Chris Amon Racing, often shortened simply to Amon, was a Formula One team created by New Zealand driver Chris Amon. The team had a brief but fascinating presence in the sport, first appearing as a privateer entry in 1966, before later attempting to compete as a full constructor during the 1974 Formula One season.

Although the project ultimately struggled with reliability and finances, it remains a notable example of a top-level driver attempting to build and run his own Grand Prix team.

Origins of the team

Chris Amon first arrived in Formula One in 1963, driving for Reg Parnell’s privateer team. Over the next few years, he developed a reputation as one of the fastest drivers in the sport — but also one of its most unlucky.

In 1966, after finding himself temporarily without a full-time Formula One seat, Amon decided to enter a race under his own banner. For the Italian Grand Prix, he ran a Brabham BT11 chassis powered by a 2-litre BRM engine, entered as Chris Amon Racing.

Unfortunately, the timing could hardly have been worse. The sport had just transitioned to new 3-litre engine regulations, meaning Amon’s smaller 2-litre engine left him severely underpowered compared with the rest of the field. As a result, he struggled during qualifying and ultimately failed to qualify for the race.

Although short-lived, this marked the first appearance of Chris Amon Racing in Formula One.

After the 1966 attempt, Amon returned to driving for established teams rather than running his own operation. Between 1967 and 1972, he raced for several major constructors, including Ferrari, March and Matra.

During this period, he proved his speed by winning several non-championship Formula One races, which were still common at the time. However, in official World Championship events, he became infamous for his extraordinary run of bad luck, often losing strong results to mechanical failures or unfortunate incidents.

In 1973, Amon joined the small Italian Tecno team, but the season proved extremely difficult due to the car’s lack of competitiveness and reliability.

1974 constructor project

Encouraged by the potential of an unfinished chassis designed by engineer Gordon Fowell, Amon decided to try once more to run his own Formula One operation.

With financial backing from businessman John Dalton, the team entered the 1974 Formula One season as a constructor under the name Dalton-Amon International.

The team’s new car was the Amon AF101, named after its creators, A for Amon, and F for Fowell.

The design drew inspiration from the highly successful Lotus 72, incorporating similar aerodynamic concepts and suspension ideas. However, despite promising engineering ideas, the project quickly ran into serious problems.

The car featured several interesting design choices. Among them were titanium torsion bars, a forward driving position, and side-mounted radiators. One particularly unusual element was the location of the fuel tank, which sat between the cockpit and the engine — an uncommon layout at the time.

Despite its innovative ideas, the chassis proved structurally weak and required extensive development before it was ready to race.

Because of ongoing design and reliability problems, the AF101 was not ready until the fourth race of the 1974 season, the Spanish Grand Prix.

Spanish Grand Prix

At its debut race, Chris Amon managed to qualify 23rd on the grid. However, the car experienced severe brake disc vibration, which worsened once wet-weather tyres were fitted for the rain-affected race.

Despite driving cautiously to manage the problem, the brake shaft eventually broke, forcing Amon to retire after 22 laps.

Monaco Grand Prix

Following further testing and modifications, Amon returned with the AF101 at the Monaco Grand Prix. He successfully qualified 20th, but mechanical problems struck again before the race began.

As a result, Amon was unable to start the race.

German Grand Prix

After additional delays, the team returned to the German Grand Prix. This time two cars were entered: one for Chris Amon and another for Australian driver Larry Perkins.

Unfortunately, both drivers failed to qualify, highlighting how far the car still lagged behind the competition.

Italian Grand Prix

The team’s final appearance came at the Italian Grand Prix, three races before the end of the season. Once again, Amon attempted to qualify the AF101, but the car failed to make the grid.

With finances running out and the car still uncompetitive, this event effectively marked the end of Chris Amon Racing.

The end of the project

By late 1974, it had become clear that the project could not continue. Development problems, mechanical failures and limited funding had prevented the AF101 from ever reaching its potential.

After the Italian Grand Prix, Chris Amon shut down the team, bringing an end to one of Formula One’s more ambitious driver-led constructor efforts.

Amon Formula One World Championship Records

First entry	1966 Italian Grand Prix
Races entered	5
Constructors’ Championships	0
Drivers’ Championships	0
Race victories	0
Podiums	0
Points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
Final entry	1974 Italian Grand Prix

Amon Championship Results

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Points	WCC
1966	Chris Amon Racing	Brabham BT11	BRM V8	D		MON	BEL	FRA	GBR	NED	GER	ITA	USA	MEX							0	NC
				D	Chris Amon							DNQ
1974	Dalton-Amon International	Amon AF101	Cosworth V8	F		ARG	BRA	RSA	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA	0	NC
				F	Chris Amon				Ret		DNS					DNQ		DNQ
				F	Larry Perkins											DNQ