Derrington-Francis was a short-lived British Formula One team founded by Alf Francis, the former chief mechanic of Stirling Moss, and engine tuner Vic Derrington.
After the collapse of Automobili Turismo e Sport (ATS) in 1963, they acquired one of its old Tipo 100 cars, reworking it into the Derrington-Francis ATS. The car featured a spaceframe chassis, short wheelbase, and distinctive square aluminium bodywork — a unique but ultimately fragile package.
The car made its only Grand Prix appearance at Monza for the 1964 Italian Grand Prix, driven by Portuguese driver Mário de Araújo Cabral (one of Formula One’s only openly gay F1 drivers). He qualified 19th and briefly battled with Peter Revson and Maurice Trintignant before retiring on lap 25 with ignition issues.
Although more races were planned, a crash during private testing — with Dan Gurney at the wheel — damaged the team’s only chassis, bringing the project to an abrupt end.
Formula One History Recommends
Derrington-Francis ATS Formula One World Championship Records
| First entry | 1964 Italian Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Races entered | 1 |
| Constructors | ATS |
| Engines | ATS |
| Constructors’ Championships | 0 |
| Drivers’ Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Final entry | 1964 Italian Grand Prix |
Derrington-Francis ATS Constructors’ Championship Results
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Derrington-Francis | ATS V8 | Mário de Araújo Cabral | MON | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | ITA Ret | USA | MEX | 0 | NC |