Five single-seaters you shouldn't miss at FOS!
What would the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard be without a world-leading roster of the greatest single-seater competition cars in history? Well, it wouldn’t be FOS. As you’d expect, this year’s lineup looks as incredible as ever, so picking a top five you have to see during your visit is a difficult task. We soldier on regardless…
Brabham BT52
The BT52 might be one of the most spectacular Formula 1 cars ever manufactured. Famously putting out near-on 1,500bhp in qualifying specification from its turbocharged four-pot, the BT52 is one of the great icons of the power-mad turbo-crazed ‘80s, and that shape is unmissable to boot. Take a look at the video above for a bit of a preview...
Lotus 49
If you’re an F1 aficionado, you’ll no doubt be aware of the significance of the Lotus 49. The first application of the to-be supremely dominant Ford-Cosworth DFV, this most iconic of F1 team-ups would prove its prowess, save for a few teething problems, pretty much immediately. It’s 50 years since this car first turned a wheel in anger, so be sure to catch one in action at FOS.
Kurtis Kraft Cummins Diesel Special
Here’s a proper wild card, just to keep you on your toes. How about a diesel-powered Indycar? In spite of the utter dichotomy between diesel-power and single-seater motorsport, the effectiveness of diesel had been proven at Indy before, in 1931, when Cummins won on oil-burning power. A Kurtis Kraft Cummins Diesel Special took pole in qualifying at Indy under 6.6-litre turbodiesel power in 1952. The race itself wasn’t quite so successful, but regardless, what a thing to have in action at FOS!
Ferrari F2002
Bringing it back around to more accepted conventions, what better representative of early 2000s Michael Schumacher domination than the Ferrari F2002? Taking no less than second in every single race, F2002 and Schumacher were a near-unstoppable force to be reckoned with. You won’t want to miss that howling 850bhp 19,000rpm V10, either…
BT46B fan car
The Brabham BT46B. Where to start? Probably the whacking great fan hanging out the back for which it owes its rather straight-to-the-point nickname: the fan car. This was ground effect to the extreme, using a fan connected to the engine via clutches to both cool the engine and suck the car to the ground. It was devastatingly quick on its debut at the ’78 Swedish Grand Prix and caused a massive uproar from other teams who protested its legality. Not wanting to harm any carefully developed relationships, one Bernie Ecclestone (Brabham owner at the time) pulled the car from competition. Being the only car with as many wins to its name as it has races competed (one, if you're wondering) it was the rarest of machines to see in period never mind today...
So which single-seater are you most excited for? Let us know!
FOS
FOS 2017
Brabham
BT46
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BT52
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Festival of Speed
Gallery: Celebrating 50 years of the legendary Lotus 49 at FOS
Formula 1
Mega-gallery: Festival of F1 at FOS
Festival of Speed
Gallery: Game-changers at FOS
