Credit: Connew PC1-Cosworth at Race Retro, Stoneleigh (2018). Photo by In Vitrio, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Credit: Connew PC1-Cosworth at Race Retro, Stoneleigh (2018). Photo by In Vitrio, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. – Source: Wikimedia Commons
From small garage to F1, against the impossible… Connew F1 team
It is the kind of story that could only come from the sport’s most daring era, when a man with little more than a vision and a garage believed he could take on the giants of F1.
In the early ’70s, Peter Connew, a quiet but determined engineer who had once worked as a draughtsman for Team Surtees, decided to do something unthinkable, build his own F1 car.
Not for a company, not for a manufacturer, but for himself. In 1971, in a small workshop in Chadwell Heath, East London, Peter Connew began work on what would become one of the most obscure, yet inspiring, machines in F1 history, the Connew PC1.
A Team Built in a Garage – Connew F1 Team
The Connew F1 Team did not have the luxury of money, sponsors or a large staff.
Peter Connew’s ‘factory’ was little more than a converted garage and his workforce consisted of a few loyal friends and family members who volunteered simply because they shared his dream.
His cousin, Barry Boor, was among them, offering whatever help he could, together they built F1 car piece by piece, often improvising with whatever materials they could find.
The PC1 chassis was handmade using an aluminum monocoque structure, clotherd in fiberglass bodywork, they used second-hand Cosworth DFV V8 engine, one of the few components that could actually compete with those used by bigger teams.
But even that engine came at a price, literally. It had been sourced from McLaren, with financial help from Peter’s own father, every part of the car carried a story of struggle, creativity and compromise.
This was the definition of the ‘garagiste‘ spirit that once defined British motorsport, an era when privateers and dreamers built their own cars to challenge Ferrari, Lotus, and Tyrrell.
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The Dream Meets Reality: 1972 Season
By 1972, the car was finally ready, the team registered to compete in the F1 World Championship, and their debut was set for the French GP but the truck broke before reaching to the French circuit.
Finally at the British GP, Connew F1 Team arrived in front of a home crowd, French driver was behind the wheel, sadly, rear suspension failed before the car could qualify, the issue that plagued the PC1 would later become its undoing.
Connew refused to quit, they repaired the car, packed up and headed to Austrian GP, where they managed to qualify for the race, their first and only official F1 start.
For 22 laps, Peter Connew’s dream was alive, the car, thundered around the Austrian circuit, then, once again suspension gave up, Migault retired and with that, the Connew team’s brief entry into F1 came to an end.
CONTENT CONTINUES BELOW
After F1: The Last Hope in Formula 5000
After the Austrian race, it became clear that the finances had dried up, and there was no money left for repairs and further development.
The PC1 was converted to Formula 5000 specs, a cheaper, more accessible racing category, in an attempt to keep the team alive.
Sadly, during a race at Brands Hatch in 1973, the car was badly damaged in a crash, the limited funds they had left could not cover the rebuild, and that was the final chapter for the Connew F1 Team, the dream had lasted barely two years.
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Why Connew F1 Team Failed
Connew F1 team did not fail because of a lack of passion or talent, what they did was a success and their 22 laps at the Austrian GP, were something that other teams dreamt of.
Peter Connew was an excellent engineer but he was trying to compete in one of the most expensive sports on the planet.
Their financial struggle was relentless, sponsors were scarce and the few deals they tried to secure fell apart.
Technically, the PC1 also suffered from fragile suspension and reliability issues, the cars rear suspension design simply could not handle the demands of F1 circuits.
But despite that, the Connew PC1 still represents something rare, the kind of pure, idealistic dream that F1 once allowed, it was built not by a coroporation, but by human hands, driven by nothing but ambition and love for the sport.
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A Symbol of the True Garagiste Era – Connew F1 Team
Today, the original PC1 chassis has been lovingly restored, and it occasionally appears at historic racing events, when it does, it reminds fans of a different kind of F1, one built on creativity rather than capital, on passion rather than precision marketing.
Peter Connew’s name never appeared on a podium, but his spirit fits perfectly into the story of the sport, their story feels like a fairytale, proof that, once upon a time, a small British dream could really make it to the grid!
What a fabulous story. Can’t believe I didn’t know about it.
Appreciate that! There are so many forgotten moments like this, it’s always great when readers connect with them.
The first copy of Motoring News that I bought in late 1971 had a report from the Racing Car Show in London where the Connew was on display and it rather captured my interest. I thought it was one of the best-looking cars of the time – easily up there with the 1971 BRM P160. I followed the team’s fortunes when they appeared at races in 1972 and was sad when they didn’t make it even though that was the likely outcome.