Ferrari 312T2

The Ferrari 312T2 was a Formula One car developed by for the 1976 Formula One Season. A B-spec chassis was also used for and the first two races of . This was the car in which Niki Lauda suffered severe burns during the 1976 German Grand Prix.
The car was introduced midway through the 1976 season and featured major aerodynamic changes over its predecessor, the Ferrari 312T. Most notable of the changes was the removal of the tall air box featured on the 312T, which was banned from the Spanish Grand Prix onward. This was replaced with air intakes on either side of the cockpit.
The car was supposed to feature de Dion tube suspension, but the concept was abandoned after extensive testing and the team used a more standard system. The 312T2 was an overall improvement over the 312T.
Niki Lauda drove the car for its race debut in the non-championship Race of Champions at Brands Hatch, where he qualified second behind the of Jody Scheckter. The car made its racing debut in the championship at the Spanish Grand Prix.
At the German Grand Prix later that year, Lauda's car suffered a rear suspension failure that sent the car into the barrier on the second lap of the race. It burst into flames with Lauda trapped inside. He was rescued from the car by his fellow drivers, who had stopped to help the Austrian, but he suffered severe burns to his face and lungs. Miraculously, he returned to racing only weeks later, although he ended up losing the World Championship title to James Hunt by a single point.
For 1977, the team used a B-spec version of the 312T2, although they were the same cars as used in 1976. Lauda was unimpressed with the performance of the car after the first two races of the season, so the team conducted an extensive test programme to bring improvements to the car in the weeks prior to the 1977 South African Grand Prix.
The results were immediate, as Lauda won the South African Grand Prix, although celebrations were muted due to the tragic death of Tom Pryce and a track marshal during the race. Lauda's car had been damaged by debris from the accident.
Over the course of the season, Ferrari struggled to match the performance of the Lotus 78, consistently finishing runner up to the British team. Ferrari's largest struggle was with their Goodyear tyres, which were developed for high-downforce cars, which the Ferrari was not.
The team brought numerous upgrades to the car throughout the season to combat these issues, including various iterations of the wings, rear bodywork and suspension. The team was reliable enough to achieve consistent results and secured both championship titles before the end of the season.
Lauda, who was leaving Ferrari at the end of the season, left the team with two races remaining in the season. This freed up a seat for the team's future driver Gilles Villeneuve to start driving for the team. The plan was originally to run three cars in the race, but Lauda felt the team did not have enough resources to effectively run three cars.
Villeneuve struggled to get comfortable in the car, which did not suit is particular driving style. Nevertheless, the team used the 312T2B for the first two rounds of the season, before replacing it with the successor Ferrari 312T3.
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==Race Victories==
Year	Event	Driver 	Notes
 	 	Niki Lauda 	Pole and fastest lap
 	 	Niki Lauda 	Pole
 	 	Niki Lauda 	Pole and fastest lap
 	 	Carlos Reutemann	
 	 	Niki Lauda 	
 	 	Niki Lauda 	Fastest lap
 	 	Niki Lauda 	Fastest lap
 	 	Carlos Reutemann	Fastest lap
==Complete Formula One Results==
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|rowspan=3| 312T2
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|align=left| Lauda
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| 8th
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|align=left| Regazzoni
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| 11th
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| 14th
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| 9th
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| 7th
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|align=left| Reutemann
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| 9th
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|rowspan=3| 312T2B
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|align=left| Lauda
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|align=left| Reutemann
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| 8th
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| 15th
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|align=left| Villeneuve
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| 12th
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|rowspan=2| 312T2B
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|align=left| Reutemann
| 7th
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|align=left| Villeneuve
| 8th
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Category:Cars
Category:Ferrari Cars
Category:1976 Cars
Category:1977 Cars
Category:1978 Cars