march f1 / f1 teams / f1

The company name is an acronym of the initials of Its four founders; Max Mosley, Alan Rees, Graham Coaker and Robin Herd.

March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better success in other categories of competition, including Formula Two, Formula Three, IndyCar and IMSA GTP sportscar racing.

The Formula One effort initially started with March supplying its 701 chassis to Tyrrell for Jackie Stewart. For the 1971 Formula One season March Engineering came up with the remarkable 711 chassis.

At the end of the 1977 season, the F1 team's assets and FOCA membership were sold to ATS. From 1978, March concentrated on Formula Two, running the works BMW team.

In 1981 March made a half-hearted and ill-financed effort to return to F1, building cars that were little more than heavy and insufficiently stiff copies of the Williams FW07.

March began a new Formula One program in 1987 with the Ford-engined 871 which was sponsored by Japanese real estate company Leyton House and driven by Ivan Capelli.

A complex series of buyouts and sales saw the March group (now essentially a financial services outfit) divest itself of its racing interests; after a management buyout, March and Ralt were subsequently sold.

Headquartered: Bicester, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, 1970-1977/1981-1982/1987-1992

731

The March 731 was a Formula One racing car designed by Robin Herd of March Engineering for the 1973 season which saw continued use through 1974. While unsuccessful in the hands of the works team, private entrant Hesketh Racing had some success with James Hunt driving.

March had expended much time and effort in developing the previous season's 721 model, and so for 1973 they modified the existing 721G models, moving the radiator to the front and revising the bodywork.

The works' 731 was primarily raced by Jean-Pierre Jarier without much success, and various private teams fared little better, with the notable exception of Hesketh Racing. Their car, driven by James Hunt in his first season in F1, had various modifications carried out by designer Harvey Postlethwaite, who had been recruited from March by Hesketh. Hunt finished third in the Dutch Grand Prix and second in the United States Grand Prix, and with two other finishes in the points ended up in eighth place in the World Championship. Hunt's success contributed entirely to March's fifth place in the 1973 Constructors' Championship.

Roger Williamson, driving for the works team, was killed when his 731 overturned and caught fire at the Dutch Grand Prix.