Chiti designs the “sharknose”

Modena 1961. Richie Ginther is in the Ferrari 156 V6 “Sharknose” which he is about to test, while on his left we recognize the engineer Carlo Chiti who is helping a mechanic, and on the right of the photo, Phil Hill and Enzo Ferrari who are watching attentively, leaning on a beautiful Ferrari 250 GTE V12 road car.

The Ferrari 156 was a Formula One single-seater designed by Vittorio Jano (technical director) and Carlo Chiti (chief engineer) for the 1961 season. It had to comply with the new regulations which required a 1.5 litre engine instead of the 2.5 litre engine used until then.

The 1961 version was quickly nicknamed “sharknose” because of its very particular front air intakes which were also found on the SP series (sport-prototypes) entered in endurance and also designed by Carlo Chiti in 1961 and 1962.

Ferrari started the 1961 season with the 65-degree Dino engine, which was quickly replaced by a new 120-degree V engine designed by Carlo Chiti. The drivers were Phil Hill, Wolfgang von Trips, and Richie Ginther.

Phil Hill won the drivers’ title driving the 156 at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix in Monza, where his teammate and title rival, von Trips, tragically lost his life in a collision with Jim Clark. Ferrari, for its part, secured the International Formula One Constructors’ Cup.