Images via Bonhams
This 1980 Ferrari 312 T5 Formula 1 car was Jody Scheckter’s ride for the 1980 Formula 1 World Championship. It’ll head to auction next month at Bonhams’ Quail Lodge sale.
The car, chassis 046, made its debut on the Formula 1 stage three races into the 1980 season at the South African Grand Prix. Its pilot was the defending Formula 1 World Champion – Jody Scheckter. Scheckter qualified the car 9th ahead of his up-and-coming Ferrari teammate Gilles Villeneuve. The race would not be kind, however, and he retired just 14 laps in with an electrical malfunction.
A few weeks later at Long Beach, the car re-appeared with a revised sliding skirt system designed to improve downforce generation. Scheckter struggled in qualifying and would start from 16th.
The race was an eventful one and would see Nelson Piquet put in a dominant performance to take pole position, fastest lap and his first race win, while Clay Regazzoni suffered a terrible accident that would end his career. Scheckter was able to climb to fifth by the end of the race, securing his and chassis 046’s first and only championship points for the season.
An eighth place finish followed at Zolder, before the car headed to Monte Carlo for the Monaco Grand Prix. For this race, the 312 T5s were modified to feature a shorter wheelbase, smaller front wing and modified rear wing. The race would result in another retirement for Scheckter and the car.
The 1980 Spanish Grand Prix saw the sport embroiled in the battles between FISA and FOCA, and Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Renault would not participate.
Things had settled down again by the time Formula 1 made it to Paul Ricard Circuit for the French Grand Prix, and Scheckter would once again pilot chassis 046. Again Scheckter struggled in qualifying, securing only 19th place, but he would improve to 12th by the end of the event.
The British Grand Prix marked the mid point of the season. Coming out of a rough first half to the season with little progress or development on the car, Scheckter had become disenfranchised with the competition, and Ferrari had moved its full efforts to developing a turbo car for 1981. Scheckter would qualify the car 23rd and work his way up to finish 10th.
13th in the German Grand Prix was followed by the car’s final Formula 1 performance – the 1980 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Here, Nelson Piquet would take his second grand prix win ahead of René Arnoux and bring himself to within two points of championship leader Alan Jones, who had finished out of the points in 11th. Scheckter brought the car home ninth in another strong, if ultimately unfulfilling performance.
Scheckter and 046 would suffer a hefty shunt in practice for the Italian Grand Prix, putting the car out of the 1980 season and ending its period racing career. The race would see the introduction of Ferrari’s first turbocharged Formula 1 car – the Ferrari 126C, as well as the announcement of Jody Scheckter’s retirement with 10 grand prix wins, 33 podiums and a Formula 1 World Championship to his name.
From Ferrari the car went to Luigi Chinetti Jr before making its way to its current owner. These days, it’s been prepared and maintained by ex-JPS Lotus mechanic Phil Denney and is in fine fighting condition. Ready to race, it will be sold with a full spare parts collection.
Significant, original and in beautiful condition, this ex-Jody Scheckter 1980 Ferrari 312 T5 will head to auction on the 18th of August at Bonhams’ Quail Lodge sale. For the official word on the car, see Bonhams’ website here.
Images via Bonhams.
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