Matra MS120
{{Short description|Formula One car produced by Matra}}
{{Infobox racing car
| Car_name = Matra MS120
| Image = Matra MS120-02.jpg
| caption = Chris Amon's Matra MS120B used in the 1971 Argentine Grand Prix
| Category = Formula One
| WC_results_only = Y
| Constructor = Matra
| Designer = Gerard Ducarouge
Bernard Boyer
| Successor =
| Team = Matra
| Drivers = {{Flagicon|FRA}} Jean-Pierre Beltoise
{{flagicon|FRA}} Henri Pescarolo
{{flagicon|New Zealand}} Chris Amon
| Technical ref =
| Chassis = Aluminium monocoque
| Front suspension =
| Rear suspension =
| Engine name = Matra
| Capacity = {{convert|2993|cc|cuin|1|abbr=on}}
| Configuration = V12
| Turbo/NA = naturally aspirated
| Engine position = mid-engined
| Gearbox name = Hewland DG300
| Gears = 5 speed
| Weight =
| Tyres = Goodyear
| Fuel = Elf
| Debut = 1970 South African Grand Prix
| Races = 35
| Wins = 0
| Cons_champ =
| Drivers_champ =
| Poles = 2
| Fastest_laps = 3
| Podiums = 5
}}
The Matra MS120 was the sixth and final Formula One car produced by Matra (following the MS9, MS10, MS11, MS80 and MS84).
Development
The MS120 was later developed to become the Matra MS120B, Matra MS120C and Matra MS120D. The car was built at Matra's Formula One base at Vélizy-Villacoublay in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, designed under the direction of Gérard Ducarouge and Bernard Boyer.
For 1970 following the agreement with Simca, Matra asked Tyrrell to use their Matra Sports V12 engine rather than the Cosworth. Jackie Stewart got to test the Matra V12, but since a large part of the Tyrrell budget was provided by Ford, and another significant sponsor was French state-owned petroleum company Elf, which had an agreement with Renault that precluded supporting a Simca partner, the partnership between Matra and Tyrrell ended.
Matra chose an all French line up with Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Henri Pescarolo for 1970.
Racing history
=1970=
File:Matra MS120.jpg present in the Espace Automobiles Matra]]
File:Matra MS120D 2008 Silverstone Classic.jpg
The South African Grand Prix was good for Beltoise with a fourth-place finish while Pescarolo had a disappointing seventh place.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr185.html |title=Grand Prix results, South African GP 1970 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} The Spanish Grand Prix was a bad race, both retiring with engine failures.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr186.html |title=Grand Prix results, Spanish GP 1970 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} The Monaco Grand Prix saw Pescarolo get third place, but Beltoise retire with differential failure.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr187.html |title=Grand Prix results, Monaco GP 1970 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} The Belgian Grand Prix saw Pescarolo finish sixth with electrical failure while Beltoise scored a third-place finish.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr188.html |title=Grand Prix results, Belgian GP 1970 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} The Dutch Grand Prix saw Beltoise 5th and Pescarolo 8th.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr189.html |title=Grand Prix results, Dutch GP 1970 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Then the French Grand Prix, which was Matra's, Beltoise's and Pescarolo's home race, saw Pescarolo fifth and Beltoise 13th, out of fuel.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr190.html |title=Grand Prix results, French GP 1970 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Next, the British Grand Prix was a bad race with both retiring, Beltoise with a wheel problem and Pescarolo with an accident.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr191.html |title=Grand Prix results, British GP 1970 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Then the German Grand Prix saw Pescarolo get sixth place, but Beltoise retire with suspension failure.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr192.html |title=Grand Prix results, German GP 1970 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Next was the Austrian Grand Prix with Beltoise sixth and Pescarolo 14th.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr193.html |title=Grand Prix results, Austrian GP 1970 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Then the Italian Grand Prix saw Beltoise finish third but Pescarolo retire with engine failure.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr194.html |title=Grand Prix results, Italian GP 1970 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Next, the Canadian Grand Prix saw Pescarolo seventh and Beltoise eighth.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr195.html |title=Grand Prix results, Canadian GP 1970 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Then the United States Grand Prix saw Pescarolo in eighth place, but Beltoise retire with a bad handling car.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr196.html |title=Grand Prix results, United States GP 1970 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Finally, it was the Mexican Grand Prix with Beltoise fifth and Pescarolo ninth, although the race was delayed by an hour because of crowd control.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr197.html |title=Grand Prix results, Mexican GP 1970 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Pescarolo was not retained by Matra for 1971 and was replaced by New Zealand's Chris Amon.
=1971=
Matra kept Frenchman Jean-Pierre Beltoise, and New Zealander Chris Amon joined Matra using the Matra MS120B specification version for 1971. Beltoise was in difficulty following the 1971 1000 km Buenos Aires; racing for the Matra sports car team; he was involved in the accident in which Ignazio Giunti died, and Beltoise's international racing licence was suspended for some time. Amon won the Non-Championship Argentine Grand Prix and finished fifth in the first round in the 1971 season in the South African Grand Prix.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr198.html |title=Grand Prix results, South African GP 1971 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Beltoise returned for the Spanish Grand Prix finishing sixth and Amon finished third.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr199.html |title=Grand Prix results, Spanish GP 1971 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} The Monaco Grand Prix was a bad race with both retiring with differential failures.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr200.html |title=Grand Prix results, Monaco GP 1971 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} The Dutch Grand Prix saw Beltoise ninth and Amon retiring after he spun off.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr201.html |title=Grand Prix results, Dutch GP 1971 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Then came the French Grand Prix which was Matra's and Beltoise's home race, with Amon fifth and Beltoise seventh.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr202.html |title=Grand Prix results, French GP 1971 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Next, the British Grand Prix saw Beltoise seventh and Amon retiring with an engine failure.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr203.html |title=Grand Prix results, British GP 1971 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} The German Grand Prix saw Matra only entering Amon and retiring because of an accident.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr204.html |title=Grand Prix results, German GP 1971 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Matra missed the Austrian Grand Prix but entered the Italian Grand Prix, where Matra only entered Amon again who took pole and proved an embarrassment to Ferrari at their home track, and finished sixth.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr206.html |title=Grand Prix results, Italian GP 1971 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Then the Canadian Grand Prix saw Beltoise back but retiring with an accident, and Amon finish 10th.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr207.html |title=Grand Prix results, Canadian GP 1971 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} The final race of 1971 was the United States Grand Prix with Beltoise eighth and Amon 12th.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr208.html |title=Grand Prix results, United States GP 1971 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}}
In 1971 Matra signed Amon as team leader which frustrated Beltoise. For 1972 Beltoise left to join BRM.
=1972=
Chris Amon stayed with Matra, using the Matra MS120C specification version for 1972 before being replaced by the Matra MS120D version mid-season. The Argentine Grand Prix was a bad race for Amon with gearbox problems on the warm-up lap.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr209.html |title=Grand Prix results, Argentine GP 1972 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} He then finished 15th in the South African Grand Prix.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr210.html |title=Grand Prix results, South African GP 1972 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} More gearbox problems followed at the Spanish Grand Prix,{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr211.html |title=Grand Prix results, Spanish GP 1972 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} before luck came Amon's way with two sixth-place finishes at Monaco{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr212.html |title=Grand Prix results, Monaco GP 1972 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} and in Belgium.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr213.html |title=Grand Prix results, Belgian GP 1972 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} The French Grand Prix saw Amon on pole and he was leading the race until a puncture forced him to pit, but he charged back through the field, bettering the Charade Circuit lap record to finish third.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr214.html |title=Grand Prix results, French GP 1972 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Amon finished fourth in the British Grand Prix{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr215.html |title=Grand Prix results, British GP 1972 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} and 15th in the German Grand Prix,{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr216.html |title=Grand Prix results, German GP 1972 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} before another points finish with fifth in the Austrian Grand Prix.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr217.html |title=Grand Prix results, Austrian GP 1972 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Amon's brakes failed in the Italian Grand Prix{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr218.html |title=Grand Prix results, Italian GP 1972 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} and he later came in sixth in the Canadian Grand Prix.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr219.html |title=Grand Prix results, Canadian GP 1972 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} At the last race of the season, he finished 15th in the United States Grand Prix.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr220.html |title=Grand Prix results, United States GP 1972 |accessdate=21 December 2015 |website=grandprix.com}} Matra pulled out of Formula One afterwards to concentrate on Le Mans.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%" |
| Year
! Entrant ! Chassis ! Tyres ! Drivers ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! Points ! WCC |
|---|
| rowspan="3"| 1970
| rowspan="3"| Equipe Matra Elf | rowspan="3"| MS120 | rowspan="3"| {{Goodyear}} | | RSA | ESP | MON | BEL | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | ITA | CAN | USA | MEX | rowspan="3"| 23 | rowspan="3"| 7th |
| Jean-Pierre Beltoise
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 4 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 13 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 | style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 8 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 |
| Henri Pescarolo
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 7 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 8 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 14 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 7 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 8 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 9 |
| rowspan="3"| 1971
| rowspan="3"| Equipe Matra Sports | rowspan="3"| MS120B | rowspan="3"| {{Goodyear}} | | RSA | ESP | MON | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | ITA | CAN | USA | | | rowspan="3"| 9 | rowspan="3"| 7th |
| Chris Amon
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 | style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | DNA | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 10 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 12 | | |
| Jean-Pierre Beltoise
| DNA | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 9 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 7 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 7 | DNA | DNA | | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 8 | | |
| rowspan="3"| 1972
| rowspan="3"| Equipe Matra Sports | rowspan="2"| MS120C | rowspan="3"| {{Goodyear}} | | ARG | RSA | ESP | MON | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | ITA | CAN | USA | | rowspan="3"| 12 | rowspan="3"| 8th |
| rowspan="2"| Chris Amon
| style="background:#FFFFFF;"| DNS | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 15 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 | | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 4 | | | | | | |
| MS120D
| | | | | | style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3 | | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 15 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 15 | |
| colspan="20"|{{center|{{small|Source:{{cite book|last=Small|first=Steve|title=The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who|date=1994|publisher=Guinness|pages=24, 55–6 and 286 |isbn=0851127029}}}}}} |
Non-Championship Formula One results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
(Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"
! Year ! Entrant ! Chassis ! Engines ! Tyres ! Drivers ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 |
| rowspan="2"| {{F1|1970}}
| rowspan="2"| Equipe Matra Elf | rowspan="2"| Matra MS120 | rowspan="2"| {{Goodyear}} | | ROC | INT | OUL | | | | | |
| Jean-Pierre Beltoise
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | | | | | | | |
| rowspan="3"| {{F1|1971}}
| rowspan="3"| Equipe Matra Sports | rowspan="3"| Matra MS120B | rowspan="3"| {{Goodyear}} | | ARG | ROC | QUE | SPR | INT | RIN | OUL | VIC |
| Chris Amon
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 | |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 4 | |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 12 | | | |
| Jean-Pierre Beltoise
| | | | |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret | | | |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Equipe Matra Sports}}
{{F1 cars 1970}}
{{F1 cars 1971}}
{{F1 cars 1972}}