Formula 1 is often considered the most technologically advanced racing in the world, and that’s not just something that has come about in the digital age. Nearly every rule currently in the FIA F1 rule book is because someone tried something that they determined wasn’t in the best interest of fair competition, or needed to be added to keep racers and crew members safe. That means that over the years, many many teams tried new things that weren’t against the rules, only to get those things outlawed soon after for being an unfair competitive advantage or just an avenue the FIA didn’t want to see F1 go down. All wheel drive was one of those avenues, but not before the Ferguson P99 put 4wd to the test and won.
Check out this great video from our friends at Goodwood and let us know what you think.
Video Description:
One of the great innovations in F1 is not talked about enough. That may be because the technology never really took off as the regulations changed, but in the right conditions, it was a world-beater. It was the brainchild of a man who was crucial in the development of the modern agricultural tractor, Harry Ferguson.
When we say world-beater, we really mean it. It was the 1961 Gold Cup which saw the Ferguson P99 outclass the entire field by a whopping 46 secs at the hands of one Stirling Moss. It remains the only win by a 4WD car and the last by a front-engined car.
We caught up with owner Thomas Schlereth, and motorsport historian Doug Nye, to find out more about this marvellous machine as it returns to the Goodwood Revival.
