Brabham BT49C by David Merrett, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr (Credit links at the end of the content)
While lately we are more focused on forgotten F1 drivers and forgotten F1 teams, we just wanted to bring something different and remember the Brabham F1 team and its amazing history, including the stories behind the Brabham Championship Winning Cars.
Brabham was there when Formula 1 was changing faster than ever. In the 1960s, reliability was still a big part of the game, but towards the end of the decade, aerodynamics started to play a bigger role. During the 1970s, teams kept looking for ways to improve their cars, especially towards the end of the decade when ground effect changed the way F1 cars were designed. Then came the 1980s, bringing even more challenges with new technology, turbo engines, and tougher competition. Through all these changes, Brabham did everything it could to keep up with the big teams and remain competitive in Formula 1.
Brabham’s greatest achievements came in four important seasons: 1966, 1967, 1981, and 1983. In this article, we want to look back at Brabham’s championship-winning cars and share some interesting stories from those years. We won’t go into every detail, but we’ll bring back some of the best moments and memories that made each of these seasons special.
Brabham BT19: The Car That Made History in 1966
(FEATURED IMAGE CREDITS AT THE END OF THE CONTENT)
The 1966 F1 season introduced a new challenge for the teams. Engine capacity for naturally aspirated cars increased from 1.5 litres to 3.0.
Every team was forced to rethink their designs and find reliable power sources, while all teams struggled to adapt, Brabham found an opportunity to do things differently.
The result was the Brabham BT19, designed by Ron Tauranac. Its straightforward construction reflected the team’s practical approach. Tauranac wasn’t looking to make things complicated; he wanted a compact, lightweight car built around a tubular steel spaceframe chassis that could do the job without unnecessary extras.
Power came from the 3.0-litre Repco V8, developed in Australia using Repco engineering and components associated with Oldsmobile’s aluminium V8 architecture. It wasn’t the most powerful engine on the grid, but its manageable weight and fuel efficiency gave it enough performance and reliability to last the full race distance. The engine weighed around 154 kg, while the Brabham BT19 had a total weight of approximately 518 kg. Compared with some of its rivals, Brabham had a clear weight advantage. The Honda RA273, for example, weighed around 743 kg, while Ferrari’s 1966 car was considerably lighter than the Honda but still heavier than the Brabham. Low weight and reliability helped make the BT19 such a competitive machine.
Jack Brabham’s Unforgettable Championship
The 1966 championship win came through its driver and founder, Jack Brabham, who was already an F1 champion, having won the titles in 1959 and 1960. He took the BT19 to victory at the French GP, British GP, Dutch GP, and German GP.
But what made the story even more interesting was that Brabham was 40 years old, competing against a younger generation of drivers. He reportedly showed up with a beard and a cane, pretending to be an old man, after being criticized for his age. There were also doubts about whether the Repco engine could really compete for the championship.
The 1966 season also delivered Brabham its first Constructors’ Championship, with the BT19 playing a major role in that historic achievement.
Brabham BT24: Defending the Crown in 1967
Winning a world championship is difficult, repeating the achievement is often harder, rival teams already searching for ways to close the gap.
In 1967, Brabham returned with the BT24, once again, Ron Tauranac placed considerable emphasis on a lightweight tubular steel spaceframe.
The BT24 used the 3.0-litre Repco V8, with the newer RB740 version introduced during the 1967, its performance was competitive, but the engine’s most important advantage remained its ability to deliver usable power without sacrificing reliability.
The 1967 Brabham BT24 was lighter than its predecessor, weighing around 508 kg. That made it roughly 10 kg lighter than the BT19 and around 50 kg lighter than some of the other cars from the 1966 season. Compared with its rivals, such as the Cooper-Maserati T81 and the BRM P83, which weighed nearly 700 kg with its overweight H16 engine, the Brabham had a clear advantage.
Denny Hulme Steps Out of Brabham’s Shadow
The 1967 season also produced a fascinating change in the team’s internal balance; Jack Brabham remained its founder and leading figure, but his teammate Denny Hulme emerged as a serious championship contender.
Hulme didn’t dominate the 1967 season, but he put together a series of strong finishes, including victories at the Monaco GP and German GP. He remained consistent throughout the season, and by the end, he had secured the title, with Jack Brabham finishing second behind him in the championship standings. It was Hulme’s first and only Formula 1 World Championship.
Brabham BT49C: Nelson Piquet’s Clever Route to Glory in 1981
After its double championship success in the 1960s, Brabham experienced several changing fortunes.
By the early 1980s, F1 had become a very different sport, ground-effect aerodynamics had transformed car design, turbocharged engines were emerging as a major force, and Formula 1 was increasingly shaped by technical interpretation as much as driving ability.
The BRabham BT49C, developed under the leadership of designer Gordon Murray, became one of the defining cars of the 1981, its origins lay in the BT49 family, but the C specification incorporated important changes to meet new rules governing ride height.
Brabham BT49C used a lightweight aluminium monocoque chassis, with carbon-fibre composite components employed in parts of its construction. Its Ford-Cosworth DFV 3.0-litre V8 engine was naturally aspirated, delivering less peak power than the emerging turbocharged engines but offering predictable performance and familiar of reliability.
But what made the Brabham BT49C interesting was its suspension system!
Gordon Murray’s Hydropneumatic Suspension
Ground-effect cars generated aerodynamic downforce by managing airflow beneath their bodies.
The closer the car could run to the track without losing control of its aerodynamic, the more effectively its underbody could work.
But the 1981 regulations introduced a minimum ride-height requirement intended to limit some of the advantages of ground-effect aerodynamics, all the teams had to find ways to satisfy the rules without losing performance.
Gordon Murray responded with a hydropneumatic system, it allowed the car to sit at the required height when stationary, while aerodynamic loads at speed compressed the suspension and brought the chassis closer to the track.
Nelson Piquet’s First World Championship
Piquet won three races during the 1981 season, including the Argentine, San Marino, and German Grand Prix. But he built his title challenge through a mixture of victories and consistent scoring.
The championship battle went down to the final race of the season, the Caesars Palace Grand Prix in Las Vegas. Piquet arrived at the weekend just one point behind Reutemann in the standings.
The circuit was laid out in a hotel car park, with a tight layout that placed considerable demands on drivers, held in the desert heat, the race was physically exhausting. Piquet struggled badly with the conditions and physical fatigue.
He continued to the finish, securing fifth place and the points needed to become World Champion by a single point over Reutemann who finished 8th.
The result gave Piquet his first championship and Brabham another world title.
Brabham BT52: The Turbocharged Revolution of 1983
By 1983, F1 had entered the turbocharged era, and engine power was becoming one of the most important weapons in F1. Brabham responded with a car that looked unlike almost anything else on the grid.
The BT52, designed by Gordon Murray, became one of the most recognizable machines of the decade.
ITs distinctive arrow-shaped bodywork, sharply angled nose, and compact proportions were not merely styling choices, they reflected the team’s response to a major regulatory change. Following the banning of ground-effect side skirds and the introduction of new flat-bottom requirements, Murray had to rethink how the car would generate aerodynamic performance.
The BT52 featured a lightweight aluminium monocoque reinforced with composite materials, along with distinctive side-mounted radiators and carefully arranged aerodynamic surfaces, its natural shape helped establish a design that stood part of many of its competitors.
Powe came from the BMW M12/13, a 1.5-litre turbocharged inline-four engine, it was capable of producing enormous power, particularly in qualifying trim around 850 hp.
Nelson Piquet Becomes the First Turbo-Era Champion
Nelson Piquet returned to the cockpit determined to defend his position among F1’s leading drivers, after winning the championship in 1981, he now faced a field increasingly dominated by turbocharged machinery, including strong challenges from Renault and Ferrari.
The early part of the 1983 was difficult for Brabham. But Piquet’s consistency and late-season victories gradually brought him into contention. At the final round in South Africa, Prost retired with a turbo-related problem, while Piquet finished third, that result was enough to secure the championship.
The Brazilian became the first F1 driver to win the World Championship with a turbocharged engine. This achievement gave Brabham another Drivers’ Championship, but just like in 1981, the team couldn’t secure the Constructors’ title. Brabham won the Constructors’ Championship only in 1966 and 1967.
Featured Image Credits: Brabham BT49C by David Merrett, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr
