10 Of The Coolest Cars Of All Time Formula One
Tyrrell P34
When it raced: 1976 to 1977
The only six-wheeled car to ever race in F1, it seems strange but it actually made a lot of aerodynamic sense. The only problem was, since the P34 was the only car in the field using the tiny front tires, Goodyear focused its development efforts elsewhere. And you can’t win without good tires, so that was that.
The Tyrrell P34 (Project 34), commonly known as the «six-wheeler», was a Formula One (F1) race car designed by Derek Gardner, Tyrrell’s chief designer. The car used four specially manufactured 10-inch-diameter (254 mm) wheels and tyres at the front, with two ordinary-sized wheels at the back. Along with the Brabham BT46B «fancar» developed in 1978, the six-wheeled Tyrrell was one of the most radical entries ever to succeed in F1 competition, and has been called the most recognizable design in the history of world motorsports.
The P34 was introduced in September 1974, and began racing in the 1976 season. It proved successful, and led other teams to begin design of six-wheeled platforms of their own. Changes to the design made for the 1977 season made it uncompetitive and the concept was abandoned for Tyrrell’s 1978 season. The other six-wheeled designs ended development, and F1 rules later stipulated that cars must have four wheels in total. The existing frames have since seen some success in various «classics» race events, but today are museum pieces.