1999 BAR 01

BAR (British American Racing) 01 was used in Formula 1 competition during the 1999 season. Behind the wheel sat Jacques Villeneuve who was the 1997 Champion and former Williams driver. The second driver was Ricardo Zonta, another talented driver who had captured the Formula 30000 Championship in 1997 and the FIA GT Championship in 1998. Zonta performed his duties well during the season until an injury at the Brazilian GP sidelined him for the season. Mika Salo assumed his duties.

The season was dismal for the team. The cars were fast and the drivers were capable and well-experienced. The downfall for the team was in the vehicle's reliability. Villeneuve was unable to finish the first eleven races of the season and the team finished the season in last place in the Constructors' Championship after scoring no points.

The cars were powered by a Supertec FB01 V-10 engine that was mounted at a 71-degree engine. A BAR/Xtrac six-speed semi-automatic gearbox sent the power to the rear wheels and Bridgestone tires. The chassis was constructed of carbon fibre composite structure and the suspension had double wishbones in both the front and rear.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2007