The great idea of ​​the Spaniard, which is used today by the entire Formula 1

YesIf you like motorsports history, you’ve probably heard of Wifredo Ricart. His creations were Pegasus Z-102 And Z-103Spanish sports cars that didn’t exist in the middle of the last century Ferrari has nothing to envy, either technologically or in terms of performance. then.

Before joining Pegaso, this Spanish engineer dared to launch his own brand, which he called Ricard. He risked participating with her in national competitions and even appeared in Paris Motor Show. But civil war broke out and he abandoned his brand project, embarking on a path that would lead him to Milan, more precisely to the headquarters Alfa Romeo.

His fame preceded him

Hugo Gobbattothe then CEO of the Italian brand, already knew about the Spaniard’s talent and hired him first as external consultant

to develop two very special engines, V6 two-stroke and engine 28000 cc and 2500 hp Designed for use on aircraft.

But the situation with technical crisis what Alfa Romeo experienced in the late 1930s was a role change; in the Italian brand they had to regain lost ground against the German manufacturers, so Ricard headed the racing car department. Director of Special Projectswhich included racing models.

Engine after pilot

There he developed Alfa Romeo Type 512which was intended to be a decree that came into force on 1941 and became the first Grand Prix car made in Italy with the engine behind the driver. The engine, by the way, for which the configuration was chosen 12 opposed cylinders and delivered from 335 to 370 hp.

It quickly became clear that the configuration that made the car so strange benefits in weight distribution, performance and center of gravity

. But he also had a flaw, and this was his flaw. maneuverability. They needed to improve it at any cost, but then came the The Second World War and everything stopped. Fearing that the Type 512 would be destroyed or requisitioned, the machine It was hidden along with other competitor models in a cheese factory. Gongonzola and remained there for six years.

Costs had to be saved

When the Second Great War ended, it was time to take a look Expenses more than ever, and then the brand decided to bet on Type 158, not Ricart’s Type 512. The reasons were simple: this car was more advanced as a project and required less investment. This was the end of Ricard’s career in Italian sports cars.

Since they were not going to do without the Spaniard’s talent, in return he was ordered to develop Project Gazzella

a six-passenger sedan for which he caught a glimpse advanced aerodynamics (it had pop-up headlights) and hydraulic controlled gearbox located next to the steering wheel.

But after they were sure that they would be manufactured 1280 units The model was also not mass-produced, because again It was very expensive and the Alfa Romeo 1900 could have been cheaper. and appropriate for these difficult times.

That is history

Ricard in Alfa Romeo

It could have been great under different circumstances. But his achievements were always recognized, and Formula 1 used them.