Tico Martini’s big jump

The little French Martini team, so successful in the lower formulae, tried to make the big jump into Formula 1 in 1978 with driver René Arnoux. Unfortunately, the Martini MK23 was too conventional, unreliable, and ultimately not quick enough.

One should know that Tico Martini started the design of the car mid-1976, but by the time it was completed, its design was outdated, not just by the ground-effect cars like the Lotus 78-79, but also by the non ground-effect cars such as the Wolf WR1 or the Tyrrell 008.

At it’s first appearance at the 1978 South-African Grand Prix (picture above), it was plagued by fuel system related problems and Arnoux was not able to qualify for the race.

Throughout the season, the little team suffered with continuous engine problems, and its only by the French Grand Prix in July, that it introduced a revised oil radiator, which finally cured these problems, and Arnoux was able to qualify 18th and finish 14th ..

The Frenchman then again last on the grid in Austria, finished ninth and team manager Hugues de Chaunac conceded that the car was just not quick enough, and that there was no point continuing.

It was the end of a brave adventure.

Picture below: René Arnoux, trying hard during practice for the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder.