The Ferrari 156 was a racing car made by Ferrari in 1961 to comply with then-new Formula One regulations that reduced engine displacement from 2.5- to 1.5-litres, similar to the pre-1961 Formula Two class for which Ferrari had developed a mid-engined car also called 156 F2.
Phil Hill won the 1961 World Championship of DriversFIA Yearbook 1973, Grey section, pages 118–119 and Ferrari secured the 1961 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers,FIA Yearbook 1973, Grey section, pages 120–121 both victories achieved with the 156.Peter Higham, The Guinness Guide to International Motor Racing, 1995, pages 38–40
Development
Sharknose The 1961 version was affectionately dubbed "sharknose" due to its characteristic air intake "nostrils". A similar intake duct styling was applied to the five SP-series Ferraris in 1961 and 1962 that were also designed by Carlo Chiti.
Ferrari started the season with a 65-degree Dino engine, then replaced by a new engine with the V-angle increased to 120-degrees and designed by Carlo Chiti. A V-6 engine with 120-degree bank is smoother at producing power because every 120-degree rotation of engine crankshaft produces a power pulse. This change increased the power by . Bore and stroke were with a displacement of and a claimed at 9500 rpm. For 1962, a 4-valve per cylinder version was planned with at 10,000 rpm, but never appeared. At the 1962 British Grand Prix, Phil Hill raced a new version with a six-speed transmission mounted in front of the engine. In August, at the German Grand Prix, Lorenzo Bandini tested a non-sharknose variant with modified front and rear suspension and a smaller radiator, heralding the 156 Aero used in 1963.
1963 Ferrari 156 Aero
The updated Ferrari 156, used in the 1963 and 1964 seasons, did not feature the distinctive sharknose design.1963 Ferrari 156 Aero on www.f1technical.net but had a rather conventional intake, somewhat larger than the Ferrari 158 introduced in 1964.
In 1963 the 120° V6 employed Bosch direct-fuel injection instead of carburetors and output increased to 147 kW (197 hp). The last victory for the Ferrari 156 was achieved by Italian Lorenzo Bandini in the 1964 Austrian Grand Prix.
Technical data
Technical data 156 F1 156 Aero Engine: Mid-mounted 120° 6-cylinder V-engine displacement: 1476.6 cm³ Bore x stroke: 73 x 58.8 mm Compression: 9.8:1 Max power at rpm: 190 hp at 9 500 rpm205 hp at 10 500 rpm Valve control: Double Overhead Camshafts per cylinder bank, 2 valves per cylinder Fuel system: 2 pcs Weber 40 IF3CBosch fuel injection Gearbox: 5-speed manual6-speed manual suspension front: Double cross links, coil springs suspension rear: Double cross links, coil springsUpper transverse link, lower triangle link, double longitudinal links,coil springs, anti-roll bars Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes Chassis & body: Tubular spaceframe with aluminum bodySelf-supporting monocoque Wheelbase: 230 cm238 cm Dry weight: 420 kg 460 kg Maximum speed: 260 km/h Gallery
Monza crash On September 10, 1961, after a collision with Jim Clark's Lotus on the second lap of the Italian Grand Prix, the 156 of Wolfgang von Trips (Hill's teammate) became airborne and crashed into a side barrier, fatally throwing him from the car and killing fifteen spectators.
Replicas Ferrari factory policy in the early 1960s meant that all the original cars were scrapped. Since then at least two replicas of the 156 F1 have been constructed. One was created for the film La Passione, which features the car as a major subject, and another was constructed by an enthusiast for personal use. A 156 replica is also exhibited in the "Galleria Ferrari".
Famous drivers Phil Hill Wolfgang von Trips Richie Ginther Willy Mairesse Olivier Gendebien Giancarlo Baghetti Ricardo Rodríguez Lorenzo Bandini John Surtees Ludovico Scarfiotti Pedro Rodríguez
Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points WCC Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC Ferrari 188 1.5 V6Ferrari 178 1.5 V6 MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER ITA USA 40 (52) 1st Richie Ginther 2 5 3 15 3 8 Ret DNA Phil Hill 3 2 1 9 2 3 1 DNA Wolfgang von Trips 4 1 2 Ret 1 2 Ret Olivier Gendebien 4 Willy Mairesse Ret Ret Ricardo Rodríguez Ret Pedro Rodríguez DNA FISA Giancarlo Baghetti 1 Scuderia Sant Ambroeus Ret Ret Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC Ferrari 178 1.5 V6 NED MON BEL FRA GBR GER ITA USA RSA 18 6th Phil Hill 3 2 3 DNA Ret Ret 11 Giancarlo Baghetti 4 Ret DNA 10 5 DNA Ricardo Rodríguez Ret DNS 4 DNA DNA 6 14 Lorenzo Bandini 3 DNA Ret 8 DNA Willy Mairesse 7 Ret 4 DNA Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC Ferrari 178 1.5 V6 MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER ITA USA MEX RSA 26 4th Willy Mairesse Ret Ret Ret John Surtees 4 Ret 3 Ret 2 1 Ret 9 DSQ Ret Ludovico Scarfiotti DNA 6 DNS Lorenzo Bandini Ret 5 Ret 5 Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC Ferrari 178 1.5 V6 MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER AUT ITA USA MEX 45 (49) 1st Lorenzo Bandini 10 5 3 1 Ludovico Scarfiotti 9 North American Racing Team Pedro Rodríguez 6
References