Ferrari 312B

Ferrari 312B
Ferrari 312B2
Ferrari 312B3

Ferrari 312 B2 of 1971/72
Category	Formula One
Constructor	Scuderia Ferrari
Designer(s)	Mauro Forghieri
Predecessor	312
Successor	312T
Technical specifications
Chassis	Aluminium monocoque
Suspension (front)	Double wishbone, inboard spring/damper
Suspension (rear)	Double wishbone suspension
Engine	Ferrari 001 2,992 cc (182.6 cu in), Flat-12, naturally aspirated, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted
Transmission	Ferrari Type 621 5-speed manual
Fuel	Shell
Tyres	Firestone Goodyear
Competition history
Notable entrants	Scuderia Ferrari
Notable drivers	Mario Andretti Niki Lauda Clay Regazzoni Jacky Ickx
Debut	1970 South African Grand Prix (312B) 1971 Monaco Grand Prix (312B2) 1973 Spanish Grand Prix (312B3)
Races Wins Poles F.Laps 70 (all models) 19 (312B) 24 (312B2/B2-72) 27 (312B3) 10 5 2 3 22 6 6 10 21 11 4 6
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0
n.b. Unless otherwise stated, all data refer to Formula One World Championship Grands Prix only.

The Ferrari 312B was a series of Formula One racing car models, designed and built by Scuderia Ferrari. It was the successor to the Ferrari 312 and was used from 1970 until early 1975. Several versions were made: the 312B, 312B2 and 312B3.

History

The early 1970s saw the return of success to the Scuderia; the unlucky Chris Amon left, while Jacky Ickx returned and was joined by Clay Regazzoni. Under the direction of Mauro Forghieri, Ferrari developed a new Flat-12 engine, colloquially referred to as a "boxer" (although not a real boxer engine), giving a lower center of gravity and a clear airflow beneath the rear wing.

A 1970 Ferrari 312B.

The 'snow plow' Ferrari 312 B3 at the Ferrari Museum

During the design's first season, in 1970, Ickx battled with Lotus's Jochen Rindt and won 3 Grands Prix, while the emotional Italian Grand Prix was won by Clay Regazzoni, following the death of Rindt in the week preceding the race. In the remaining races, Ickx could not pass Rindt's point score for the drivers title, and Lotus won the Constructors Championship ahead of Ferrari.

The 1971 started with a win by new signing Mario Andretti. Although being presented in January, the 312 B2 debuted only at the third round in Monaco, followed by the Dutch Grand Prix success for Ickx. However the B2 suffered of handling problems: the combination of the innovative rear suspension and the new Firestone tyres gave severe vibrations when driven close to the limit. Ferrari ultimately came second in the Constructors Championship, as Jackie Stewart and Tyrrell dominated the season.

In 1972 Ferrari fielded a revised B2 with a more conventional rear suspension, but could not keep up with the progress of the competition, dropping to 4th at the end of the year. Ickx won the 1972 German Grand Prix at his favorite track, the Nürburgring, but this was to be his last GP win. The sports cars season was a success for Ferrari though, with the Ferrari 312PB based on the F1 car.

During the season, Forghieri designed a radical new car featuring a square bodywork and full width nose on a very short wheelbase. This new 312 B3 was tested by Merzario and Ickx but never raced in a Grand Prix. The Italian press nicknamed it the spazzaneve (snowplow).

For 1973, FIAT executives imposed a new technical staff and Forghieri was transferred to the experimental department; its role was taken by Sandro Colombo, a former Gilera and Innocenti engineer. The spazzaneve project was discarded and replaced by a new design, still named 312 B3. A new full monocoque chassis was built by specialist English company TC Prototypes, under John Thompson guidance, and the engine became a full stressed member.

In the first races Ferrari still used the old 312 B2: the car was no longer competitive, and Ickx only managed one 4th place at the opening GP of the season. The new 312 B3 debuted at the Spanish round, but proved to be slow and unreliable achieving even worse results. In addition to the sports cars, which were beaten by the French Matra, the F1 program of the Italian team was outclassed, and they even skipped some F1 races, notably the Nürburgring. This was not acceptable to Ickx, because the Nürburgring where the German Grand Prix was being held that year was his favorite race track. As a result, he left the team halfway through the season in order to contest the 1973 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring in a McLaren, where he took 3rd place behind the Tyrrells of Stewart and François Cevert.

During the summer Forghieri was recalled as technical director and set about revising the B3 incorporating some of the ideas used on his radical spazzaneve.

For 1974 Ferrari fielded an heavily revised car, named 312 B3-74, and signed BRM drivers Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni.

The car was succeeded by the 312T which was introduced for the 1975 Formula One season.

	Ferrari 312 B3S Spazzaneve
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Complete Formula One World Championship results

Clay Regazzoni driving a 312B3 at the 1974 Race of Champions

Year	Chassis	Tyres	Driver	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Points	WCC
1970	312B	F		RSA	ESP	MON	BEL	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA	MEX			52 (55)	2nd
			Jacky Ickx	Ret	Ret	Ret	8	3	Ret	Ret	2	1	Ret	1	4	1
			Clay Regazzoni					4		4	Ret	2	1	2	13	2
			Ignazio Giunti				4		14			7	Ret
1971	312B	F		RSA	ESP	MON	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA					33	3rd
			Jacky Ickx	8	2							Ret		Ret
			Clay Regazzoni	3	Ret
			Mario Andretti	1	Ret	DNQ
	312B2		Jacky Ickx			3	1	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret		8
			Clay Regazzoni			Ret	3	Ret	Ret	3	Ret	Ret	Ret	6
			Mario Andretti				Ret			4			13	DNS
1972	312B2	F		ARG	RSA	ESP	MON	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA				33	4th
			Jacky Ickx	3	8	2	2	Ret	11	Ret	1	Ret	Ret	12	5
			Clay Regazzoni	4	12	3	Ret	Ret			2	Ret	Ret	5	8
			Mario Andretti	Ret	4	Ret							7		6
			Nanni Galli						13
			Arturo Merzario							6	12
1973	312B2	G		ARG	BRA	RSA	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE	FRA	GBR	NED	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA	12	6th
			Jacky Ickx	4	5	Ret
			Arturo Merzario	9	4	4
	312B3		Jacky Ickx				12	Ret	Ret	6	5	8				8
			Arturo Merzario						Ret		7				7	Ret	15	16
1974	312B3-74	G		ARG	BRA	RSA	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA	65	2nd
			Clay Regazzoni	3	2	Ret	2	4	4	Ret	2	3	4	1	5	Ret	2	11
			Niki Lauda	2	Ret	16	1	2	Ret	Ret	1	2	5	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret
1975	312B3-74	G		ARG	BRA	RSA	ESP	MON	BEL	SWE	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	USA		72.5^1	1st
			Clay Regazzoni	4	4
			Niki Lauda	6	5

¹ In 1975, 63.5 points were scored driving the Ferrari 312T.

References

External links

• article about 312B
• Tremayne, David & Hughes, Mark (1998). The Concise Encyclopedia Of Formula One, Paragon.