The Spyker F8-VII was a Formula One car built by Spyker F1 for the 2007 World Championship. Developed from the Midland M16 after Spyker took over the team, it used a Ferrari V8 and was the only car the Dutch company constructed in its own right.
Spyker F8-VII at a glance
| Team | Spyker F1 |
|---|---|
| Season | 2007 Formula One World Championship |
| Predecessor | Midland M16 |
| Design | James Key, technical director |
| Engine | Ferrari 056 2.4-litre V8 |
| Updated car | F8-VIIB, from the Italian Grand Prix |
| Best result | one point, Adrian Sutil, Japanese Grand Prix |
| Constructors’ position | 10th |
| Later name | Force India VJM01 (2008) |
| Colours | orange and grey |
History of the Spyker F8-VII
Origins
The F8-VII was a development of the Midland M16 that Midland F1 Racing had entered in 2006 before selling the team to Spyker. Mike Gascoyne reworked the design, the aerodynamics were optimised and the rear was adapted to a new gearbox. In China in 2006 the team announced a Ferrari engine contract for 2007, alongside an extension for driver Christijan Albers, which gave Spyker the 2.4-litre Tipo 056 V8 that Ferrari also supplied to Toro Rosso. Adrian Sutil, already a test driver at MF1, was signed as the second race driver, and Markus Winkelhock was retained along with test drivers Fairuz Fauzy, Adrián Vallés and Giedo van der Garde.
James Key, the technical director, described the car as a solid base on which to build, given the short time available to produce it. “We also tried to second guess as best we could what the 2007 tyres were going to do, and we worked hard on aero, which is of course always the fundamental thing,” he said. The car was not competitive and scored only one point.
The 2007 season
Spyker had the smallest budget of any team in 2007 but still managed to develop the car during the year. After its debut at the Australian Grand Prix the team had to wait until the Japanese Grand Prix, one of the last three races, for its first and only point, taken by Sutil with eighth place. That result left Spyker tenth in the constructors’ championship. The car was painted in orange and grey, with backing from Bridgestone, Etihad Airways, Exact Software, Leaseplan and Medion.
Winkelhock at the Nürburgring
In his only ever race, Markus Winkelhock started last at the European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. In a wet race he changed tyres after the warm-up lap and found himself leading with a 33-second advantage after only two laps, as most of the field either pitted for wet tyres or spun off. The race was stopped because of the dangerous conditions. Winkelhock was credited with leading for seven laps, but as the track improved after the restart he slid down the order in the uncompetitive car and retired after 15 laps.
The B specification and Force India
A “B specification” car, the F8-VIIB, was launched midway through the season. Its debut was planned for the Turkish Grand Prix but was delayed to the Italian Grand Prix after the car failed the mandatory FIA crash tests. For 2008 Vijay Mallya bought the team, which became Force India, and used a slightly modified F8-VIIB called the Force India VJM01, named after owners Vijay Mallya, Jan Mol and Michiel Mol. It kept 2007-specification Ferrari 056 engines on cost grounds and ended the 2008 season at the bottom of the constructors’ standings, ahead only of Super Aguri, which withdrew after four races. In 2011 Force India had the VJM01 raced by Giancarlo Fisichella in 2008 hand-painted by the artist Dexter Brown as a charity art car for the first Indian Grand Prix.
Design and features
- Ferrari V8: the 2.4-litre Tipo 056, chosen on cost grounds in 2006 specification and shared with Toro Rosso.
- Gascoyne redesign: the Midland M16 was reworked with revised aerodynamics and a new gearbox at the rear.
- B specification: the F8-VIIB arrived from the Italian Grand Prix after passing the FIA crash tests.
- Naming: F for Spyker’s new model line, 8 for the engine’s cylinders and VII for the 2007 season, following the company’s aircraft tradition.
Spyker F8-VII versions
- F8-VII (2007): the original car, raced from the start of the season.
- F8-VIIB (2007): the B specification introduced at the Italian Grand Prix.
- Force India VJM01 (2008): a lightly modified F8-VIIB raced by the renamed team.
Spyker’s road cars, including the C8 that gave the F line its name, are in the same collection, together with the C12 and the D12 concept. More cars are in the Spyker collection.
Sources
- Spyker F8-VII, English Wikipedia: design, 2007 season, B specification, Force India
- Spyker F8-VII, German Wikipedia: development, drivers, results, livery
.jpg){kind=link}
