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VINTAGE: Alfa Power Failed To Lift Brabham
Flat 12-cylinder engine made 500 horsepower but was an underachiever for Bernie Ecclestone's F1 team.
Wouter Melissen  | http://www.ultimatecarpage.com  |  Posted October 30, 2009   Monaco (FR)
Chassis BT45/2, seen in action during the 2008 Monaco Historic Grand Prix, was used for the six of the first eight races in the 1976 season by Carlos Reutemann. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
Seeking an advantage over his Cosworth-powered rivals, Brabham supremo Bernie Ecclestone signed an exclusive deal with Alfa Romeo to use their 3-liter, 12-cylinder engine for the 1976 season.

The Ferrari engine of a similar design had just clinched both titles, so Ecclestone's surprising choice did have some reason behind it. What also helped was that the engines would be supplied free of charge and that it would most certainly appeal to Brabham's Italian sponsor Martini & Rossi.

Arranging the deal would turn out to be the easiest part of the Brabham and Alfa Romeo partnership.

Although new to Formula 1, the 12-cylinder engine had already served three seasons in the back of the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 sports racers, culminating in a dominant victory in the 1975 World Championship. Following the example set by Ferrari a few years earlier, Alfa Romeo's Carlo Chiti opted to use a 180 V-angle for the 12-cylinder engine.

Alfa-Romeo's 3-liter flat-12-cylinder engine produced a reliable 500 horsepower. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
The horizontally opposed configuration naturally resulted in a very low center of gravity. Like all its peers, Alfa's flat-12 featured twin overhead camshafts actuating four valves per cylinder. The 1975 results had shown the engine to be able to produce around 500 horsepower very reliably.

Responsible for the rest of the car was Gordon Murray, whose previous Brabham designs had been increasingly competitive. The Cosworth BT44 had won three Grands Prix in 1975 and was used as a basis for the new BT45.

In line with the new engine, the tub was slightly lower and wider than that of its predecessor. The biggest change was the need for pontoon extensions at the rear to carry part of the weight of the engine and the suspension loads.

The BT44B's unusual semi-in-board and push-rod actuated front suspension was carried over. A Hewland sourced gearbox, with five and later six forward ratios, completed the package.

At its launch, the BT45 sported two striking air-intakes for the engines that were mounted on the edges of the left and right side-pods. These were quickly abandoned and the white Martini livery was also replaced by a similar, red-paint scheme.

Both 1975 drivers, the Brazilian Carlos Pace and Argentinian Carlos Reutemann, were retained. Their talent and experience could do little to hide the new Brabham's imperfections.

The flat-12 proved to be over-weight and under-powered. The drivers also complained that the handling was not up to scratch. The best result of the year was a third for Pace in the French Grand Prix. Brabham slipped from 2nd to 9th in the constructor's tables.

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Wouter Melissen

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