The Brabham BT18 was an open-wheel formula racing car, designed, developed, and built by British constructor Brabham, for both Formula 2 and Formula 3 racing categories. Powered by a Honda engine, it won 11 out of 12 races in 1966.[1][2]
 | |||||
| Category | Formula 2 Formula 3 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production | 1965 46 cars built | ||||
| Predecessor | Brabham BT16 | ||||
| Successor | Brabham BT23 (Formula 2) Brabham BT21 (Formula 3) | ||||
| Technical specifications | |||||
| Engine | Honda RA300E/RA302E Ford Kent Naturally-aspirated, 10,000 - 11,000 RPM | ||||
| Competition history | |||||
| Notable drivers |  Jack Brabham Denny Hulme | ||||
| |||||
Design and development
editThe previous Brabham BT16 forerunner initially had a Cosworth SCA, BRM, or Holbay MAE engine. On 20 March 1965, at the Formula Two meeting at Silverstone, it was equipped with the Honda RA300E engine. Displacing 996.7 cc (60.82 cu in), the engine produced 135 bhp at 10,000 rpm.[3]
The BT18 was designed as a Formula 2 and Formula 3 racing car. The car had a space frame that was reinforced by load-bearing plates. Two cars, F2-18-66 and F2-19-66, were used by the factory Brabham team with revised Honda RA302E engines, which now gave 150 bhp at 11,000 rpm.[4] 32 were Formula 2 racing cars and designated BT18A. Six copies were equipped with a Cosworth SCA engine for private teams. A special version BT18B of 8 examples was fitted for the Honda Racing School with Ford Kent engines for the upcoming 1966 Formula Ford. A total of 46 examples of the BT18 (+A+B) were produced.[5][6]
Race history
editIn 1966, Jack Brabham and Denny Hulme achieved a total of 11 wins in 12 races with the Brabham-Honda BT18. Brabham won the 1966 Trophées de France championship and Hulme was runner-up.[7]
F2 results
editThe European Formula Two Championship began in 1967 and the results for 1966, in which the works BT18 competed in, are made up of races in the British and French national championships and one-off F2 races.
| Year | Driver | 1* | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 |  Oulton Park |
Goodwood |
 Pau |
 Montjuïc |
 Zolder |
Crystal Palace |
Reims-Gueux |
Rouen-Les-Essarts |
 Karlskoga |
 Keimola |
Linas-Montlhéry |
Bugatti Circuit |
Circuit d'Albi |
Brands Hatch | |
| Jack Brabham
|
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 2 | ||
| Denny Hulme
|
2 | 2 | 3** | 2 | 2 | Ret | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | ||||
| Chris Irwin
|
3 | Ret | |||||||||||||
| Round 1
|
Round 2
|
Round 2
|
(Non-Championship) | (Non-Championship) | Round 3
|
Round 2
|
Round 3
|
(Non-Championship) | (Non-Championship) | Round 4
|
Round 5
|
Round 6
|
Round 4
|
- * *Cancelled due to snowfall
- ** Used Cosworth SCA engine[8]
F1 results
edit(key)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | Tyre | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Caltex Racing Team | Cosworth SCA | D | MON | BEL | FRA | GBR | NED | GER | ITA | USA | MEX | — | ||
 Kurt Ahrens
|
Ret | ||||||||||||||
| Roy Winkelmann Racing | Hans Herrmann
|
11 | |||||||||||||
| Alan Rees
|
Ret | ||||||||||||||
References
edit- ^ "1966 Brabham BT18". Motorsports Market.
- ^ "1966 Brabham BT18".
- ^ "Brabham BT18 Honda F2 1966". GTPlanet.
- ^ says, Yasu Wada (December 16, 2021). "Brabham Honda…".
- ^ Brown, Allen. "Brabham « OldRacingCars.com". OldRacingCars.com.
- ^ "Brabham BT18 Honda – primotipo…". primotipo...
- ^ "Formula 2 1966 Championship Tables". Retrieved 2022-11-02.
- ^ "Formula 2 1966 - Barcelona GP". www.the-fastlane.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-11-03.