Michael Bleekemolen testing the ATS F1 Team car at Zandvoort, 15 August 1978. Photo by Bert Verhoeff / Nationaal Archief (CC0). (CREDIT LINKS AT THE END OF THE CONTENT)
We share stories about teams of the past almost every day so our pick today is ATS F1 Team.
They entered F1 in 1977, until 1984 before the team eventually vanished.
However, there have been two teams with similar names. The one we are focusing on is the German team, ATS (Germany): Auto Technisches Spezialzubehör, which started competing in 1977. The other, older team is the Italian Automobili Turismo e Sport (ATS), which raced in 1963, but the main content here is about the German team.
But ATS wasn’t the only German team that tried to build a Formula 1 car from scratch. Willi Kauhsen also made a brave attempt, throwing everything he had into competing at the top level. Later on, Zakspeed followed the same path, entering F1 in 1985 and fighting on for five seasons with their own car and engine.
ATS: A German Dream in Turbulent Times
The story of ATS is as much about ambition as it is about chaos.
The team was founded by Günter Schmid. He had a vision: he wanted to prove that a national team, powered by German engineering and talent, could compete against the greats of F1.
But Schmid was already successful with his alloy wheel company, also named his team ATS Wheels.
On our site, we have shared stories of past teams. Günter Schmid was not the only one to start a project aiming to compete with the best—many teams from Britain and Italy tried similar ventures, and countless others never even made it to the grid. Teams like Connew in the UK or Kojima in Japan faded before they could make a mark. Yet, ATS stood out because it kept fighting for several years, truly attempting to compete at the highest level.
Early Steps and Initial Promise of ATS
ATS entered F1 in 1977, beginning their journey by purchasing the assets of the US team Penske.
An interesting fact: Penske competed in Formula One for three years and managed to score three podiums and a race win.
However, the start was promising, in their first race the team scored a point, signaling potential in the highly competitive field.
Schmid’s vision seemed within reach, and it did not take very long before everything turned around and the team found itself fighting for survival.
Building Their Own Legacy
From 1978 onward, ATS shifted toward constructing its own chassis, recruiting engineers like Robin Herd and Gustav Brenner.
However, the team had some brilliant moments, but according to reports, things inside were chaotic.
Drivers often left quickly after clashes with Schmid, and staff turnover was constant. Still, when everything clicked, ATS could shine on the track and show its real potential.
Looking at the stats, ATS had to wait more than two years to score points in F1. They struggled to finish in the points until the 1979 United States Grand Prix, when Hans-Joachim Stuck brought the team home in fifth place.
The BMW Turbo Era
BMW, in the turbo era, built one of the most powerful engines of the 1980s. The turbo units were feared across the paddock, and many believed this would be the engine to beat on the grid.
However, ATS F1 Team secured a deal with BMW and finally found the speed they had been chasing, hoping to compete regularly in the points.
And at first, this showed real promise for the German team. They could finally fight in the midfield, with Winkelhock often qualifying inside the top ten.
However, the results never really came. The engine itself was not enough for ATS. They had reliability issues, and they were unable to score any points.
On the other hand, BMW was unstoppable, winning the championship in 1983 with Nelson Piquet. It was a year to remember, powered by the most powerful engine in Formula 1, which could reach around 1,400 hp in qualifying trim.
Decline and Final Curtain
After years of trying to put things right inside the team, ATS F1 Team never produced a car capable of competing at the front, and key personnel, like Brenner, had already departed.
And in the final two seasons with BMW, ATS F1 Team failed to score any points and could not regularly break into the top ten. In the end, team boss Schmid decided to walk away from Formula 1, and the team vanished forever.
Was this the end for Schmid? No. He tried once more to return to F1 with the Rial team, but it was the same story, the same problems, and it was a short-lived effort for the German.
Interesting Facts: ATS F1 Team
In 1981, they signed Slim Borgudd, a Swedish musician who loved racing and was, without doubt, a talented driver, backed by sponsorship from the Swedish pop band ABBA. His best finish came at the British GP in 1981, finishing 6th.
One of the most interesting stories, still talked about by fans, happened in ATS’s eighth F1 race at the German GP in 1977. One of their drivers, Hans Heyer entered the race without having qualified, and it was no accident. With Günter Schmid and the team involved, he was placed in a yellow Penske as a so-called ‘reserve’ car. During the pre-race confusion, he managed to slip onto the track, drawing everyone’s attention, and only after retiring due to mechanical problems did it become clear he was not supposed to race.
Over eight years in F1, Schmid gave 16 drivers a chance to race for the ATS F1 Team. That constant change was another reason the team became unstable and chaotic.
Another interesting fact is that during the 1982 San Marino GP, when most teams decided to boycott the race, the ATS F1 Team went ahead and competed, achieving a great result with Eliseo Salazar finishing in fifth place.
German legend Gerhard Berger also began his career with the ATS F1 Team in 1984, becoming the last driver ever signed by the team.
Remembering ATS F1 Team
It is not remembered for winning races or titles, but at least the team deserves respect for trying to compete against the giants in F1.
Its story remains a compelling chapter in F1 history, a reminder of how even the most determined vision can be undone by human complexity.
Michael Bleekemolen testing the ATS F1 Team car at Zandvoort, 15 August 1978. Photo by Bert Verhoeff / Nationaal Archief (CC0). SOURCE: Wikimedia Commons
