The hall of lame

It sounds daft, but one of the joys of supporting Ferrari was that the team has provided – until recently – several disastrous lows that ensured the victories and titles were all the more memorable. We list six of Maranello’s offerings that were more carthorse than stallion

312 B3 (1973)

This nomenclature describes several modifications on the same basic idea, — none of which worked, whatever the weight distribution — but is not to be confused with the impressive ‘driver-forward’ design of the same name that proved so fleet in 1974 and became the basis of the phenomenal 312T.

Designed in Italy by Mauro Forghieri, built in Northamptonshire by John Thompson, and driven to very little effect by Jacky Ickx (left) and Arturo Merzario, the B3 was a clunker. It got its debut in Ickx’ s hands at round four of the season, and qualified sixth — but that was as good as it got. The car didn’t provide feedback to its driver, Jacky’s own communication with chief engineer Gioacchino Colombo was similarly poor, and inevitably motivation took a dive. Sometimes the Belgian star could barely summon the pace to stay ahead of new boy Merzario, and his pitiful collection of three points with B3 ruined his F1 career. Still, at least this disaster spurred the team into one of its greatest eras. DM