The Repco Brabham BT26 was a

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

racing car design. A development of the previous BT24, its

Repco Repco is an Australian automotive engineering/retailer company. Its name is an abbreviation of Replacement Parts Company and was for many years known for reconditioning engines and for specialized manufacturing, for which they gained a high r ...

engines were unreliable, but following a switch to Cosworth DFV engines it scored two World Championship Grand Prix wins and finished runner up in the 1969 World Constructors' Championship.

Concept

Designed by Ron Tauranac, the BT26 was the final incarnation of his spaceframe F1 car, and one of the last F1 cars to be raced of such construction – forthcoming rule changes regarding fuel storage would outlaw spaceframe chassis. Tauranac had actually combined the spaceframe with stressed aluminium panels to create a semi-monocoque, enabling him to reduce the size of the spaceframe tubing and so lighten the chassis. The other main difference between the BT24 and the BT26 was a more powerful Repco 860 series engine, but it was also less reliable; the 1968 season was plagued by a string of retirements and Jochen Rindt left to join Lotus. In 1969 the Repco engines were replaced with

Cosworth DFV The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. The name is an abbreviation of ''Double Four Valve'', the engine being a V8 development of the earlier four-cylinder FVA, which had fo ...

engines; these variants are designated BT26A.

Racing history

In 1968 Rindt and Brabham between them managed only two finishes. 1969 saw an improvement; new recruit

Jacky Ickx Jacques Bernard "Jacky" Ickx (; born 1 January 1945) is a Belgian former racing driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times (second-highest of all time) and achieved eight wins and 25 podium finishes in Formula One. He greatly contributed ...

scored two wins and finished runner-up in the Driver's World Championship, and Brabham-Ford in the same position in the Constructor's Championship, with assistance from

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 point ...

in a third car entered by Frank Williams' racing team. With the Brabham team switching to the new BT33 in 1970, the BT26As were campaigned sporadically by privateer entries, with

Peter de Klerk Peter de Klerk (16 March 1935 – 11 July 2015) was a racing driver from South Africa. He participated in four Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-se ...

recording the best result, 11th (and last) at the

South African Grand Prix The South African Grand Prix was first run as a Grand Prix motor racing handicap race in 1934 at the Prince George Circuit at East London, Cape Province. It drew top drivers from Europe including Bernd Rosemeyer, Richard "Dick" Seaman, R ...

. In 1971 Jackie Pretorius retired it from its final race in the

. In non-Championship events, Brabham won the 1969

BRDC International Trophy The International Trophy is a prize awarded annually by the British Racing Drivers' Club to the winner of a motor race held at the Silverstone Circuit, England. For many years it formed the premier non-championship Formula One event in Britain, ...

at Silverstone and Ickx won the 1969

Oulton Park International Gold Cup The International Gold Cup is a prize awarded annually to the winner of a motor race held at the Oulton Park circuit, Cheshire, England. In the 1950s and 1960s it formed one of a number of highly regarded non-Championship Formula One races, which ...

. de Klerk and Pretorius won three of the South African non-Championship races in 1970 and 1971. In 1970 Derek Bell competed in the

Tasman Series The Tasman Series (formally the Tasman Championship for Drivers)Tasman Championship for Drivers, CAMS Manual of Motor Sport with National Competition Rules 1974, pages 80 to 83 was a motor racing competition held annually from 1964 to 1975 ove ...

using a BT26A fitted with a

Cosworth DFW The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. The name is an abbreviation of ''Double Four Valve'', the engine being a V8 development of the earlier four-cylinder FVA, which had fo ...

, a 2.5 litre version of the DFV. Bell's best result was 2nd in the New Zealand Grand Prix, but engine troubles forced the cancellation of the Australian leg of the series.

World Championship results

( key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap) Points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the first six finishers at each round, but only the best placed car for each make was eligible to score points. The best five results from the first six and five from the last six were retained in 1968, the best five results from the first six rounds and the best four results from the last five rounds in 1969 and 1971 and the best six from the first seven and five from the last six in 1970.
In 1968, only 4 points were scored using the BT26. The remaining 6 points were scored using the BT20 and BT24.
All points scored in 1970 and 1971 using the BT33.

References

{{F1 cars 1971 Brabham Formula One cars Tasman Series cars