Beltoise and the P180

The BRM P180, designed by Tony Southgate, and powered by a BRM 3.0-litre V12 engine, was not competitive enough at the 1972 Canadian Formula One Grand Prix at Mosport. Jean-Pierre Beltoise (picture above), qualified 20th and was forced to retire with an oil leak on lap 21. The race was won by Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell-Ford) in front of the McLarens of Peter Revson and Denny Hulme.

One of the main features of the P180 was that the radiators had moved to the rear of the car, allowing the nose (of the car) to be very wide and flat, better front-end grip and less frontal air resistance. It competed in five Grand Prix, with a total of seven individual entries. The car’s best finish being eighth for Beltoise at the 1972 Italian Grand Prix (picture below, next to the older model P160C, driven by Howden Ganley who finished 11th).