Trojan F1 Team
British Formula 1 Effort Competed in Eight Grand Prix Races
The Trojan Formula 1 car was not a failure by any means, but limited finances meant that the team only competed in eight World Championship Grands Prix. Their performances were better than many other of the small teams who tried Formula 1 racing around the same time.
Trojan, McLaren, Can-Am and Formula 5000
The Trojan company initially built customer McLaren Can-Am cars before branching out into Formula 5000. The first Trojan, christened the T101, was basically an adapted McLaren M21 with an M22 rear end. Peter Agg, the chairman of Toleman, had persuaded the legendary Brabham designer Ron Tauranac to join the team. The T102 which followed was the first Trojan designed by Tauranac from scratch. The cars recorded several victories in Formula 5000, including a title win for Jody Scheckter, and the T102 was the basis for the T103, Trojan’s 1974 Formula 1 car.
Tauranac Designs Trojan Formula 1 Car
The T103 was equipped with a Ford DFV engine, Hewland transmission and Firestone tyres. Tim Schenken was hired to drive, starting at the 1974 Spanish Grand Prix. He qualified in last position but was classified tenth at the finish, despite retiring near the end. In Belgium Schenken improved to 23rd place in qualifying, again finishing the race in tenth.
Monaco brought the first major setback for the team when Schenken was eliminated in a first lap pile-up. After missing the Swedish Grand Prix Trojan turned up next in Holland, but it was a disappointing trip. Schenken failed to qualify at Zandvoort. Thr T103 appeared at Brands Hatch with revised aerodynamics but Schenken could only mange last place on the grid. The car only lasted a handful of laps in the race before retiring.
The Nurburgring brought further disappointment, as Schenken failed to qualify again. Trojan then experienced an upturn in their fortunes. Schenken recorded Trojan’s best qualifying performance in Austria, lining up 19th on the grid. He drove a steady, if unspectacular race, to finish tenth, four laps behind the winner.
Trojan's Final Formula 1 Grand Prix
Trojan again impressed in Italy, but it was to be the team’s last appearance. Schenken started from 20th but had moved up the field by the time he retired with transmission problems. Despite this Trojan’s involvement in Formula 1 was proving too costly and the team disappeared after the race at Monza. The T103 had proved itself to be a solid car which, with more development, could have moved further up the grid, but the money simply wasn’t there.
Tim Schenken on Trojan's F1 debut, Spain 1974
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