180B Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 RSA
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marc Surer Ret

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 273. ISBN   0851127029.
  2. 1 2 Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 272. ISBN   0851127029.
  3. Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 344. ISBN   0851127029.
  4. Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 401. ISBN   0851127029.
  5. 1 2 Roberto Guerrero – Biography Archived 16 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine