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Technology in race cars (31): Ferrari 312 B - The last cigar

Name: Ferrari 312 B 1970
Brand: Ferrari

Created on June 8, 2023

Text:

Gerhard Schütz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Archiv Gerhard Schütz

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

Archiv Gerhard Schütz

Archiv

Ferrari 312 B (1970) - National Museum "Cité de l'Automobile" - Schlumpf Collection

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Ferrari 312 F1 (1966) - Packed rear with V12 and "spaghetti" exhaust

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Ferrari 312 F1 (1966) - The wildly twisted exhaust manifolds make it clear why this model is also known as "Spaghetti"

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Ferrari 312 B (1970) - Jacky Ickx at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jarama

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Ferrari 312 B (1970) - the engine "hangs" in the chassis

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Ferrari 312 B2 (1971) - Drawing of the rear axle with force redirection to horizontal spring-damper units

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Ferrari 312 B3-73/1 (1973) - Jacky Icks' first car for the 1973 season, a Colombo design with side radiators

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Ferrari 312 B3-73/1 (1973) - left with monocoque, compared to the 312 B2 on the right with tubular frame

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Ferrari 312 B3-73/1 (1971) - with the ineffective side radiators

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Ferrari 312 B3-73/2 (1973) - Arturo Merzario at the French Grand Prix. The radiator is at the front again, the wedge shape has remained

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Ferrari 312 B3-74 (1974) - with wide body and narrow cooling air outlets

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Ferrari 312 B3-73/3 (1973) - new concept with narrow, rearward sloping water coolers next to the driver and vertical oil coolers behind them

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Ferrari 312 B3-73/3 (1973) - Arturo Merzario at the Austrian Grand Prix. The radiators are on the side again

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Ferrari 312 B2 (1972) - now again with conventional spring/damper units on the rear axle

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Ferrari 312 B3-73/3 (1973) - A closer look under Merzario's car. The position of the radiator is clearly visible here

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Ferrari 312 B (1970) - highly simplified representation of the chassis concept

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Ferrari 312 B (1970) - The 180-degree engine lowers the center of gravity by 5 cm compared to the 60-degree V12

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Ferrari 312 B3-74 (1974) - Italian Grand Prix, Lauda ahead of Regazzoni

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Ferrari 312 B3-74 (1974) - Interlagos 1975: Niki Lauda takes fifth place in the last race with the B3

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Ferrari 312 B (1970) - Ickx and Regazzoni on the way to a one-two victory in Spielberg

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Ferrari 312 B2 (1972) - tests with a new front section on Clay Regazzoni's car in Kyalami

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Ferrari 312 B3-73/2 (1973) - Jacky Ickx in Monaco ahead of Wilson Fittipaldi in the Brabham BT 42

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Ferrari 312 B3-74 (1974) - Regazzoni ahead of Lauda at the Monaco Grand Prix

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Ferrari 312 B (1970) - sectional drawing of the engine: 180-degree V12, 155 kg, 460 hp

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Ferrari 312 B (1970) - start of the Austrian Grand Prix. In direct comparison with the Lotus 72 of Jochen Rindt (No. 6), the Ferrari of Ickx (12), Giunti (14) and Regazzoni (27) look a generation older

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Ferrari 312 B2 (1971) - Jacky Ickx ahead of Emerson Fittipaldi in the Lotus, Ronnie Peterson in the March and Tim Schenken in the Babham

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Ferrari 312 B2 (1971) - rear axle with horizontal springs and dampers - not stiff enough, too many vibrations

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Ferrari 312 B2 (1971) - Mario Andretti approaching the Nürburgring

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Ferrari 312 B3-74 (1974) - Clay Regazzoni on one of the Nürburgring's crests

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Ferrari 312 B2 (1972) - Clay Regazzoni at the South African Grand Prix with modified front end

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Ferrari 312 B (1970) - Ickx ahead of Regazzoni in Spielberg

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Ferrari 312 B3-73/1 (1973) - The first attempt to get closer to the Lotus 72

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Ferrari 312 B3-73/1 (1973) - Wedge-shaped, smooth front end

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Ferrari 312 B3-73/1 (1973) - Jacky Ickx poses with his new company car

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Lotus 72B (1970) - John Miles in Zandvoort ahead of Clay Regazzoni in the Ferrari 312 B

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Ferrari 312 B3-73/3 (1973) - Jacky Ickx in his last race for Ferrari at Monza

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Ferrari 312 B (1970) - the "last cigar" in all its glory

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Ferrari 312 B2 (1971) - Jacky Ickx in the Monaco tunnel

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Ferrari 312 B2 (1971) - Front radiator and front axle

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Ferrari 312 B2 (1971) - Good for the center of gravity: the engine hangs almost level with the wheel hubs

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Ferrari 312 B2 (1971) - Regazzoni with yet another different front end at Silverstone

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Ferrari 312 B2 (1971) - Jacky Ickx at the Monaco Grand Prix

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Ferrari 312 B (1970) - Unusual angle on Jacky Ickx's car at the Belgian Grand Prix

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Ferrari 312 B (1970) - The engine, disassembled into its most important components

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Ferrari 312 B2 (1972) - technical analysis

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Summary

Start strong and slow down - the career of the Ferrari 312 B can be broken down to this simple formula. While in its first season in 1970 it was still at the front of the field and only just missed out on the world championship title, over the years it moved further and further away from the competition - but unfortunately in the wrong direction. This article from the series "Technology in racing cars" describes the development of the racing car, which itself was denied great success, but which set the course for future world championship titles.

This article contains the following chapters

The engine
The car
Successful 1970 season
Evolutions-Leidensweg 1971–1973
Back on the road to success

Estimated reading time: 10min

Preview (beginning of the article)

From 1961 to 1965, in the years of the 1.5-liter formula, Ferrari had won two drivers' world championships: in 1961 with Phil Hill in the Type 156 and in 1964 with John Surtees in the Type 158. In contrast, the first four years of the three-liter formula from 1966 onwards were more than disappointing for the traditional company: no championship and only one single victory (Jacky Ickx in the 1968 Rouen rain race). Things could not go on like this. Although nobody could have guessed at the time that much worse times were yet to come: 1980 to 1999, for example, the period between Jody Scheckter's and Michael Schumacher's world championship titles; and 16 years have now passed since Kimi Räikkönen's world championship victory in 2007... Chief technician Mauro Forghieri was slowly running out of steam, and when he moved into his own office in Modena in 1969 on Enzo Ferrari's orders, it was not entirely clear whether this was a chance for a real fresh start or a banishment. Fortunately, it was the former, as it turned out in 1970 with the Type 312 B.

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