Simtek

Simtek — short for Simulation Technology — was never just another name in Formula One. On the one hand, it was a sharp and inventive engineering consultancy, Simtek Research, founded in 1989 by Max Mosley and Nick Wirth. On the other hand, it was a racing team, Simtek Grand Prix, that lined up on the Formula One grid in 1994 and 1995. For all its big ideas and sheer determination, the outfit’s greatest finish was ninth place, and with debts piling up and sponsorships drying out, Simtek was forced into voluntary liquidation by June 1995.

Simtek Research

Simtek Research was born in August 1989, when Wirth, Mosley, and Donald Hughes set out to deliver affordable, high-level design and R&D services to the motorsport world. Starting humbly in Wirth’s own home, with engineer Darren Davis as the lone employee, the company soon expanded into a full facility in Banbury, Oxfordshire — complete with its own wind tunnel.

Clients rolled in: the FIA itself, Formula One constructor Ligier, and a number of Formula 3000 and Indycar outfits.

By 1990, Simtek had designed an F1 car for BMW, which was flirting with a works entry. When BMW switched to touring cars, the design didn’t go to waste: Simtek engineers ran the company’s BMW 3 Series in the DTM, and the shelved F1 design later found life with Andrea Moda Formula in 1992. That same year, with Mosley stepping into the presidency of the FIA, Wirth took full ownership of Simtek.

In 1993, Simtek was tapped to build a car for the new Bravo F1 team, but the plan collapsed after the sudden death of Bravo’s financial backer Jean-François Mosnier.

Simtek Grand Prix

1994 Season

In late 1993, Nick Wirth made the bold leap: Simtek would field its own Formula One team. Triple world champion Jack Brabham bought into the project, and his son David Brabham signed as the lead driver. The second seat went to Austrian rookie Roland Ratzenberger after talks with Andrea de Cesaris, Gil de Ferran, and Jean-Marc Gounon fell through. Charlie Moody, ex-Leyton House manager, came on board as team manager.

The team struck a deal for Ford HB V8 engines via Cosworth and landed MTV Europe as its title sponsor. Wirth’s original car concept included high-tech active suspension, but when the system was outlawed just before the season, the design was hastily pared back into the S941. It was heavy, saddled with a manual gearbox while rivals had semi-automatics, and its engine lagged behind the front-runners. With only 35 staff — barely a tenth of the Ferrari workforce — Simtek was the smallest outfit on the grid.

The struggles were immediate. Brabham started the year qualifying last, while Ratzenberger failed to make the cut. The team soldiered on, finishing races only when others dropped out.

Then came tragedy at Imola. During Saturday qualifying for the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Ratzenberger’s damaged front wing failed at 190 mph, sending him fatally into a concrete barrier. His death was the first during a Grand Prix weekend in 12 years. Brabham, devastated but resolute, chose to race on — “For Roland” was emblazoned on the car’s airbox. A day later, Ayrton Senna was also killed in the race, making the weekend one of Formula One’s darkest.

The season limped forward. Andrea Montermini replaced Ratzenberger in Spain, only to suffer a heavy crash in practice. Jean-Marc Gounon later stepped in, delivering a ninth-place finish in France — Simtek’s best result of the year. Domenico Schiattarella and Taki Inoue also made cameos, but retirements and backmarker battles defined the campaign. The team ended 1994 without points.

1995 Season

MTV Europe stayed on as title sponsor, though their support came as advertising airtime rather than cash. Simtek had to hustle, selling the slots to other sponsors. Engines came from Cosworth again, now the newer Ford EDs, paired with ex-Benetton gearboxes in the new S951 chassis.

David Brabham moved to touring cars with BMW, making room for Jos Verstappen, fresh from a fiery rookie year at Benetton. Domenico Schiattarella held the second seat, with Hideki Noda lined up for later rounds.

There were glimmers of promise. In Argentina, Verstappen qualified 14th and charged up to sixth before a botched pitstop and gearbox failure ruined his race. Schiattarella salvaged ninth. But the team’s finances were crumbling — Simtek was already £6 million in debt after just 18 months of racing.

Gearbox failures dogged Verstappen, and Monaco was a disaster: neither car made it past the opening lap. Wirth admitted in an online posting that a major sponsor had pulled out, leaving a gaping hole in the budget. Talks with new backers fell through, and the companies bankrolling Noda’s drive were crippled by the Kobe earthquake.

By June, the fight was over. Simtek skipped Canada and soon entered voluntary liquidation. The collapse of the F1 team also dragged Simtek Research down with it. Forty-eight jobs were lost, and the team’s assets were sold off at auction.

Simtek Formula One World Championship Records

First entry	1994 Brazilian Grand Prix
Engines	Ford
Races Entered	20
Constructors’ Championships	0
Drivers’ Championships	0
Race victories	0
Podiums	0
Points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
Final entry	1995 Monaco Grand Prix

Simtek Championship Results

Year	Chassis	Engine	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Points	WCC
1994	S941	Ford HBD6 3.5 V8		BRA	PAC	SMR	MON	ESP	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	EUR	JPN	AUS		0	NC
			David Brabham	12	Ret	Ret	Ret	10	14	Ret	15	Ret	11	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	12	Ret
			Roland Ratzenberger	DNQ	11	DNS
			Andrea Montermini					DNQ
			Jean-Marc Gounon							9	16	Ret	Ret	11	Ret	15
			Domenico Schiattarella														19		Ret
			Taki Inoue															Ret
1995	S951	Ford EDB 3.0 V8		BRA	ARG	SMR	ESP	MON	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	EUR	PAC	JPN	AUS	0	NC
			Domenico Schiattarella	Ret	9	Ret	15	DNS
			Jos Verstappen	Ret	Ret	Ret	12	DNS