Hart

**Brian Hart Ltd.**, also known as **Hart** and **Hart Racing Engines**, is a Formula One engine manufacturer that participated in the sport between 1981 and 1986, and returned to the sport in 1993.

## History

Founded in 1969 by British engineer Brian Hart, Hart primarily focused on maintaining and tuning other manufacturers' engines for various independent British teams at all levels of racing. Hart had considerable success with Ford's FVA engine advancements, which led the major multinational corporation to contact the little independent to build the Ford *BDA* 1.6-litre engine for the 2.0-litre class. The European Formula Two Championship was won with Hart-built Ford engines in both 1971 and 1972, while the 2.0-litre *BDA* engine powered the majority of Ford's rallying triumphs in the 1970s. With Ford's exit from F2 in the mid-1970s, Hart began to focus on developing their own designs. The twin-cam, four-cylinder Hart *420R* F2 engine, which debuted in 1976 and powered race-winning cars until the end of the decade, was the first to wear the Hart name alone. The Toleman team agreed to a collaboration programme in 1978, with Toleman giving funding to develop additional Hart engine concepts. Toleman finished first and second in the 1980 European F2 Championship as a result of their teamwork.

Hart followed Toleman into Formula One in 1981, with the *415T*, an straight-four 1.5-litre turbocharged engine. However, the year was a flop, with Brian Hart's little business falling behind better-funded competitors. Toleman cars only qualified for two races. Hart persisted, with the best result from the five-year association coming when Ayrton Senna finished second in the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix and Toleman finished seventh in the 1984 World Constructors' Championship. Teo Fabi also took pole position in a Toleman-Hart at the 1985 German Grand Prix, the first Formula One pole by a Hart-powered car. During this time, three other teams employed Hart turbos: RAM (1984–85), Spirit (1984–85), and the Haas Lola team (1985–86). While none of their teams did very well, Hart established a reputation for doing high-quality work on a limited budget.

Companies like as Renault, Honda, BMW, TAG, and Ferrari were able to design engines that could receive far higher turbo boost than the Hart 415T after 1984. As a result, Brian Hart halted development of the engine. The last time it was used was by the Haas Lola team in the 1986 San Marino Grand Prix, when Patrick Tambay qualified 11th but retired after only five laps due to engine problems. The Hart 415T generated 750 bhp (559 kW; 760 PS) at 11,000 rpm at its peak in 1986.

Brian Hart Ltd had been hired to produce *BDT-E* turbo engines for Ford's Group B rally car, the RS200. When Group B was canned, a large financial flow was also cut off. It made Brian more open to an offer from Cosworth, who bought 75% of BHL in 1987, mostly to secure an advanced road-car engine Hart had created for a client. It was a contract that benefited neither party, and after an uncomfortable year of not receiving the promised design work, Brian purchased back his shares.

Following this, and the ban on turbocharged engines in Formula One following the 1988 season, Hart worked as a freelancer. In 1990 and 1991, the business mostly tuned Cosworth *DFR* V8s for a number of F1 teams, notably Tyrrell and AGS. Hart returned with an in-house 3.5-litre V10 engine in 1993 named the *1035*, signing a two-year deal with the Jordan team.

## Formula One record

### Season-by-season record

Notes

* \* – Season still in progress.

## Notes

1. ↑ Hart Formula One engines
2. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Cruickshank, Gordon (2004-05-01). "Hart of the machine: understanding the genius of Brian Hart". *Motor Sport*. Haymarket. Retrieved 2024-01-07.