The Tyrrell P34 (Project 34) was a Formula One race car designed by Derek Gardner, Tyrrell's chief designer, as a response to new regulations due to come into force in 1976. The car had 4 10-inch diameter front wheels and 2 ordinary wheels at the back. The idea was to increase air penetration and have a smaller 'frontal area' which would reduce drag. When unveiled, the cover was peeled back from the back forward and the collective gasps from the world's press said it all. Apart from the Brabham 'Fancar' which came 2 years later, the 6 wheeled Tyrrell was the most radical car ever to take part in F1 competition.
It first ran in the Spanish Grand Prix in 1976, and proved to be very competitive. Both Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depailler were able to produce solid results with the car, but while Depailler praised the car continually, Scheckter realised it would only be temporarily competitive. The special Goodyear tyres were not being developed enough by the end of the season.
The P34's golden moment came in the Swedish Grand Prix. Scheckter and Depailler finished first and second, and to date Scheckter is the only driver ever to win a race in a 6 wheeled car. He left the team at the end of the season, insisting that the 6 wheeler was 'a piece of junk!'
For 1977, Scheckter was replaced by the brilliant Swede Ronnie Peterson, but although he was able to string some promising results from the P34B, as was Depailler, it was clear it was not as good as before, mostly down to the little tyres underperforming. The P34 was abandoned for 1978, and a truly remarkable chapter in F1 history was over.
