Tyrrell 019

Tyrrell 019

Category	Formula One
Constructor	Tyrrell Racing Organisation
Designer(s)	Harvey Postlethwaite Jean-Claude Migeot
Predecessor	Tyrrell 018
Successor	Tyrrell 020
Technical specifications
Chassis	Carbon fibre monocoque
Suspension (front)	Double wishbone, push-rod actuated coil springs over dampers
Suspension (rear)	Double wishbone, push-rod actuated coil springs over dampers
Engine	Ford DFR, 3,493 cc (213.2 cu in), 90° V8, NA, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted
Transmission	Tyrrell / Hewland 6-speed manual
Fuel	Elf
Tyres	Pirelli
Competition history
Notable entrants	Tyrrell Racing Organisation
Notable drivers	3. Satoru Nakajima 4. Jean Alesi
Debut	1990 San Marino Grand Prix
Races Wins Poles F/Laps 14 0 0 0

The Tyrrell 019 was a Formula One racing car, designed by a team led by Harvey Postlethwaite, and built by Tyrrell. It was an evolution of Postlethwaite's first design for Tyrrell, the Tyrrell 018.

The 019 marked a significant point in the evolution of Formula One design in having an elevated nose cone. This was the first time that such an idea had been tried in Formula One racing, and it set the template for aerodynamic design ever since. The car was introduced two races into the 1990 Formula One season, scoring a point on its debut in the hands of Jean Alesi. This type of nose cone was gradually adopted by other teams and became the de rigueur design by 1996 in Formula One. The car was powered by the Ford DFR V8 engine - a descendant of the legendary but venerable Cosworth DFV.

Design

Although the 018 had a modestly successful season in 1989, Harvey Postlethwaite did not rest on his laurels. Postlethwaite was an experienced F1 engineer, having previously built race-winning cars for Hesketh, Wolf and Ferrari, and so was well-placed to spot the shortcomings of his own design. Taking the 018 as their base, Postlethwaite and Tyrrell Chief Designer Jean-Claude Migeot decided to try to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the chassis. One area in particular attracted their attention: the underbody airflow. While true ground effect designs had been outlawed during the 1980s, the contemporary practice of coupling a flat, stepped chassis undertray with a large rear diffuser meant that many cars still produced a significant proportion of their downforce through the generation of a low-pressure air mass underneath the car. What Postlethwaite and Migeot realised was that the efficiency of this low-pressure generating system was being seriously compromised by the low nose position at the front end of the car. These low nose cones effectively diverted air sideways and upwards around the cars' upper bodywork, and reduced the volume of air passing underneath the car. However, the generation of low pressures relies on increasing the speed of the air passing underneath the car, in relation to that passing over and around it. In simple terms, the more air that can be drawn underneath a car, the faster that air will have to be moving, and the faster the air is moving, the lower the pressure. By raising the nose cone of the car, Postlethwaite and his team increased the volume of air that was able to pass underneath the car. Conversely, the efficiency of the front wing aerofoils are increased the closer they are to the ground. These conflicting requirements led to the design of the 019's distinctive inverted-V, anhedral front profile.

Competition history

In practice the car did not make the same impact in terms of results as it has in technological advancement. Although Alesi qualified a strong seventh and took a point for a sixth place finish at its first race in San Marino, and then both qualified and finished in second place in Monaco, the remainder of the season resulted in only two points finishes. Nevertheless, as other teams experimented with the principle it rapidly became the norm for Formula One cars to sport a high nose cone. The last truly successful low nose design was the Williams FW16, built only four years after the Tyrrell's unveiling. After this car, all Formula One Championship winning chassis have followed Tyrrell's lead.

The Tyrrell 019 was replaced at the end of the 1990 season by the Tyrrell 020, a further evolution of Postlethwaite's high nose principle.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pts.	WCC
1990	Tyrrell Racing Organisation	Ford DFR V8	P		USA	BRA	SMR	MON	CAN	MEX	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	ESP	JPN	AUS	16†	5th
				Satoru Nakajima			Ret	Ret	11	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	6	DNS	Ret	6	Ret
				Jean Alesi			6	2	Ret	7	Ret	8	11	Ret	8	Ret	8	Ret	DNS	8

^† Seven points scored with the Tyrrell 018.

References

• Frankel, A. & Brundle, M. 2000. 50 Years of Formula One. Motor Sport. LXXVI/7 (July 2000), 24-37
• "Nose cone". F1Technical.net. Retrieved 2007-08-04.
• "Tyrrell 019". Ultimatecarpage.com. Retrieved 2007-08-04.