| Category | Formula One | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Brabham | ||||||||
| Designer(s) | Gordon Murray (Technical Director) David North (Chief Designer) Carlo Chiti (Chief Engine Designer (Alfa Romeo)) | ||||||||
| Predecessor | BT46 | ||||||||
| Successor | BT49 | ||||||||
| Technical specifications[1] | |||||||||
| Chassis | Aluminiummonocoque | ||||||||
| Axle track | Front: 1,731 mm (68.1 in) Rear: 1,625 mm (64.0 in) | ||||||||
| Wheelbase | 2,743 mm (108.0 in) | ||||||||
| Engine | Alfa Romeo, 2,991 cc (182.5 cu in), 60°V12,NA,mid-engine,longitudinally mounted | ||||||||
| Transmission | Hewland /Alfa Romeo 5/6-speedmanual | ||||||||
| Fuel | Agip | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants | ParmalatRacing Brabham | ||||||||
| Notable drivers | 5. Niki Lauda6.  Nelson Piquet | ||||||||
| Debut | 1979 Argentine Grand Prix | ||||||||
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| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
TheBrabham BT48 was aFormula Oneracing car designed byGordon Murray and raced by theBrabham team. The car, powered by a12-cylinderAlfa Romeo engine, competed in the1979 Formula One season. The intended plan was to run the BT47 but theFIA outlawed it because it had aChaparral2J-type box rear end with twin variable geometry fans on the rear to maximize ground effect, so Murray designed the BT48 instead.
The BT48 made its debut at the1979 Argentine Grand Prix withNiki Lauda driving. TeammateNelson Piquet qualified the olderBrabham BT46 in 20th place. Lauda qualified the BT46 in 23rd place but drove the BT48 in the race when he retired with fuel system failure. Piquet was involved in a huge first lap pile-up and was injured; he did not take the restart.[2][3]
AtBrazil, Brabham had another BT48 ready for home favorite Piquet. The Austrian qualified 12th and the Brazilian 22nd. Lauda retired with a broken gearbox and the Brazilian retired at his home race after colliding withClay Regazzoni.[4] At theSouth African Grand Prix, Lauda qualified fourth and Piquet 12th. The Austrian finished sixth and the Brazilian seventh.[5] At theUnited States Grand Prix West, Lauda qualified 11th and Piquet 12th, The Austrian retired whenPatrick Tambay'sMcLaren hit him and the Brazilian finished eighth.[6]
At theSpanish Grand Prix Lauda qualified sixth and Piquet seventh. The Austrian retired with a water leak and the Brazilian retired with broken injection.[7] AtBelgium, Piquet qualified third and Lauda 13th, but both retired with engine failure.[8] TheMonaco Grand Prix saw Lauda qualify fourth and Piquet 18th. The Austrian retired with an accident, and the Brazilian retired with transmission failure.[9] AtFrance, Piquet qualified fourth and Lauda sixth. The Brazilian retired with an accident and the Austrian retired when he spun.[10] At theBritish Grand Prix, Piquet qualified third and Lauda fifth. The Brazilian retired when he spun and the Austrian retired when his brakes failed.[11] AtGermany, Piquet qualified fourth and Lauda seventh, but both retired with engine failure.[12] TheAustrian Grand Prix saw Lauda qualify fourth and Piquet seventh, but both retired with engine failure, disappointing the Austrian fans at Lauda's home race.[13]
At theDutch Grand Prix, Lauda qualified ninth and Piquet 11th. The Austrian withdrew on Lap four and the Brazilian finished fourth.[14] TheItalian Grand Prix saw Piquet qualify eighth and Lauda ninth. The Brazilian retired with an accident and the Austrian Finished fourth.[15] At theCanadian Grand Prix, after a second season marred by retirements and poor pace, Lauda informed Brabham that he wished to retire immediately, as he had no more desire to "drive around in circles". Lauda, who in the meantime had foundedLauda Air, a charter airline, returned to Austria to run the company full-time. The BT48 was replaced by theBrabham BT49 with aFord engine for the final two races of 1979.
Although reasonably quick and competitive, the BT48 was a very unreliable car with a very unreliable engine, due to the fact that the Carlo Chiti-designed Alfa V12 engine was very new and had predictable teething troubles. Unreliability was something of an unfortunate hallmark of some of Gordon Murray's Brabham F1 cars. While he won the non-championship Dino Ferrari Grand Prix at the Imola circuit near Bologna, Lauda only finished 2 races he competed in before he announced his retirement in Montreal; and Piquet finished 4 races. A number of these retirements were due to engine failure.
(key) (Results inbold indicate pole position; results initalics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | ParmalatRacing Brabham | Alfa RomeoV12 | ARG | BRA | RSA | USW | ESP | BEL | MON | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | NED | ITA | CAN | USE | 7 | 8th | |
| Niki Lauda | Ret | Ret | 6 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 4 | |||||||
| Nelson Piquet | Ret | 7 | 8 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 12 | Ret | 4 | Ret | ||||||||
Source:[16] | ||||||||||||||||||||
(key) (Results inbold indicate pole position; results initalics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | Drivers | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | ParmalatRacing Brabham | Alfa RomeoV12 | ROC | DIN | |
| Niki Lauda | 5 | 1 | |||
| Nelson Piquet | 2 |
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