Motor Racing Developments Ltd., more famously known as Brabham, was an iconic British racing car manufacturer and Formula 1 team founded in 1960 by the formidable duo of Australian F1 driver Jack Brabham and British-Australian engineer Ron Tauranac.
Notable Team Members and Drivers
Jack Brabham: Co-founder of the team and a driver, Jack Brabham was instrumental in the team’s early success, including winning the 1966 Drivers’ Championship with a car of his own design.
Ron Tauranac: Co-founder and designer Ron Tauranac’s engineering expertise was crucial in developing the cars that led to the team’s early wins and success.
Nelson Piquet: As a driver for Brabham in the 1980s, Piquet secured two Drivers’ Championships for the team in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged Brabham cars.
Over 30 years, Brabham achieved remarkable success, clinching four Formula One Drivers’ Championships and two Constructors’ Championships. The team’s early years were highlighted by Jack Brabham’s historic 1966 Drivers’ Championship win, a feat unparalleled to this day, as it was won in a car that he co-designed.
In its early years, aside from Formula 1, Brabham was also one of the world’s best manufacturers of open-wheel racing cars, supplying customer teams across various motorsport categories. By 1970, the company had produced over 500 cars in Formula Two, Formula Three, the Indianapolis 500, and Formula 5000. Brabham was known for its groundbreaking technologies, such as carbon brakes, hydropneumatic suspension, and the strategy of in-race refuelling. The team’s pioneering Gordon Murray-designed ‘fan car’ famously won its debut race before being voluntarily retired from competition.
The 1980s became another golden era for Brabham, with Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet winning two of his three Formula One Drivers’ Championships with the team. Piquet’s victories in 1981 and 1983 were milestones in F1 history, with the 1983 win marking the first championship won using a turbocharged engine. The Brabham BT52, powered by a BMW M12 engine and driven by Piquet and Italian teammate Riccardo Patrese, was instrumental in securing four of the team’s thirty-five Grand Prix wins.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Brabham was owned by British businessman Bernie Ecclestone, who eventually became the commercial director of Formula One. Ecclestone’s time with Brabham saw the team achieve great success. However, the team’s fortunes faded in the late 1980s, leading to Ecclestone selling Brabham in 1988 to the Middlebridge Group, a Japanese engineering firm.
In 1992, the team started the season with driver Eric van de Poele and female F1 driver Giovanna Amati stepping in for Akihiko Nakaya, who could not secure a super licence. Amati was distinguished as the fifth female to compete in Formula 1. However, later in the season, the team brought in Damon Hill, the son of former Brabham driver and World Champion Graham Hill, after Giovanna Amati’s departure due to her sponsorship falling through.
Financial difficulties under the Middlebridge Group’s ownership marred the team’s final years. Brabham closed its doors midway through the 1992 season due to the team’s debts owed to Landhurst Leasing, so much so that the collapse led to an investigation by the UK Serious Fraud Office.
Despite a 2009 attempt by a German company to revive the Brabham name for the 2010 Formula One season, the effort did not succeed.
Brabham Formula One World Championship Records
| First entry | 1962 German Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Races entered | 403 entries (394 starts) |
| Engines | Climax, Repco, Ford, Alfa Romeo, BMW, Judd, Yamaha |
| Constructors’ Championships | 2 (1966, 1967) |
| Drivers’ Championships | 4 (1966, 1967, 1981, 1983) |
| Race victories | 35 |
| Podiums | 120 |
| Points | 832 |
| Pole positions | 40 |
| Fastest laps | 41 |
| Final entry | 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix |
Brabham Drivers’ Champions
The following drivers won the Formula One Drivers’ Championship for Brabham F1.
| Driver | Nationality | Championship Year |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Brabham | Australian | 1966 |
| Denny Hulme | New Zealander | 1967 |
| Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | 1981 |
| Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | 1983 |
Brabham Championship Results
| Year | Name | Car | Drivers | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Brabham Racing Organisation | Lotus 24 Brabham BT3 | Jack Brabham | 9 | 7th |
| 1963 | Brabham Racing Organisation | Brabham BT3 Brabham BT7 Lotus 25 | Jack Brabham Dan Gurney | 28 | 3rd |
| 1964 | Brabham Racing Organisation | Brabham BT7 Brabham BT11 | Jack Brabham Dan Gurney | 33 | 4th |
| 1965 | Brabham Racing Organisation | Brabham BT7 Brabham BT11 | Jack Brabham Dan Gurney Denny Hulme Giancarlo Baghetti | 27 | 3rd |
| 1966 | Brabham Racing Organisation | Brabham BT19 Brabham BT20 Brabham BT22 | Jack Brabham Denny Hulme | 42 | 1st |
| 1967 | Brabham Racing Organisation | Brabham BT19 Brabham BT20 Brabham BT24 | Jack Brabham Denny Hulme | 37 | 1st |
| 1968 | Brabham Racing Organisation | Brabham BT24 Brabham BT26 | Jack Brabham Jochen Rindt Dan Gurney | 10 | 8th |
| 1969 | Motor Racing Developments | Brabham BT26A | Jack Brabham Jacky Ickx | 51 | 2nd |
| 1970 | Motor Racing Developments | Brabham BT33 | Jack Brabham Rolf Stommelen | 35 | 4th |
| 1971 | Motor Racing Developments | Brabham BT33 Brabham BT34 | Graham Hill Tim Schenken Dave Charlton | 5 | 9th |
| 1972 | Motor Racing Developments | Brabham BT33 Brabham BT34 Brabham BT37 | Graham Hill Carlos Reutemann Wilson Fittipaldi | 7 | 9th |
| 1973 | Motor Racing Developments Ceramica Pagnossin Team MRD | Brabham BT37 Brabham BT42 | Carlos Reutemann Wilson Fittipaldi Andrea de Adamich Rolf Stommelen John Watson | 49 | 4th |
| 1974 | Motor Racing Developments | Brabham BT42 Brabham BT44 | Carlos Reutemann Carlos Pace Rikky von Opel Richard Robarts Teddy Pilette | 35 | 5th |
| 1975 | Martini Racing | Brabham BT44B | Carlos Reutemann Carlos Pace | 54 | 2nd |
| 1976 | Martini Racing | Brabham BT45 | Carlos Reutemann Carlos Pace Rolf Stommelen Larry Perkins | 9 | 9th |
| 1977 | Martini Racing | Brabham BT45B | Carlos Pace John Watson Hans-Joachim Stuck Giorgio Francia | 27 | 5th |
| 1978 | Parmalat Racing Team | Brabham BT45C Brabham BT46/B/C | Niki Lauda John Watson Nelson Piquet | 53 | 3rd |
| 1979 | Parmalat Racing Team | Brabham BT46 Brabham BT48 Brabham BT49 | Niki Lauda Nelson Piquet Ricardo Zunino | 6 | 8th |
| 1980 | Parmalat Racing Team | Brabham BT49/B | Nelson Piquet Ricardo Zunino Héctor Rebaque | 55 | 3rd |
| 1981 | Parmalat Racing Team | Brabham BT49/B/C | Nelson Piquet Héctor Rebaque Ricardo Zunino | 61 | 2nd |
| 1982 | Parmalat Racing Team | Brabham BT49D Brabham BT50 | Nelson Piquet Riccardo Patrese | 41 | 5th |
| 1983 | Fila Sport | Brabham BT52/B | Nelson Piquet Riccardo Patrese | 72 | 3rd |
| 1984 | MRD International | Brabham BT53 | Nelson Piquet Teo Fabi Corrado Fabi Manfred Winkelhock | 38 | 4th |
| 1985 | Motor Racing Developments Ltd | Brabham BT54 | Nelson Piquet Marc Surer François Hesnault | 26 | 5th |
| 1986 | Motor Racing Developments Ltd | Brabham BT54 Brabham BT55 | Elio de Angelis Riccardo Patrese Derek Warwick | 2 | 9th |
| 1987 | Motor Racing Developments Ltd | Brabham BT56 | Riccardo Patrese Andrea de Cesaris Stefano Modena | 10 | 8th |
| 1989 | Motor Racing Developments | Brabham BT58 | Martin Brundle Stefano Modena | 8 | 9th |
| 1990 | Motor Racing Developments | Brabham BT58 Brabham BT59 | Stefano Modena David Brabham Gregor Foitek | 2 | 10th |
| 1991 | Motor Racing Developments Ltd | Brabham BT59Y Brabham BT60Y | Martin Brundle Mark Blundell | 3 | 9th |
| 1992 | Motor Racing Developments Ltd | Brabham BT60B | Eric van de Poele Giovanna Amati Damon Hill | 0 | NC |
