Walter Wolf Racing was a Formula 1 constructor that competed from 1977 to 1979. Remarkably, the team won the first race it entered. Owned and operated by Canadian Walter Wolf, the team was headquartered in Reading, UK, but raced under a Canadian license.
Notable Team Members and Drivers
Jody Scheckter: Scheckter was the lead driver for Walter Wolf Racing during its peak years. His drives led the team to its first race win in Argentina in 1977. He went on to win at the Monaco and Canadian Grand Prix, securing him second place in the 1977 World Championship.
Harvey Postlethwaite: As the chief engineer for Walter Wolf Racing, Postlethwaite designed competitive cars such as the WR1, which achieved immediate success and the team’s strong performance during the 1977 season.
Walter Wolf: As the owner and founder of Walter Wolf Racing, he acquired assets from Hesketh Racing and hired Scheckter to great success.
1975–77
In 1975, Slovenian-born Canadian businessman Walter Wolf began appearing at numerous Formula One races. The following year, he acquired 60% of Frank Williams Racing Cars, retaining Frank Williams as the team’s manager. Simultaneously, Wolf purchased the assets of Hesketh Racing, which had withdrawn from F1 due to financial difficulties, and obtained equipment from Embassy Hill after a tragic plane crash killed six people, including team owner Graham Hill and driver Tony Brise.
The team operated out of the Williams facility in Reading but used most of the cars and equipment from Hesketh Racing. The Hesketh 308C was rebranded as the Wolf–Williams FW05. Soon after, Harvey Postlethwaite joined as chief engineer, and drivers Jacky Ickx and Michel Leclère were hired. However, the team struggled, failing to qualify for several races. Leclère left after the French Grand Prix, replaced by Arturo Merzario, while Ickx was dropped after the British Grand Prix, leading to a series of pay drivers.
At the end of 1976, Wolf restructured the team, removing Frank Williams as manager and bringing in Peter Warr from Team Lotus. Disillusioned, Williams departed, taking Patrick Head and several others with him to form Williams Grand Prix Engineering. Under Postlethwaite’s design, the WR1, a conventional Cosworth package, was developed. With Jody Scheckter hired from Tyrrell, the team won its first race in Argentina, capitalising on the retirement of six cars ahead of Scheckter, who started tenth.
In the 1977 season, Scheckter won the 1977 Monaco Grand Prix and the 1977 Canadian Grand Prix, along with six other podium finishes. This performance earned him second place in the World Championship, behind Niki Lauda, and secured fourth place for Wolf in the 1977 Constructors’ Championship.
1978–79
The team remained unchanged for the 1978 season. Harvey Postlethwaite introduced the WR5, a new car designed for the ground-effects era, which debuted at the 1978 Belgian Grand Prix. Jody Scheckter finished fourth in Spain and second in Germany, but the WR5 was soon replaced by the WR6. Scheckter concluded the season with a third-place finish at the 1978 US Grand Prix and a second-place finish in Canada, ending up seventh in the World Championship.
In 1979, Scheckter moved to Ferrari, and James Hunt was brought in as his replacement. Postlethwaite designed the WR7, which featured Olympus sponsorship. However, the car struggled, retiring more than seven times in the first half of the season. The WR8 was introduced mid-season, but it did little to improve performance. James Hunt retired mid-season, and Keke Rosberg was quickly hired to replace him. Despite the introduction of the WR9, the team’s fortunes did not improve. By the end of the year, Walter Wolf decided to exit Formula One, selling the team to Emerson Fittipaldi, who merged its assets into Fittipaldi Automotive.
Walter Wolf Racing Formula One World Championship Records
| First entry | 1977 Argentine Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Races entered | 48 |
| Constructors | Wolf-Ford |
| Drivers’ Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 3 |
| Podiums | 13 |
| Points | 79 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 2 |
| Final entry | 1979 United States Grand Prix |
Walter Wolf Racing Constructors’ Championship Results
| Year | Car | Drivers | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | WR1 WR2 WR3 | Jody Scheckter | 55 | 4th |
| 1978 | WR4 WR5 WR1 WR6 | Jody Scheckter Bobby Rahal | 24 | 5th |
| 1979 | WR7 WR8 WR9 | James Hunt Keke Rosberg | 0 | 14th |
Walter Wolf Racing Non-Championship Entries
| Year | Car | Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | WR3 | Jody Scheckter |
| 1979 | WR7 WR8 WR9 | James Hunt Keke Rosberg |
Walter Wolf Racing Private Entries
| Year | Entrant | Car | Drivers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Theodore Racing Hong Kong | WR3 WR4 | Keke Rosberg |
Source: Wikipedia.com
