Photo: Ferguson P99 by Andrew Basterfield, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 .
Photo:Ferguson P99 by Andrew Basterfield, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Probably you have never heard the story of Ferguson P99 in F1, but it occupies a truly unique chapter in history of the sport.
It is celebrated as the only four-wheel-drive car to ever win a F1 race and also holds the distinction of being the last front-engined car to triumph in the sport.
Built by Harry Ferguson Research, the P99 was not just an engineering experiment, it was a bold statement that British ingenuity could challenge conventional racing norms.
From Tractors to Triumph in F1
Harry Ferguson, a man known for agricultural machinery, believed that four-wheel drive offered more than just traction on muddy fields, it could transform high-speed racing.
Ferguson together with Claude Hill, also the designer Fred Dixon worked to build the car and bring it to life.
Nowadays, F1 is different, you cannot just team up and start building something, you need a lot of resources to catch up with the top teams, this is why the early days of F1 were the golden years.
However, together they designed the Ferguson P99, a car that was as unconventional as it was clever.
The car’s layout was striking, a front mounted Coventry Climax engine, angled to accommodate a full 4WD drivetrain, sat within a tubular spaceframe chassis.
The driver’s seat was slightly offset to the right to make room for the mechanical components that split power evenly between the front and rear wheels.
A five-speed manual gearbox and early experiments with anti-lock braking made the car even more advanced for its time.
What they wanted is to compete at the highest level, and it was built to redifine what a racing car could be!
Competing in F1
In 1961, the Ferguson P99 made its F1 debut at the British GP, Jack Fairman drove the car initially, but during the race, Stirling Moss took over.
Unfortunately, the P99 was disqualified for receiving a push start, denying it official championship points, while it never won in a points-scoring F1 race, this appearance cemented its place as a legitimate contender in the highest tier of motorsport.
However, the Ferguson P99 found its moment of glory after, in an non championship race at Oulton Park, the weather played a decisive role, the track was damp, conditions perfectly suited for the car’s four wheel drive system.
Moss took the wheel and drove the P99 to a stunning victory, finishing 46 seconds ahead of Jack Brabham in his Cooper, the win marked not only the only 4WD victory in F1 history but also the final triumph of a front-engined car in the sport.
It was not an official race but that achievement shocked everyone on the grid, proving that innovation back in the day could outpace tradition in F1, something that we miss today.
👉 The Man Who Won Everywhere: Remembering Dan Gurney
The Shadow of Future 4WD Experiments
Later, another team tried the 4WD experiment, this time Williams F1 team, early in the ’80s they built the six-wheeled car, the FW08B, an evolution of the FW08 chassis.
Ferguson P99, had only four wheels, Williams design featured four driven wheels at the rear, an attempt to maximize traction while reducing drag, testing showed promising results, sparking concerns among competitors and officials.
The potential of 4WD car of Williams, was banned for the 1983 season, it never competed in an F1 event, the rules outlawed cars with more than four wheels, and 4WD was banned forever.
Safety concerns, the added weight and complexity of the systems, and the marginal benefits of 4WD on dry tracks were cited as reasons.
But let’s not forget the Williams team, they always found something to be ahead of others, their team with Patrick Head and Adrian Newey, knew what to do and make a car that would be unstoppable.
.
👉 The Lotus 72: How Chapman Built a Car That Couldn’t Be Stopped
Why we remember Ferguson team?
While its F1 run was brief, Ferguson P99 left a lasting mark, Ferguson Research continued to explore 4WD tech in racing and road cars, influencing later projects like the Ferguson Formula, which appeared in production vehicles such as the American Motors Eagle.
A small British team challengins the giants of motorsport, its a story that will be remembered forever, from producing tractors to a race track!
