The Brabham BT30 was an

open-wheel An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have thei ...

Formula 2 Formula Two (F2 or Formula 2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009–2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name return ...

racing car used in the 1969, 1970, and 1971

European Formula Two Championship The European Formula Two Championship was a Formula Two motor racing series that was held between 1967–84. The races were held across Europe, and were contested both by drivers aiming to compete in Formula One in the future as well as curren ...

. The Brabham BT30 used a complex tubular space frame and was powered by the FVA Cosworth engine. The large rear wings fitted in 1969 were replaced with smaller ones in 1970. The BT30 also had an

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...

fuel tank in 1969, which was replaced in 1970 by

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

tanks integrated into the side panels of the

monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...

. In 1969

Piers Courage Piers Raymond Courage (27 May 1942 – 21 June 1970) was a British racing driver. He participated in 29 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 2 January 1967. He achieved two podium finishes, and scored 20 championship points. ...

finished fifth in the BT30 of the

Frank Williams Racing Cars Frank Williams Racing Cars was a British Formula One team and constructor. Early years Frank Williams had been a motor-racing enthusiast since a young age, and after a career in saloon cars and Formula Three, backed by Williams's shrewd i ...

team in the Formula 2 European Championship. Driving a privately entered BT30, Peter Westbury finished sixth overall at the end of the year, one place behind Courage. Additionally, Westbury entered the car to race in the 1969 European Formula 5000 Championship. In 1970 the BT30 was the most used car in the Formula 2 championship. Of the 40 drivers who scored points in Formula 2 this season, 22 started with a BT30. Derek Bell was runner-up.

References

{{Brabham Brabham racing cars Formula Two cars 1960s cars 1970s cars