Much more profitable in touring vehicles, GTs and sportscars Zakspeed had a disappointing five-year spell in grand prix racing from 1985 to 1989, logging a single factors end.
After WW2 Zakowski’s household moved from Prussia and finally settled within the city of Niederzissen, not removed from the Nurburgring, the place he educated as a mechanic and arrange his personal storage and finally racing staff.
From the beginning Zakspeed was carefully related to Ford, working touring and GT vehicles in Germany and elsewhere. The organisation achieved big success within the DRM – a forerunner of the DTM – with its outlandish Capris, whereas additionally competing in IMSA with Mustangs.
Zakspeed’s Ford hyperlinks reached a peak in sportscar racing with the works Ford C100, which was presupposed to be the successor to the legendary GT40, with designer Len Bailey offering a direct hyperlink between the tasks.
First seen on the 1981 Manufacturers Hatch 1000kms and later reworked by Tony Southgate, the automobile achieved little, regardless of being raced by modern F1 drivers Marc Surer and Manfred Winkelhock and Zakspeed common Klaus Ludwig.
After Ford ended its official involvement within the sportscar venture Zakspeed continued to run a growth of the automobile beneath its personal title.
The corporate took a distinct course when it entered F1 in 1985 with an bold venture that included its personal 1.5-litre turbo engine whereas persevering with to run with some success within the DTM.
Picture by: Sutton Photographs
Willi Weber, Michael Schumacher’s supervisor and Erich Zakowski, former Zakspeed Group Principal
Initially, the F1 staff ran a single entry for Jonathan Palmer, who was affected by reliability points. After he was injured in a sportscar accident at Spa the Englishman was changed by Christian Danner late within the season.
In 1986 Palmer was joined by Dutchman Huub Rothengatter as Zakspeed expanded to 2 vehicles. Reliability continued to be an Achilles heel, and neither driver might higher an eighth place.
For 1987, Palmer was changed by Martin Brundle whereas Danner returned to drive the second automobile. By now the package deal was extra aggressive, helped by different smaller groups migrating to atmospheric engines because the transition from turbos started.
Brundle scored what can be the staff’s solely factors with fifth place in a excessive attrition race at Imola, and likewise completed seventh in Monaco.
There was a change of line-up for 1988 with German coming man Bernd Schneider joined by veteran Piercarlo Ghinzani. Most groups had already switched to atmospheric energy, and the now restricted Zakspeed turbo was uncompetitive, and the vehicles steadily didn’t qualify.
With turbos outlawed Zakspeed for 1989 Aguri Suzuki changed Ghinzani and got here with a provide of Yamaha atmospheric V8s. The staff had slipped into the pre-qualifying group, and over the entire season Suzuki by no means made the principle area, and Schneider did so solely twice. That poor efficiency led to a withdrawal from F1 on the finish of the season.
Subsequently, Zakowski handed the corporate reins to son Peter, a profitable racer in his personal proper, who continued to area Zakspeed entries in all kinds of championships.
Picture by: Sutton Photographs
Erich Zakowski, Zakspeed Group Principal and Martin Brundle
