Spirit Racing was founded in August 1981 by ex-March employees Gordon Coppuck and John Wickham with backing from Bridgestone and Honda,

Spirit Racing was a racing car constructor and racing team from the United Kingdom. Founded in 1981, it participated in the 1982 European Formula Two Championship, moved to Formula One in 1983 (staying to the end of the 1985 season), then competing in the 1988 F3000 season before finally folding at the end of that year. In 26 F1 races (including the non-championship 1983 Race of Champions), its best finish was seventh at the 1983 Dutch Grand Prix.

The Spirit 101 chassis (having been progressively upgraded throughout 1984) was updated again for 1985 and while money was tight, after three rounds Wickham decided to take up an offer from Toleman to buy out the team's tyre contract and folded the F1 outfit. Wickham initially promised to be back with a new car in 1986 but that never happened.

Spirit briefly resurfaced in Formula 3000 in 1988, running Bertrand Gachot, Steve Kempton and Paolo Barilla with some success, but co-founder Wickham left the outfit midway through the season and the team folded at the end of the year.

 

headquarters: Slough, Berkshire, United Kingdom, 1983-1985

101

The Spirit 101 was a Formula One car for the 1984 and 1985 Formula One seasons. The car was designed by Gordon Coppuck and Tim Wright.

Spirit decided to continue in Formula One for 1984 with Hart turbocharged engines.

Initially, twice world champion Emerson Fittipaldi and Italian Fulvio Ballabio were slated to drive, with funding from Ballabio's sponsors. However Fittipaldi left to find a drive in Indy car racing after finding the machine uncompetitive and Ballabio was refused an FIA Super Licence. Instead, Italian Mauro Baldi found funds and was nominated as the team's sole driver, Stefan Johansson being released as he could not find the funding to continue.

The 101 was a neat but underpowered car and Baldi struggled to move away from the rear of the grid. Jean-Louis Schlesser had planned to take over from the third race before the threat of litigation from RAM Racing, as he still owed them money.

In 1984 the first chassis was adapted to house the Hart 415T engine and become the "101B", with new sidepods. Later a new better build chassis was built and debuted at the 1984 San Marino Grand Prix, while the first was later newly modified as "101C" to adopt the Ford Cosworth DFV (third type of engine in few months), with the previous year side pods, and after the Detroit was refitted with Hart engines to be used as T-Car.

The Spirit team had scored no World Championship points during the year.

emerson fittipaldi

1984

hart 415t, straight 4, 1459 cc, turbo, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted.

interlagos

1983-1985