Category | Group C Prototype | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constructor | Sauber Motorsport | ||||||||
Predecessor | Mercedes-Benz C11 | ||||||||
Successor | Mercedes-Benz C292 | ||||||||
Technical specifications | |||||||||
Engine | Mercedes-Benz M291 | ||||||||
Competition history | |||||||||
Notable entrants | Team Sauber Mercedes | ||||||||
Notable drivers | |||||||||
Debut | 1991 430 km of Monza | ||||||||
First win | 1991 430 km of Autopolis | ||||||||
Last win | 1991 430 km of Autopolis | ||||||||
Last event | 1991 430 km of Autopolis | ||||||||
|
The Mercedes-Benz C291 was a sports-prototype racing car introduced for the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season. It was Mercedes-Benz’ final car in the Group C category. [1] [2]
The 1991 season marked the introduction of the FIA’s new, and controversial, 3.5 litre formula which replaced the highly successful Group C category that had been used in the World Sportscar Championship since 1982, though due to a small number of entries for the 3.5 litre formula heavily penalised Group C cars (which were subject to weight penalties and started behind the new-style C1 entries on the grid) were allowed to participate in the season's C2 category.
To meet the new regulations Mercedes-Benz came up with an all-new car; the C291 which was designed by its racing partner Sauber.
One survived and is on display in the Carl Benz Museum in Ladenburg, Germany. [3] Another one is located in the Michael Schumacher Collection in Cologne, and this is the Autopolis-winning chassis.
The primary feature of the new regulations was the use of a 3.5 litre naturally aspirated engine. This made it impossible for Mercedes-Benz to use the engines from its previous Group C cars. Also, to produce similar power to the Group C cars a 3.5 litre naturally aspirated engine had to be very high-revving and be constructed from different materials in order to rev highly.
Unlike Jaguar's XJR-14 who had the readily available and proven Ford HB V8 engine from the Benetton B190B Formula One car (the engine regulations for the new 3.5 litre formula were identical to Formula One), Mercedes-Benz had to design an all-new purpose-built racing engine and its M-291 3.5L flat-12 [4] unit was the result. The engine produced about 550–600 brake horsepower (410–450 kW) compared to about 730 brake horsepower (540 kW) produced by the 5.0 litre twin turbo V8 found in the C291's predecessor, the Mercedes-Benz C11.
Unlike the Jaguar XJR-14, the C291 resembled previous sports-prototypes, despite the fact that the redesign of the Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe in 1990 meant cars with their low drag design, top-end power, straight-line acceleration and top-speed characteristics were no longer required[ citation needed ]. Unlike the Jaguar (and latterly the Peugeot 905B) the Mercedes still featured a full width low-drag single-tier rear wing and no front wing. This resulted in the car having a higher top speed than the Jaguar (and only slightly less than old Group C cars).[ citation needed ]
However, this, allied to the characteristics of the 3.5 litre engine, meant the car would have slower acceleration above 150-170 mph than most Group C cars, therefore not taking advantage of the low-drag design, and conversely the low-drag design meant the car was slower in the corners than the Jaguar and Peugeot's 905B, this time not taking advantage of the lower kerb weight of 750 kilograms (1,653 lb).[ citation needed ] Overall the C291 was not as fast as a contemporary Formula One car around some circuits used by the Grand Prix fraternity, and was a lot slower at Le Mans' Circuit de la Sarthe in 1991.[ citation needed ]
During the development and testing of the new M291 powerplant, it became apparent to Sauber Mercedes that there were problems in the engine design and construction. Thus the team started the 1991 season with a lone C291, while at the same time running an older C11. [5] In the first two races of the season, the C291 failed to finish while the C11 finished 2nd and 3rd. At the third race, the C291 scored a 2nd-place finish, ahead of the C11. For the fourth round, the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans, the team decided that the C291 would not be capable of completing the race, and thus were forced to enter three C11s.
After Le Mans, Sauber Mercedes decided that the C291 had been developed enough to compete on its own, and it finished the season without running a C11 alongside. However, the C291 failed to finish the next three races of the season. Only in the final race of the year at Autopolis was the C291 not only able to finish, but also able to score its only win. [1] Sauber Mercedes finished the season third in the teams championship.
After much disappointment the C291 was planned to be replaced by the more radical C292 for the 1992 season, but Mercedes-Benz decided to pull out of sportscar racing before the C292 could compete and turned to Formula 1 in 1993, although it did not continue to use the troublesome M291 powerplant. [6]
Year | Entrant | Class | Drivers | No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Points | WEMCP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1991 | Team Sauber Mercedes | Group C | SUZ | MNZ | SIL | LMS | NUR | MAG | MEX | AUT | 70 | 3rd | ||
Jean-Louis Schlesser | 1 | 14 | 18 | 11 | 5 | |||||||||
Jochen Mass | 14 | 11 | 5 | |||||||||||
Karl Wendlinger | 2 | 14 | 14 | 2 | DNQ | 15 | 14 | 12 | 1 | |||||
Michael Schumacher | 14 | 14 | 2 | DNQ | 15 | 14 | 12 | 1 | ||||||
Fritz Kreutzpointner | DNQ | |||||||||||||
The Mazda 787 and its derivative 787B are Group C sports prototype racing cars that were developed by Japanese automobile manufacturer Mazda for use in the World Sportscar Championship, All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1990 to 1991. Designed to combine a mixture of the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) Group C regulations with the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) GTP regulations, the 787s were the last Wankel rotary-powered racing cars to compete in the World and Japanese championships, using Mazda's R26B engine.
The Sauber C9 is a Group C prototype racing car introduced in 1987 as a continuation of the partnership between Sauber as a constructor and Mercedes-Benz as an engine builder for the World Sportscar Championship. The C9 replaced the Sauber C8.
Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) was a motor racing team and engineering firm founded in 1976, in Kidlington, near Oxford, England, by touring car racer Tom Walkinshaw.
The Jaguar XJR-9 is a sports-prototype race car built by Jaguar for both FIA Group C and IMSA Camel GTP racing, debuting at the 1988 24 Hours of Daytona.
The 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 59th Grand Prix of Endurance, taking place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, France, on the 22 and 23 June 1991. It was also the fourth round of the 1991 FIA Sportscar World Championship season. This was the inaugural season of the new 3.5-litre non-turbo regulations for Sports Cars, however the number of teams entering cars in that class was very limited, so the entry list was opened up to the old Group C category. However, to promote their new formula, FISA decreed that the top ten grid spots had to be taken by cars in the new class, regardless of their qualifying time, with the Group C cars arranged behind them. The piston-engine Group C cars were penalised to carry 100 kg extra ballast, however the rotary-engine Mazdas were not. The race was anticipated to be a final showdown between Jaguar and Sauber-Mercedes, with Porsche, Mazda and the new Peugeots playing supporting roles. Indeed, from the front of the grid, the Peugeots did lead for the first hour, but their reliability failed them, and they were soon in the pits to eventually retire. It was then the Mercedes cars that took up the lead, even running 1-2-3 for several hours. The Jaguars were being stymied by fuel consumption and had to temper their pace accordingly. However, the three cars stayed in the top-10, fighting with the two new Mazda 787Bs.
The 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 57th Grand Prix of Endurance, taking place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, France, on the 10 and 11 June 1989. This year it was not included as a round of the 1989 World Sports-Prototype Championship. The entry list promised a strong contest between five manufacturers. Jaguar had won in 1988 and went on to win the championship; while Sauber had finished second and was now matching Jaguar on the track. New regulations were coming in 1991, and the first examples of the 3.5-litre normally-aspirated formula were entered by Spice Engineering.
The Toyota TS010 was a Group C racing car built by Toyota for the Sportscar World Championship, All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 56th Grand Prix of Endurance as well as the fifth round of the 1988 World Sports-Prototype Championship. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, France, on the 11 and 12 June 1988. At their third attempt, Jaguar arrived with five cars to take on the strong Porsche works team of three cars, in their only race for the Championship season. The other potential rival was Sauber, now formally backed by Mercedes-Benz, but after a major high-speed tyre-blowout in practice, their two-car team was withdrawn.
The Mercedes-Benz C11 is a Group C prototype race car introduced for the 1990 World Sports-Prototype Championship. Built by Sauber as a successor to the Sauber C9, the C11 used the same Mercedes-Benz M119 5.0L twin turbo V8. It was the first time that Mercedes-Benz chose to put their name on the car, instead of simply using Sauber.
The Peugeot 905 is a sports-prototype racing car built by Peugeot's racing department, Peugeot Talbot Sport. The car was initially unveiled in February 1990 and was developed throughout 1990 before making its race debut at the World Sportscar Championship in the final two races of the 1990 season. The Peugeot 905 participated in 17 races in its career, winning 9 of them.
The Jaguar XJR-14 is a sports-prototype racing car introduced for the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season. It was designed by Ross Brawn and John Piper, and was built and run by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), on behalf of Jaguar Cars.
The 1992 Sportscar World Championship season was the 40th and final season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured the 1992 FIA Sportscar World Championship, which was contested over a six race series which ran from 26 April to 18 October 1992. The championship was open to Group C Sportscars.
The Mercedes-Benz C292 was a stillborn Group C prototype race car intended for the 1992 World Sportscar Championship season as an evolution of the Mercedes-Benz C291, but never raced due to Mercedes-Benz withdrawing from sportscar racing after a dismal 1991 season.
The Jaguar XJR sportscars were a series of race cars used by Jaguar-backed teams in both the World Sportscar Championship (WSC) Group C and the IMSA Camel GTP series between 1984 and 1993.
Throughout its long history, Mercedes-Benz has been involved in a range of successful motorsport activities, including sportscar racing, touring car racing, Grand Prix racing, and rallying. It is currently active in GT racing, and Formula One. Mercedes is also one of only three constructors to complete the Triple Crown of Motorsport, a feat that Mercedes achieved as both a chassis manufacturer and an engine manufacturer by winning the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Jaguar XJR-11 was a sports-prototype racing car introduced for the 1989 World Sports Prototype Championship, while its sister car the XJR-10 was introduced to compete in IMSA series races.
Brun Motorsport GmbH was a Swiss auto racing team founded by driver Walter Brun in 1983. They competed as a Porsche privateer team in sports car racing for their entire existence, running in a multitude of international championships. They notably won the World Sportscar Championship in 1986 and later became a full-fledged chassis constructor. Brun was also briefly part of the EuroBrun Formula One team from 1988 to 1990. The team was eventually dissolved in 1992.
The XJR-8 was a race car built by Jaguar for campaigning in the World Sportscar Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans as part of Group C. It was used during the 1987 season.
The Peugeot V10 engine is a series of naturally-aspirated, V10, racing engines; produced between 1990 and 2000. These engines were used to compete in the World Sportscar Championship, between 1990 and 1993, with Peugeot winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans two years in a row. In 1994, they decided to make the switch to Formula One, using the same 3.5 L V10 derived from their highly successful, Le Mans-winning 905 Group C sports prototype, that was easily adjusted to F1 regulations. Peugeot debuted as an engine supplier with the McLaren team and remained in F1 until the end of the 2000 season.
The Mercedes-Benz M291 engine is a 3.5-liter flat-12 racing engine, designed, developed and produced by Mercedes-Benz, for their Group C racing program. It was introduced in 1991, along with their new Mercedes-Benz C291 prototype race car chassis.