Ferrari 312 T5 Monaco 1980 – Last Piece

1980’s Ferrari 312 T5 Grand Prix car carried on the development of the 312 T4, but the rapid development of ground-effects aerodynamics brought cornering speeds to a level that was unprecedented. Ferrari tested two 312 T3s at Fiorano, one in its as-raced configuration and the other modified wîth ground-effects skirts and tapered sidepods.

The as-raced 312 T3 produced 1.8 g lateral acceleration on the 100-meter skid pad. The ground-effects modified 2.2 g’s – a 22% increase – was an achievement on a car not designed or optimized for ground-effects. Cars wîth vee engines had more room for under-floor tunnels and clearly airflow, and were generating nearly 3 g lateral acceleration. Ferrari recognized the challenges and quickly turned its development efforts to the 1.5-liter 120-degree V-6 twin turbo-powered 126C.

Despite the inherent limitations imposed on the ground-effects chassis by the flat-12 engine and by Michelin’s concentration on building stiff sidewall tires for the high-downforce Renault chassis, Villeneuve and Scheckter acquitted themselves professionally, scoring points finishes in five races using six chassis.

Product code: LSF1H15B
Color: Racing Livery