Facts
-
Team
Parmalat Racing Team -
Engine
Alfa Romeo Flat 12 -
Capacity
2,993 cc, 180-degree V12 -
Power
510 bhp -
Chassis
Aluminium monocoque -
Weight
629 kg -
Designer
Gordon Murray -
Drivers
Niki Lauda, John Watson -
In action
1978 Swedish Grand Prix -
Starts and wins
1 race, 1 win -
Historical significance
The BT46B (nickname ‘Brabham Vacuum Cleaner’) had just the one race outing – the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix – which resulted in a commanding victory for Niki Lauda. Designer Gordon Murray claimed the novel device at the rear was a cooling system, but in fact it generated a great deal of downforce. Following protests, the car was withdrawn by team boss Bernie Ecclestone. -
Driver in the Red Bull Legends Parade
Jean Alesi
The car
Designer Gordon Murray’s new car featured an oversized fan at the rear, which he formally declared to be an aid to lubricant cooling. This was Brabham’s way of complying with the rules, which strictly prohibited movable aerodynamic aids. In reality, the device served to draw air out towards the rear and create a vacuum beneath the underbody, which was sealed by side skirts. The aim was to achieve downforce similar to that of Lotus. The competition, led by the powerful figure of Mario Andretti, immediately protested. Furthermore, the blower kicked up gravel that struck the helmets of drivers behind at high speed – so Lotus also argued that it posed a safety risk. However, no outright ban was imposed. But Bernie Ecclestone, who as the de facto head of the series didn’t want any aggravation, withdrew the car following the victory in Sweden. The ‘Vacuum Cleaner’ nevertheless became a cult classic.
The drivers
Niki Lauda and John Watson. Following Lauda’s comeback, the pair were also team-mates at McLaren, serving a total of four years together.
Fascinating facts
Gordon Murray had taken the idea for the ‘Vacuum Cleaner’ from American Chaparral racing cars, which had been built in a similar way with a blower to increase downforce. With the BT46B, he created a legend at Brabham, before going on to build two world championship-winning cars for Nelson Piquet. Today, at the age of eighty, he develops his own exclusive and limited-edition supercars. One of them is even called the Lauda, after his friend from their days together at Brabham.
Driver in the Red Bull Legends Parade: Jean Alesi
Although the exceptionally talented Frenchman won just a single Grand Prix – in Montreal in 1995 – he is regarded as one of the most charismatic drivers of the 1990s. His shared experiences and pranks with his friend and team-mate Gerhard Berger are legendary; together they drove their bosses at Ferrari and Benetton to distraction, including such senior figures as Jean Todt and Flavio Briatore.
