This 1980 Ferrari F1 was the worst in Scuderia's history... Ferrari had abandoned it

The Grand Prix Historique de Monaco 2026 provided an opportunity to admire and, above all, to hear many F1 single-seaters, from the 50s to the 80s. Among them, some Ferrari, The cost of maintenance is not insignificant. The cost of maintenance is not insignificant...

Tribute to intrepid Villeneuve

The F series, which includes 3-liter F1 cars built between 1977 and 1980, is called “Gilles Villeneuve”. It would therefore have been incongruous if no car by the Canadian had been present. Just as well, in a field dominated by Anglo-Saxon cars (Hesketh, Williams, Lotus, etc.), one of Villeneuve's ex-Ferrari cars was lined up: the 1980 312 T5, driven on the streets of the Principality by Juergen Boden.

The 312T series, the winning machine

When we talk about the 312T series (the T refers to the transverse position of the gearbox), we're talking about one of the most successful periods in the Scuderia's F1 history: constructors' titles in 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1979, as well as drivers' titles in 1975 and 1977 for Niki Lauda, and 1979 for Jody Scheckter. The Ferraris could also rely on an absolute weapon, the fabulous 12-cylinder flathead (180°) which developed over 500 hp at 12,500 rpm, far surpassing the Cosworth V8. Except that in 1980, disaster struck!

Too conservative an approach

The T5 designed by Mauro Forghieri was a simple evolution of the 1979 T4, the work having been limited to an overhaul of the suspension and brakes, while the other teams, such as Williams and Ligier, had developed their single-seaters considerably. The chassis, made of light-alloy trellis and aluminum-alloy panels, was beginning to look dated, while composite materials were becoming more widespread.

Ferrari was also hampered by the engine's flat 12-cylinder architecture, which prevented it from fully exploiting the ground effect phenomenon introduced by Lotus a few years earlier. In addition, Michelin focused its tire development on single-seaters with turbo engines, such as the Renault.

A year of transition

The result? The worst season in Scuderia history! Gilles Villeneuve scored just 6 points and Scheckter 2, with even a non-qualification in the USA! Ferrari finished 9th and penultimate in the constructors' standings! The 312T5 saw virtually no development, but for good reason: 1980 was mainly devoted to the design of the 126CK, Ferrari's first single-seater with a turbo engine. Renault's success with this technology convinced Ferrari to throw its weight behind it, sacrificing the 312T5 in the process. The 126CK was tested at Monza during the Grand Prix and proved to be fast, heralding the start of redemption for the reds.