Ferrari 312 PB
 | |
| Category | 1971:Group 6 Prototype-Sports Car 1972-73:Group 5 Sports Car |
|---|---|
| Constructor | Scuderia Ferrari |
| Designer(s) | Mauro Forghieri |
| Predecessor | Ferrari 312 P |
| Successor | Ferrari 333SP |
| Technical specifications | |
| Chassis | Aluminiumcentralmonocoquewithsteelspaceframefront and rear |
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbone,outboardcoil spring/damper |
| Suspension (rear) | Single top-link, reversed lowerwishbone,twinradius arms,outboardspring/damper |
| Engine | Ferrari Tipo 0013.0 LDOHCflat-12,naturally aspirated,mid-mounted |
| Transmission | Ferrari 5-speedmanual |
| Fuel | Shell |
| Tyres | Firestone/Goodyear |
| Competition history | |
| Notable entrants | Scuderia Ferrari |
| Notable drivers | |
| Debut | 19711000 km Buenos Aires |
| Constructors' Championships | 1(1972 WSC) |
TheFerrari 312 PBwas aGroup 6 Prototype-Sports Carintroduced in 1971 by Italian carmakerFerrari.It was officially designated the312 P,but often known as the 312 PB to avoid confusion with a previous car of the same name.[1]It was part of theFerrari Pseries of Prototype-Sports Cars but was redesignated as aGroup 5 Sports Carfor 1972.
Development
[edit]In 1970, a change in the regulations for sportscar racing for 1972 was announced. The loophole for sports cars likePorsche 917,Ferrari 512,Ford GT40andLola T70,which could have engines up to 5 litre if a least 25 were made, was closed. The minimum weight of the 3-litre prototypes was raised to 650 kg (1,433 lb). Porsche considered this too heavy as theirPorsche 908/03 were 100 kg (220 lb) lighter, and this advantage would have been lost. On the other hand, their air-cooled two-valve engine was low on power with 370 hp (276 kW), and the development of a new normally aspirated race engine would have been necessary. In the following years, Porsche focussed on the nearly 10 year old 911, Can-Am and turbocharging. The factory did not enter world championship sports car races from 1972 to 1975 and sold the 908s to customers who would have to add weight to them.MatraandAlfa Romeowere willing and able to compete, but only in selected seasons or events. Also, Ford's successful Formula 1Cosworth-V8 engine was available for independent chassis builders, but vibrations made it unreliable forendurance racingas the 1968Ford P68had shown.
After the 512S had mostly been beaten by the Porsche 917 during 1970, Ferrari had modified the S to the 917K-like 512M late in the season, but then abandoned further development of the M, leaving all 512 to customer teams likePenske Racing,NART and privateers.
Instead, using 1971 as a test season, Ferrari focused on a new 3.0L prototype based on theTipo001 flat-12 "Boxer" enginefrom the 312B F1 car. Officially this design was known as 312P, the motorsports press appending the B to avoid confusion with the earlier 312P standard V12 cars. This design was similar to the flat-12 Porsche 917 engine layout with its low center of gravity, but Ferrari used water-cooling and 4-valve heads. The car was promising, but did not win, while the similarAlfa Romeo 33/3 V8scored three world championship wins against Porsche's 917 and 908 dominance. The 312PB's engine has many similarities in design to the F1 engine, but nearly every part is different and non-interchangeable with the F1 flat 12. This has led to problems for users of these cars in historic racing, as spare parts for these quite fragile engines, are, in comparison to the F1 flat 12 engine, very difficult to obtain.
Racing history
[edit]
The car first appeared at the 1971 1000 km of Buenos Aires in Argentina at the hands of Italians Ignazio Giunti and Arturo Merzario. Its history started off tragically when Giunti was killed in this race after he hit Jean-Pierre Beltoise's Matra head-on while the Frenchman was pushing the stricken car back to the pits. The car did not win a race that season. In 1972, with only Alfa answering the challenge, the 312 PB was very successful and won allWorld Sportscar Championshipraces in which it was entered. Ferrari skippedLe Mans,though, as the F1-based engine had not lasted 24 hours in testing and would surely spoil their otherwise perfect record.
In 1973, Matra which had previously focused on Le Mans also challenged for the championship while Alfa was absent. As Matra won several races, Ferrari needed to enter in the1973 24 Hours of Le Mans,with an improved yet still doubtful engine. One car was used as a "hare" which supposed to lure the Matras into driving faster laps than they intended, to test their reliability. Ironically it was only the "hare" Ferrari which survived the 24 hours, finishing a respectable second behind aMatra.The championship saw the same order, with only two Italian wins compared to five French. In addition, despite the absence of the Matras, the 312 PB could not defend the 1972 win of theTarga Florioas the proper sports prototypes of Ferrari and Alfa failed and a modifiedPorsche 911Carrera RSR collected another not-so-surprise win after qualifying 5th. The 10 year old roadgoing Porsche model already had won the1973 24 Hours of Daytona.
At the end of the 1973 season, Ferrari abandoned sports car racing to focus on F1 again, as the F1 team had even skipped some GP races in 1973 due to lack of competitiveness.
References
[edit]- ^"Ferrari 312 P (1971)".ferrari.com.Retrieved21 February2021.
- Cruickshank, G. 2006.Profile: Ferrari 312PB.Motor Sport,LXXXII/11, p. 43
- "1972 Ferrari 312 PB".conceptcarz.com.Retrieved2007-02-17.
- "Ferrari 312 PB".ultimatecarpage.com.Retrieved2013-10-15.
External links
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