BRM P48

BRM P48

Category	Formula One
Constructor	British Racing Motors
Designer(s)	Stewart Tresilian
Predecessor	P25
Successor	P57 Climax
Technical specifications[1]
Chassis	Steel ladder frame
Suspension (front)	double wishbones, coil springs over dampers, anti-roll bar
Suspension (rear)	double wishbones, coil springs over dampers, anti-roll bar
Wheelbase	90 in (228.6 cm)
Engine	British Racing Motors 25 2,491 cc (152.0 cu in) S4 N/A, rear-mounted.
Transmission	British Racing Motors 4-speed transverse shaft. ZF differential.
Weight	1,102 lb (499.9 kg) (Unladen)
Fuel	Petrol/alcohol mix.
Tyres	Dunlop.
Competition history
Notable entrants	Owen Racing Organisation
Debut	1960 Monaco Grand Prix
Races Wins Poles F.Laps 7 0 0 0

The BRM P48 was a Formula One racing car raced in 1960. It was BRM's first rear-engined car. With rear-engined cars in the ascendancy, BRM hastily reworked the front-engined, now five-year-old P25. The car proved to be slow and unreliable, and was replaced by the P48/57 the following year.

Development

Aside from the placement of the driver and engine, the P48 was mechanically the same as the outgoing P25. It featured the same 2.5 litre straight-4 engine producing 275 horsepower. The P48 also featured a single brake disc at the rear mounted directly to the gearbox. The rear bodywork was cut off to aid cooling, which exposed the unlovingly nicknamed "bacon slicer" rear brake.

During 1960 Tony Rudd designed his Mark II version of the car, with a conventional 2 disc rear brake layout, simple rear wishbone suspension and a much lower profile. This resulted in a much better handling car, and for the 1961 Formula One season BRM based their chassis designs on the Mark II.

Racing record

For 1960, BRM campaigned three P48s for Joakim Bonnier, Graham Hill, and Dan Gurney. The P48 debuted in the second race of the season, the Monaco Grand Prix. To the surprise of everyone, including the team, all three cars finished. Bonnier scored points for fifth. However, this proved to be a false hope, as each driver finished only once more. At the Dutch Grand Prix, Hill finished a respectable third behind the Coventry Climax engined Cooper and Lotus of Jack Brabham and Innes Ireland. Sadly, Gurney's rear brake failed on the entry to Zandvoort's first hairpin; his BRM rolled into the stands, killing one spectator and injuring several others. After the Zandvoort disaster, BRM scored just once more with Bonnier in the United States Grand Prix. BRM finished the season with a disappointing 8 points.

The Mark II cars were raced in the 1961 Intercontinental Formula races.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

Year	Entrant	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points	WCC
1960	Owen Racing Organisation	BRM P25 2.5 L4	D		ARG	MON	500	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR	POR	ITA	USA	8	4th
				Graham Hill		7		3	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret		Ret
				Joakim Bonnier		5		Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret		5
				Dan Gurney		NC		Ret	Ret	Ret	10	Ret		Ret

References

1. Ménard, Pierre (2000). The Great Encycopedia of Formula One. London, England: Constable & Robinson Ltd. p. 432. ISBN 1-84119-259-7.

• Nye, Doug (2003). BRM: The Saga of British Racing Motors: Rear-Engined Cars, 1960-79. Vol 2. Motor Racing Publications. ISBN 1-899870-00-8.