March 2–4-0

The March 2-4-0 was an experimental six-wheeled Formula One racing car built by the March Engineering company of Bicester, UK. It was constructed in late 1976 and tested in early 1977.

The car followed on from the successful use by Tyrrell Racing of a six-wheeled car, the Tyrrell P34, in Formula One racing. However, the engineering concept behind the 2-4-0 was quite different.

The front wheels of an open-wheeled F1 car generate aerodynamic drag. The thinking behind the Tyrrell P34 was that this drag effect could be reduced by using smaller diameter tyres at the front. At the time, conventional F1 front wheels would measure around 16" (40 cm) diameter but Tyrrell planned to use just 10" (25 cm) diameter wheels. The corresponding loss of front-end grip was overcome by incorporating two front wheels per side thus actually increasing grip as well as decreasing drag. The design incorporated a system whereby all four front wheels could steer the car.

The P34 was reasonably successful with the two cars taking a memorable 1–2 in the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix. The Tyrrell team also finished 3rd and 4th overall in the championship. The car was less successful in 1977 however and the idea was dropped. Reasons given were that although Goodyear had manufactured special tyres for the car, the tyre company had failed to match the development work on them compared to the normal sized tyres used by other teams. With all four front wheels steering the car, Tyrrell also found that the P34's complex four-wheel front suspension assembly added a lot of weight to the car.

At March Engineering in Bicester, designer Robin Herd had watched the P34 experiment closely and, by late 1976, had come to the conclusion that the 'four front wheels' concept might have been a blind alley. In his assessment, the improved aerodynamics at the front were largely negated by the rear tyres which at 24" (60 cm) diameter would still have accounted for 30 to 40% of the car's total drag. He also felt that with a modern rear wheel drive F1 car, the extra grip could be employed more usefully for the driven wheels.

With this in mind, Herd drew up plans for a six-wheeled car with four driven wheels at the rear and all of the wheels the same 16" diameter. His theory was that with all six tyres the same size as the regular F1 front tyre, the car would not only be slimmer than normal F1 cars but would possess improved aerodynamic performance at the rear with much cleaner air passing over the wing. Four driven wheels would also mean better traction and, unlike the Tyrrell, there would be no problem with tyre development since the car would use exactly the same rubber as a conventional F1 car.

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