Tyrrell P34

The Tyrrell P34 (Project 34) otherwise known as the ‘six-wheeler,’ was a Formula One race car designed by Derek Gardner, Tyrrell’s chief designer, as a response to new regulations due to come into force in 1976. The car used specially manufactured 10-inch diameter wheels and tyres at the front with two ordinary sized wheels at the back. The idea of the smaller front tyres was to increase air penetration and have a smaller ‘frontal area’ which would reduce drag.

However, smaller diameter tyres would have resulted in a loss of contact area between the rubber and the tarmac surface of the track and hence poorer mechanical grip for cornering. To remedy this, the P34 was given four 10-inch front wheels. Because of a complex suspension design, all four front wheels could be steered.