By 1979, significant aerodynamic progress had been made in Formula One, and Forghieri recognized the need to design a ground-effect car. The 312T4's origins in the T-series placed restrictions on its aerodynamic design, as the T-series had not been conceived with ground effect in mind. The monocoque was designed to be as narrow as possible to exploit ground effects, but this was limited by the width of the flat-12 engine, which partially occupied the area where an upswept underside should have been. As a result, the 312T4 was more of a wing car, similar to the Lotus 78, rather than a true ground-effect design. To overcome the limitations of the engine's transverse dimensions for aerodynamic development, Ferrari technicians broadened the car's flanks to house the air intakes that channeled air to the radiators and intake ducts. The suspension was also redesigned to minimize drag, and the rear brakes were inboard to reduce unsprung mass and improve grip and traction control.
The car carried the Tipo 015 flat-12 engine used by Ferrari since 1970, tuned to produce 379 kW (515 hp) at 12,300 rpm. Like all 312T-series cars, it retained the transverse-mounted gearbox, with the "T" in the name standing for trasversale, Italian for transverse. This positioned the gearbox ahead of the rear axle to move the car's center of mass forward and lower its polar moment of inertia. The chassis was new, featuring a revised monocoque structure and updated suspension.
The 312T4 proved to be an extremely reliable racer for Ferrari, winning its debut race at the South African Grand Prix and continuing to perform throughout the 1979 season. It recorded only one retirement for mechanical reasons across the 1979 season. Gilles Villeneuve claimed victory in the South African Grand Prix and a Grand Chelem at Long Beach. Jody Scheckter secured two more wins at the Belgian and Monaco Grands Prix. Villeneuve and Scheckter each won three races. The battle for the Drivers' title turned into a duel between Villeneuve and Scheckter, with Scheckter eventually triumphing due to more consistent performance, securing the Champion title at the Italian Grand Prix with Villeneuve just four points behind him. The combination of wins and consistent finishes delivered Ferrari its fourth Constructors' Championship in five seasons and Scheckter his only Drivers' Championship. The 312T4 achieved a 100% reliability record for cars of 1979.
Scheckter was given the 312T4 car he drove to his championship after the new 312T5 was ready to be debuted in Argentina in 1980. He ran it at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix weekend to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Formula One, along with every living Formula One world champion except Nelson Piquet and Kimi Räikkönen. Scheckter again drove the car at the 2019 Italian Grand Prix to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of his title triumph there. The car was sold at auction in 2024.
The heavily updated 312T5 replaced the 312T4 for the 1980 season. The Ferrari was outclassed that year, as its wide 312 "Boxer" engine did not suit the aerodynamic needs of the era. The 312T5 was unreliable, slow, and ineffective against the competition. The 312T series was ultimately succeeded by the entirely new 126CK for the 1981 season.
Car type: single-seater F1 car
Kerb weight: 590 kg (1300 lbs)
Dimensions: 4.46 m (175 9/16 in) long, 2.12 m (83 7/16 in) wide, 1.01 m (39 3/4 in) high
Wheelbase: 2.7 m (106 5/16 in)
Power: 379 kW (515 hp) at 12,300 rpm
Torque: 331 Nm
Engine type: Ferrari Type 015 180º V12
Fuel Tank capacity: 190 litres
Displacement: 2,991.8 cc (182.6 cu in)
Transmission: Ferrari Type 022 5 speed Manual
Layout: mid, longitudinally mounted engine, rear wheel drive
This article is based solely on the supplied corpus. No external sources were consulted; claims that could not be substantiated against the corpus were omitted under the drop-the-claim rule.
Gallery · 3 related images
