The ATS D1 was a

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

racing car Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including ...

manufactured and raced by the ATS Racing Team for the last two races of the 1978 Formula One season. It was powered by a

Cosworth DFV The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. The name is an abbreviation of ''Double Four Valve'', the engine being a V8 development of the earlier four-cylinder FVA, which had f ...

V8 engine. Driven by

Keke Rosberg Keijo Erik "Keke" Rosberg (; born 6 December 1948) is a Finnish former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Rosberg won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Williams, and won five Grand ...

, the D1 failed to finish any races in the points.

Development

The D1 was designed by John Gentry and

Gustav Brunner Gustav Brunner (born 12 September 1950) is an Austrian Formula One designer and engineer. Career Born in Graz, he started his career in racing car design at the German-based constructor McNamara (constructor), McNamara. He first entered F1 in a ...

. Designed as a wing-car,Nye, 1985, p. 164 the D1 utilised an aluminium monocoque and was powered by a Cosworth DFV V8. It was intended to be a replacement for the team's poorly performing HS1 car (a modified Penske PC4 chassis) with which it had started the 1978 Formula One season.

Racing history

The HS1 with which ATS had begun the season was a poor car and the team's regular drivers

Jean-Pierre Jarier Jean-Pierre Jacques Jarier (; born 10 July 1946) is a French former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Jarier contested 143 Formula One Grands Prix for March, Shadow, ATS, Ligier, Lotus, Tyrrell, and Osella. He achieve ...

and

Jochen Mass Jochen Richard Mass (; 30 September 1946 – 4 May 2025) was a German racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from to . Mass won the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix with McLaren. In endurance racing, Mass won the 24 Hours of Le Ma ...

had struggled to even be close to competitiveness. The D1 was first used in practice for the

Dutch Grand Prix The Dutch Grand Prix () is an annual Formula One World Championship auto racing event, held at Circuit Zandvoort, North Holland, the Netherlands, from 1950 through 1985, and after a 35 year hiatus, from 2021 to 2026. It has been a part of the ...

and

, who had stood in for Jarier earlier in the year, used it for the last two races of the season. He placed it 15th on the grid for the

United States Grand Prix The United States Grand Prix is a motor racing event that has been held on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The Grand Prix later became part of the Formula One World Championship. , the Grand Prix has been held ...

but retired from the race with gearbox issues. For the last race of the year in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, Rosberg qualified in 21st. He finished the race but was an unclassified runner.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

( key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Notes

References

* {{F1 cars 1978 ATS Formula One cars