Vanwall

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:For Template:Former F1 team Template:Infobox F1 engine manufacturer

File:Thinwall special.jpg

The fourth, and last, Thinwall Special. Used between Template:F1 and Template:F1.

File:Vanwall VW5 Aintree 1957.jpg

The winning Vanwall VW5 before the 1957 British Grand Prix.

Vanwall was a British motor racing team and racing car constructor that was active in Formula One during the 1950s. Founded by Tony Vandervell, the Vanwall name was derived by combining the name of the team owner with that of his Thinwall bearings produced at the Vandervell Products factory at Acton, London. Originally entering modified Ferraris in non-championship races, Vanwall constructed their first cars to race in the 1954 Formula One season. The team achieved their first race win in the 1957 British Grand Prix, with Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks sharing a VW 5, earning the team the distinction of constructing the first British-built car to win a World Championship race. Vanwall won the inaugural Constructors' Championship in Formula One in Template:F1, in the process allowing Moss and Brooks to finish second and third in the Drivers' Championship standings, each winning three races for Vanwall. Vandervell's failing health meant 1958 would be the last full season; the squad ran cars in a handful of races in the following years, but finished racing in 1961.

HistoryEdit

Tony Vandervell's Vanwall Company made Babbit bearings (UK White Metal bearings) under licence from the Cleveland Graphite Bronze Company; W. A. Robotham of Rolls-Royce said that "it was an exceedingly difficult task ... knowing the American company well".<ref>Template:Cite book </ref>

Tony Vandervell was one of the original backers of British Racing Motors. In the early 1950s he entered a series of modified Ferraris in Formule Libre races under the name "Thinwall Special".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The first actual Vanwalls were known as Vanwall Specials and were built for the new Formula 1 regulations in 1954 at Cox Green, Maidenhead. The chassis was designed by Owen Maddock and built by the Cooper Car Company. The 2.0 L engine was designed by Norton engineer Leo Kuzmicki, and was essentially four Manx<ref name="Setright1">Setright, L. J. K. "Vanwall: The End of an Era", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Vol. 21, p.2461.</ref> single-cylinder Template:Convert (Template:Convert) engines with a common waterjacket, cylinder head (a copy of the Norton's) and valvetrain,<ref name="Setright1"/> with induction by four AMAL motorcycle carburetors.<ref name="Setright1"/> This combination was fitted to a Rolls-Royce B40 military engine crankcase, copied in aluminium.<ref name="Setright, p.2462">Setright, p.2462.</ref> Designed for Formula Two, which was supplanted before it appeared,<ref name="Setright, p.2462"/> the car debuted in a Grande Epreuve in the 1954 British Grand Prix. Against 2½ litre Formula One competition, it was at a decided disadvantage. The Goodyear disc brakes (built by Vanwall) proved successful,<ref name="Setright, p.2462"/> but the front suspension and fuel and cooling systems were troublesome.<ref name="Setright, p.2462"/> Development continued with a switch to Bosch fuel injection (thanks to Vandervell's "persuading" Daimler-Benz, a major Bosch customer, to allow it),<ref>With a threat to withhold Thinwall bearings. Setright, p.2462.</ref> while retaining the AMAL throttle bodies; they were plagued with throttle linkage trouble, due to vibration from the big four-cylinder.<ref name="Setright, p.2462"/> Vanwall also increased the capacity of the engines, first to Template:Convert (Template:Convert) for Peter Collins at Monaco 1955, and then a full Template:Convert (Template:Convert). Vanwalls then ran for a season in F1 without much in the way of success. At the end of the 1955 season, it was plain that the engine was sound, but that the Ferrari-derived<ref name="Setright, p.2462"/> chassis needed improvement. It was suggested to Vandervell that he should hire the services of a young up-and-coming designer to improve their cars. The designer was Colin Chapman.

The new 1956<ref name="Setright, p.2462"/> cars designed by Chapman (along with the aerodynamicist Frank Costin) were of space frame construction, the De Dion rear axle's unsprung weight reduced and front torsion bar added.<ref name="Setright, p.2462"/> (None of these ideas were revolutionary, but Chapman was happy simply to be meticulous.)<ref>Setright, L.J.K. "Lotus: The Golden Mean", in Northey, Volume 11, p.1230.</ref> Furthermore, a fifth gear and Porsche synchromesh were added to the transmission.<ref name="Setright, p.2462"/> The driving seat was placed above this and could not be reduced below Template:Convert above the road, making the height very problematic (the top of the driver's helmet was fully Template:Convert from the road surface, while the vertically mounted engine made a reduction impractical in any case),<ref name="Setright, p.2462"/> and the handling was suspect despite Chapman's best efforts.<ref name="Setright, p.2462"/> The solution which today is obvious, mounting the engine behind the driver, would take two more years to be accepted. Costin made the most of it, and produced a car "much faster in a straight line than any of its rivals".<ref name="Setright, p.2463">Setright, p.2463.</ref>

The new car showed early promise in 1956 by winning the non-championship F1 race at Silverstone against strong opposition. It set the lap record at Syracuse<ref name="Setright, p.2463"/> Stirling Moss drove the car to victory in what was his only drive for Vanwall that year, as he was still contracted to drive for Maserati in F1. Talented drivers Harry Schell and Maurice Trintignant were the full-timers for the season. However, neither of them had much success although the car showed obvious potential.

With the car developing and becoming ever more competitive, Moss eventually decided to drive for the team in 1957. He was joined by two Englishmen, Tony Brooks and Stuart Lewis-Evans. As the 1957 season unfolded, the cars became faster and more reliable. Moss and Brooks duly shared Vanwall's first Grand Prix victory in Britain at Aintree, and Moss went on to win both the Italian (where only being piloted by Fangio enabled the Maserati to run with the Vanwalls, for Moss finished with 41 seconds in hand even after a pit stop)<ref name="Setright, p.2463"/> and Pescara Grands Prix.

At the end of 1957, alcohol fuels were banned and replaced by a compulsory 130-octane aviation gasoline. This caused problems for Vanwall and BRM with their large bore engines that required methanol for engine cooling. As a result, the Vanwall's power dropped from Template:Convert at 7,500 rpm<ref name="Setright, p.2463"/> (308 bhp with nitromethane) to Template:Convert on the test bed. During the race, where revs were reduced, only 255–262 bhp at 7,200–7,400 rpm was available. This put them at a disadvantage to the new Dino Ferrari V6 cars with a claimed 290 PS (286 bhp) at 8,300 rpm. The Vanwall's superior road holding (thanks to suspension changes, new steel wheels, and new nylon-cord Dunlop R5 racing tyres),<ref name="Setright, p.2463"/> streamlining, 5-speed gearbox, and disc brakes helped to offset this.

All three drivers stayed with the team in 1958, and Moss (wins in the Netherlands, Portugal and Morocco) and Brooks (wins in Belgium, Germany and Italy) each won three championship races that season. Vanwall became the first team to win the Constructors' Championship, held for the first time that season. However, Moss lost out to Mike Hawthorn in the Drivers' Championship by a single point to finish second, with Brooks ending the season in third. Their triumph at the end of the season was sadly marred when, during the final race of the year in Morocco, Lewis-Evans was fatally injured in an accident.

The 1958 season was the last one in which Vanwall entered every race. Vandervell's health was failing and he had been advised by his doctors to rest. The team continued half-heartedly. Brooks made one appearance in a lower and lighter Vanwall at 1959 British Grand Prix, proving less successful against the new mid-engined Coopers, and the team tried again with another car in the 1960 French Grand Prix. These efforts lacked the seriousness of the past however and they were unsuccessful.

The last racing Vanwall was an "unwieldy"<ref name="Setright, p.2463"/> rear-engined machine produced for the 1961 3.0 litre Intercontinental Formula. Although showing promise when campaigned by John Surtees in two races, development was stopped short when the formula did not find success in Europe. The engine was enlarged to Template:Convert (Template:Convert), rated at Template:Convert on 100 octane petrol.

The Donington Collection had a complete example of each model, including the rear-engined car.

In 2003 Vanwall Cars was formed by Arthur Wolstenholme, producing the Vanwall GPR V12, a single-seater road-legal car bearing a strong resemblance to early Vanwall racing cars, and the Sports Racer, a two-seater of a similar style.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2012 the trademark was acquired from Mahle Engine Systems UK by Sanderson International Marketing Ltd. In Summer 2016 Vanwall completed and sold an official replica 1957 Vanwall and then in October 2020 Vanwall 1958 Ltd, majority owned by Iain Sanderson, announced the commissioning of Hall & Hall to build 6 original 1958 specification 'continuation cars'.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Formula One World Championship resultsEdit

(key)

Year	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	Driver	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Points	WCC
Template:F1	Vanwall Special	Vanwall L4	Template:Pirelli		ARG	500	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	SUI	ITA	ESP			n/a	n/aTemplate:Efn
Template:F1	Vanwall Special	Vanwall L4	Template:Pirelli	Template:Flagicon Peter Collins					Ret			7	DNS			n/a	n/aTemplate:Efn
Template:F1	Vanwall VW 55	Vanwall L4	Template:Pirelli		ARG	MON	500	BEL	NED	GBR	ITA					n/a	n/aTemplate:Efn
				Template:Flagicon Mike Hawthorn		Ret		Ret
				Template:Flagicon Ken Wharton						9Template:Efn	Ret
				Template:Flagicon Harry Schell						9Template:Efn	Ret
Template:F1	Vanwall VW 2	Vanwall L4	Template:Pirelli		ARG	MON	500	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA				n/a	n/aTemplate:Efn
				Template:Flagicon Maurice Trintignant		Ret		Ret		Ret		Ret
				Template:Flagicon Harry Schell		Ret		4	10Template:Efn	Ret		Ret
				Template:Flagicon Mike Hawthorn					10Template:Efn
				Template:Flagicon Colin Chapman					DNS
				Template:Flagicon José Froilán González						Ret
				Template:Flagicon Piero Taruffi								Ret
Template:F1	Vanwall VW 5	Vanwall L4	Template:Pirelli		ARG	MON	500	FRA	GBR	GER	PES	ITA				n/a	n/aTemplate:Efn
				Template:Flagicon Stirling Moss		Ret			Template:F1 race position Template:Efn	5	Template:F1 race position	1
				Template:Flagicon Tony Brooks		2			1Template:Efn	9	Ret	Template:F1 race position
				Template:Flagicon Stuart Lewis-Evans				Ret	7	Ret	5	Template:F1 race position
				Template:Flagicon Roy Salvadori				Ret
Template:F1	Vanwall VW 5	Vanwall L4	Template:Dunlop		ARG	MON	NED	500	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	POR	ITA	MOR	48 (57)	1st
				Template:Flagicon Stirling Moss		Ret	Template:F1 race position		Ret	2	Template:F1 race position	Template:F1 race position	Template:F1 race position	Template:F1 race position	Template:F1 race position
				Template:Flagicon Tony Brooks		Template:F1 race position	Ret		1	Ret	7	1	Ret	1	Ret
				Template:Flagicon Stuart Lewis-Evans		Ret	Template:F1 race position		3	Ret	4		3	Ret	Ret
Template:F1	Vanwall VW 59	Vanwall L4	Template:Dunlop		MON	500	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	POR	ITA	USA			0	NC
Template:F1	Vanwall VW 59	Vanwall L4	Template:Dunlop	Template:Flagicon Tony Brooks					Ret							0	NC
Template:F1	Vanwall VW 11	Vanwall L4	Template:Dunlop		ARG	MON	500	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR	POR	ITA	USA		0	NC
Template:F1	Vanwall VW 11	Vanwall L4	Template:Dunlop	Template:Flagicon Tony Brooks						Ret						0	NC

Non-championship Formula One resultsEdit

(key)

Year	Chassis	Engine	Driver	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Template:F1	Vanwall Special	Vanwall L4		SYR	PAU	LAV	BOR	INT	BAR	CUR	ROM	FRO	COR	BRC	CRY	ROU	CAE	AUG	COR	OUL	RED	PES	JOE	CAD	BER	GOO	DTT
			Template:Flagicon Alberto Ascari			DNA
			Template:Flagicon Alan Brown					Ret
			Template:Flagicon Peter Collins																		DNA					2
			Template:Flagicon Mike Hawthorn																								2
Template:F1	Vanwall VW 1/ VW2/ VW3	Vanwall L4		NZL	BUE	VAL	PAU	GLO	BOR	INT	NAP	ALB	CUR	COR	LON	DRT	RED	DTT	OUL	AVO	SYR
			Template:Flagicon Mike Hawthorn					DNA		Ret
			Template:Flagicon Ken Wharton							Ret							2
			Template:Flagicon Harry Schell												2		1		Ret	Template:F1 race position
			Template:Flagicon Desmond Titterington																3
Template:F1	Vanwall VW 1/ VW2	Vanwall L4		BUE	GLV	SYR	AIN	INT	NAP	100	VNW	CAE	BRH
			Template:Flagicon Harry Schell				DNA	Ret
			Template:Flagicon Stirling Moss				DNA	Template:F1 race position
Template:F1	Vanwall VW 1/ VW3/ VW7/ VW8/ VW10	Vanwall L4		BUE	SYR	PAU	GLV	NAP	RMS	CAE	INT	MOD	MOR
			Template:Flagicon Stirling Moss		Template:F1 race position		Template:F1 race position						DNS
			Template:Flagicon Tony Brooks		Ret		Template:F1 race position				DNA		Ret
			Template:Flagicon Stuart Lewis-Evans						3				2
			Template:Flagicon Roy Salvadori						5
Template:F1	Vanwall VW 5	Vanwall L4		GLV	INT	SIL	LOM	OUL
	Vanwall VW 5		Template:Flagicon Tony Brooks	7	DNA
	Lotus 18		Template:Flagicon Tony Brooks				DNS