Photo by Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 4.0 (IMAGE CREDIT LINKS at the end of the content)
Few F1 cars have sparked as much fascination as the six wheeled F1 car, the Tyrrell P34.
When it made its debut in 1976, it represented one of the boldest experiments in racing history, pushing the limits of aero, mechanical grip and design innovation.
Tyrrell P34 – Six wheeled F1 car
Tyrrell P34 challenged every standard notion of what a F1 car could be and left a lasting mark on the sport and even if its time at the top was brief.
Tyrrell P34 Design
The designer of the car was Derek Gardner, Tyrrell’s chief designer.
He designed a car that cut through the air more efficiently while maintaining, or even improving the traction at the front.
The solution was; to be honest, radical, instead of the conventional two large front tires, the P34 featured four small 10-inch wheels in front; this design reduced the car’s frontal area, decreased drag, and according to Gardner, offered a performance gain equivalent to around 40 extra horsepower.
Was six wheeled F1 car legal?
At the time, this configuration was legal, making the P34 a unique and legal anomaly until the FIA banned cars with more than four wheels and four-wheel-drive systems in 1983.
Tyrrell P34 on track
The first season of Tyrrell P34 proved that Gardner’s vision was more than just theory.
In 1976, the P34 quickly showed it could compete at the highest level, scoring several podium finishes. Best result came at the Swedish GP, where Jody Scheckter crossed the line first and Patrcik Depailler finished second, giving Tyrrell a historic one-two finish.
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This victory remains the only time a six-wheeled car has ever won a F1 Grand Prix, ensuring the P34 a permanent place in motorsport history.
However, the car’s unusual layout offered superior front-end grip, reduced aerodynamic lift, and braking performance that surpassed most four-wheeled competitors, giving Tyrrell a competitive edge that was as unexpected as it was spectacular.
Why six wheeled car design worked?
The design worked because it solved a critical tradeoff in racing engineering. Hiding the smaller front wheels behind the wing significantly lowered drag, allowing the car to slice through the air more cleanly.
The doubled front wheel contact patch increased grip, especially on corners, making the P34 more aggressive and front responsive.
At the same time, having four front brakes improved braking efficiency, it stopped in shorter distances, braking later than its rivals.
However, the six-wheeled concept was not without its challenges.
Small front wheels could lose contact with uneven surfaces; resulting in unpredictable handling on bumpier circuits.
The rear pair of front wheels were partially shielded from airflow, which sometimes caused brake overheating and fade.
The car also relied on specially developed 10-inch tires from Goodyear; but the tire manufacturer focused most of its research on standard tires used by the rest of the field.
By 1977, this left Tyrrell struggling to keep the car competitive, so by 1978, the increasing complexity and limitations led the team to abandon the six wheel experiment.
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P34 story
Despite these setback, the six wheeled car remains one of the most iconic examples of innovation in F1.
No team raced a six-wheeled F1 car in competition, although the Williams F1 team built one in 1983, just before the FIA banned the concept.
However, P34 is remembered not just as a car but as a symbol of creative problem-solving and fearless experimentation.
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Photo by Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 4.0 – Wikimedia commons
