n.b. Unless otherwise stated, all data refer to Formula One World Championship Grands Prix only.
The Matra MS10 is a
Formula One car entered by the
Matra International team during the
1968 Formula One season. It, along with its
V12-powered sibling
MS11, was Matra's first purpose-built F1 car and won three races in 1968, taking
Jackie Stewart to second place in the Drivers' Championship and Matra International to third place in the Constructors' Championship.
Concept
Following its success in
Formula 2,
Matra had developed a F1 car intended to be powered by their own
V12 engine. However,
Ken Tyrrell, who was running the Formula 2 team, was impressed by the
Cosworth DFV's performance in the
1967 season, and persuaded Matra to build a car to take this engine.[2] In the end,
Matra Sports would run the V12-engined
MS11 as a works entry, and Tyrrell would run the V8-engined MS10 under the
Matra International banner.
The car's most innovative feature was the use of aviation-inspired structural fuel tanks. These allowed the chassis to be around 15 kg lighter, while still being stronger than its competitors. The
FIA considered the technology to be unsafe and decided to ban it for 1970, insisting on rubber bag-tanks.
Racing history
Jackie Stewart had raced for Tyrrell's Formula 2 Matra team and signed to race for them in Formula 1 for 1968, having spent two fruitless years with
BRM. However at the first event in 1968, the
South African Grand Prix, he raced the interim
MS9, but after qualifying an impressive third, he retired due to engine failure. Stewart then injured his wrist in a F2 race at
Jarama, so at the
Spanish Grand PrixJean-Pierre Beltoise debuted the car instead, setting the fastest lap and finishing in fifth place.[3] Beltoise then switched to the works
MS11 and
Johnny Servoz-Gavin raced the car at the
Monaco Grand Prix, before a recovered Stewart took over for the rest of the season.
As the season progressed the team experimented with fitting aerofoil 'wings' to the car. At the
Italian Grand Prix and the
United States Grand Prix for example, Stewart raced the MS10 with a high suspension-mounted wing,[4] the same kind that was outlawed the following season after both
Lotus drivers suffered near-fatal accidents at the
Spanish Grand Prix.[5] At the
1969 South African Grand Prix the car was even raced with two high wings, one over the front and one over the rear suspension.[6] At other races the MS10 was raced with a lower wing, such as during Stewart's dominant win at the
German Grand Prix.
A second car was built and raced by Servoz-Gavin in the latter part of the season.
By the end of the year Stewart had won three World Championship races and the non-championship
International Gold Cup, and finished second in the World Championship. Matra International were third in the Constructor's Championship.
After racing, and winning, once more in South Africa at the season opener to the
1969 season, and a third place at the
BRDC International Trophy, the car was replaced by the championship-winning
Matra MS80.
Racing record
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(
key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
1 In the 1968 Constructors' Championship, Matra-Ford finished 3rd (45 points), Matra(-Matra) finished 9th (8 points). 2 In 1969, 9 points were scored using the MS10, the remaining points were scored using the
MS80.
Non-Championship results
(
key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
n.b. Unless otherwise stated, all data refer to Formula One World Championship Grands Prix only.
The Matra MS10 is a
Formula One car entered by the
Matra International team during the
1968 Formula One season. It, along with its
V12-powered sibling
MS11, was Matra's first purpose-built F1 car and won three races in 1968, taking
Jackie Stewart to second place in the Drivers' Championship and Matra International to third place in the Constructors' Championship.
Concept
Following its success in
Formula 2,
Matra had developed a F1 car intended to be powered by their own
V12 engine. However,
Ken Tyrrell, who was running the Formula 2 team, was impressed by the
Cosworth DFV's performance in the
1967 season, and persuaded Matra to build a car to take this engine.[2] In the end,
Matra Sports would run the V12-engined
MS11 as a works entry, and Tyrrell would run the V8-engined MS10 under the
Matra International banner.
The car's most innovative feature was the use of aviation-inspired structural fuel tanks. These allowed the chassis to be around 15 kg lighter, while still being stronger than its competitors. The
FIA considered the technology to be unsafe and decided to ban it for 1970, insisting on rubber bag-tanks.
Racing history
Jackie Stewart had raced for Tyrrell's Formula 2 Matra team and signed to race for them in Formula 1 for 1968, having spent two fruitless years with
BRM. However at the first event in 1968, the
South African Grand Prix, he raced the interim
MS9, but after qualifying an impressive third, he retired due to engine failure. Stewart then injured his wrist in a F2 race at
Jarama, so at the
Spanish Grand PrixJean-Pierre Beltoise debuted the car instead, setting the fastest lap and finishing in fifth place.[3] Beltoise then switched to the works
MS11 and
Johnny Servoz-Gavin raced the car at the
Monaco Grand Prix, before a recovered Stewart took over for the rest of the season.
As the season progressed the team experimented with fitting aerofoil 'wings' to the car. At the
Italian Grand Prix and the
United States Grand Prix for example, Stewart raced the MS10 with a high suspension-mounted wing,[4] the same kind that was outlawed the following season after both
Lotus drivers suffered near-fatal accidents at the
Spanish Grand Prix.[5] At the
1969 South African Grand Prix the car was even raced with two high wings, one over the front and one over the rear suspension.[6] At other races the MS10 was raced with a lower wing, such as during Stewart's dominant win at the
German Grand Prix.
A second car was built and raced by Servoz-Gavin in the latter part of the season.
By the end of the year Stewart had won three World Championship races and the non-championship
International Gold Cup, and finished second in the World Championship. Matra International were third in the Constructor's Championship.
After racing, and winning, once more in South Africa at the season opener to the
1969 season, and a third place at the
BRDC International Trophy, the car was replaced by the championship-winning
Matra MS80.
Racing record
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(
key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
1 In the 1968 Constructors' Championship, Matra-Ford finished 3rd (45 points), Matra(-Matra) finished 9th (8 points). 2 In 1969, 9 points were scored using the MS10, the remaining points were scored using the
MS80.
Non-Championship results
(
key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)