Photo Credit: 1974 Maki-Cosworth F101 F1 car at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Photo by Edvvc, licensed under CC BY 2.0 .
Photo Credit: FLIRK SOURCE 1974 Maki-Cosworth F101 F1 car at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Photo by Edvvc, licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Beating the best teams in F1 in the mid-’70s wasn’t something that could be done overnight!
Big teams like Lotus and Ferrari dominated the sport, and for small outfits like Maki Engineering, it was extremely difficult to keep up and reach the level of the established F1 teams.
Maki Engineering dared to try its luck in F1. Despite enthusiasm and ambition, the team’s F1 journey proved short and challenging, marred by technical flaws and funding struggles.
Another Japanese team, Kojima, had the same journey in F1, a privater who also entered to compete around the same time.
We continue to share stories of these fascinating but often forgotten F1 teams. Today, we focus on Maki Engineering, but there are many others with equally unique stories, like Andrea Moda, Kauhsen, and Merzario.
From Ambition to Formula One Entry
Maki Engineering was founded by Kenji Mimura. The team began with high hopes but little F1 experience. Coming from a motorsport background in Japan, they wanted something more, aiming to showcase Japanese engineering on the world stage.
Other Japanese manufacturers had competed in F1 before, like Yamaha with their engines, Toyota as a team, and Honda.
In 1974, Maki Engineering developed their first car and entered the F1 World Championship, determined to make a mark despite fierce competition from established teams.
Ambition alone, however, could not overcome the challenges. Maki Engineering was small, inexperienced, and underfunded—factors that heavily influenced the team’s fate from the very start.
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The 1974 Debut: A Rocky Start
Maki Engineering made its F1 debut at the British GP in 1974 with Howden Ganley at the wheel. Unfortunately, the car failed to qualify, revealing the early limitations of the team’s design.
Their struggles intensified at the German GP, where Ganley suffered a crash caused by a rear suspension failure. This incident forced the team to temporarily withdraw from the championship.
1975–1976: Struggles Continue
It did not end there. Maki Engineering returned with the updated MAKI 101C chassis in 1975, signing Hiroshi Fushida and Tony Trimmer as their drivers. Again, results were minimal, and they failed to qualify for every Grand Prix they entered that year, exposing the harsh reality of competing against more experienced and better-funded teams.
The car was overweight, 150kg, and it made it uncompetitive from the start of the season. The car also suffered from significant understeer and overheating issues. Additionally, the bodywork design aggravated the car’s cooling issues.
In 1976, Maki Engineering attempted one more appearance with Trimmer at the Japanese GP. Again, the car failed to make the starting grid. Their inability to qualify demonstrated the technical and operational hurdles they could not overcome.
Maki’s Best Moments
In official events, they always struggled to qualify, but the team did experience a minor highlight. In the non-championship Swiss GP of 1975, they achieved a 13th-place finish—the only time this team reached a race finish.
It is not the only team in F1 that failed to qualify; others like Andrea Moda and Life also faced similar struggles.
Additionally, Fushida briefly recorded a starting position of 25th at the Dutch GP in 1975, but even this promising result ended in disappointment when he could not start the race.
In the early days of F1, the probability of not qualifying for a race was very high. There were too many teams, and some were much faster than the smaller ones.
Circuits were also longer, like the Nürburgring, which was around 14 km, so to qualify for the race, drivers had to stay very close to the pace in qualifying.
These moments, though small, remain the only visible achievements of a team that faced immense obstacles.
Why Maki Engineering Left Formula One
So why did the Japanese team decide to quit F1? There were plenty of reasons.
Poor car performance: The 101C chassis and its predecessor were underdeveloped and underpowered, unable to compete. Technical flaws were evident from the first race.
Safety concerns: Ganley’s crash in Germany highlighted the team’s struggles on multiple fronts, both in performance and safety.
Financial difficulties: Smaller teams always struggled to secure funding. Maki Engineering could not refine its cars or secure additional resources. Limited opportunities and poor results further discouraged potential investors.
Lack of experience: The team lacked experienced engineers, making it nearly impossible to progress or compete effectively.
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Remembering Maki Engineering
Their time in F1 was brief, but it remains a notable chapter in racing history as one of Japan’s earliest F1 endeavors.
Maki never scored championship points or started a GP, yet their story reflects the courage and ambition required to step onto the global stage.
