1981 March 811

The RAM Racing team was active in Formula One racing from 1976 to 1985, using other manufacturers' chassis from 1976 to 1980 before switching to a March mount for the 1981 to 1983 season. During the 1984 and 1985 seasons, they used a car of their own design.

The RAM Racing team was formed by Mike Ralph and John Macdonald and initially contested F1 using a pair of Brabham BT44B F1 cars. They drove a March car during the 1977 season but with little success. They entered their Williams FW07 in the British Formula One event during the 1979 season and seven Grand Prix events in 1980, but for the 1981 World Championship season, the underfunded team approached March to construct a new car. March had not fielded a Formula 1 car since the end of the 1977 season.

For the 1981 season, March designed and developed the 811, with its name following the company's conventional naming scheme in which the first two digits correspond to the year and the third digit or letter represents the formula. The design borrowed heavily from the Williams F1 car and was powered by a rather conventional DFV engine backed by a Hewland FGA gearbox and installed in an aluminum honeycomb chassis.

The monocoque structure was designed by Gordon Cuppock, and its suspension system was in-board at the front and rear with rocker-actuated springs and dampers. Ventilated disc brakes provided the stopping power, and steering was handled by a rack-and-pinion system. The all-aluminum Ford Cosworth DFV engine displaced 2,993cc, used a Lucas fuel injection system, produced nearly 500 horsepower, and was backed by a Hewland FGA 400 five-speed manual transmission. Construction of the car was handled by March Engines which was owned by Robin Herd. RAM managed and ran the returning March Grand Prix team during the 1981 season, with Derek Daly and Eliseo Salazar performing driving duties.

The cars wore black paint with Guinness and Rizla sponsorship. Non-qualifications frequently plagued the team, and the team would fail to score any points. The best result was a 7th place at the British Grand Prix by Daly. A total of seven examples were eventually built, with some differences between specifications. The second and third examples were built using a different honeycomb material, which was less costly but not as rigid as the other material. Although money was saved, the car's structural integrity was compromised and virtually unsafe to drive. Additional aluminum sheets helped resolve the problem but added another issue due to the extra weight.

Two additional March 811 cars were prepared in time for the Belgian Grand Prix with many of the deficiencies of the early cars resolved. A sixth car was built using input from Adrian Reynard. The improvements suggested by Reynard resulted in the 'MK3' version, which was both lighter and had a shorter wheelbase. Only chassis number RM6 incorporated the Reynard changes and it was raced by Daly for the remainder of the season, beginning with the British Grand Prix. At the end of the year, the car was sold and clothed with full-width bodywork and used by Arnold Glass and Walter Lechner to contest the Can-Am series.

The deficiencies of the March 811 and the lack of results during the 1981 season formed a rift between Herd and Macdonald, eventually resulting in each going in their own direction. Macdonald and the March Grand Prix team used the Reynard-designed March 821 for the 1982 season.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2021