Open season or return of the status quo?

[Galahad]

Matra International was the partnership between Matra, who supplied the chassis and did the research and development, and Tyrrell, who would prep the cars and run them at race weekends. Through 1968-69 they ran Cosworth DFV V8s in Matra chassis and won the title with Stewart in the latter season.

By 1970 Matra wanted to go with a completely French car - chassis and engine - and run their home-grown V12. Tyrrell tested the V12 car but thought the engine was heavier and less powerful than the DFV, and there was an amicable parting of the ways.

It was disappointment with the performance level of the March, early in 1970, that prompted Ken Tyrrell to set Derek Gardner to work on designing Tyrrell 001.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I just had it in my mind that march figured in there somewhere so that explains it cheers Galahad

 

[ramilas1]

Nice article - and as for the Status Quo, they'll probably be going when even the Rolling Stones give up!

 

[RasputinLives]

ramilas1 I was waiting for someone to chuck in a Quo joke so I'm glad you didn't dissapoint.

I didn't think don't the Stones line though I thought someone was just gonna throw the line "What Your Proposing" into their reply or even shrug their shoulders and say "Whatever you want"

Mephistopheles you are probably right about the gases however we did have one race without them last year and it didn't close the field up like this so I still think stability and testing has a lot to do with it

 

[Mephistopheles]

It's a shame we haven't got one of those flashing "oh no" lights with a loud buzzer like they do on QI....