WHAT’S IN THE WORKSHOP – TEAM BRM

What’s in the workshop – Team BRM – Photo: InSyde Media

Renowned for its heritage in open-wheelers having won multiple Australian Formula 3 titles, but lately a rare duo has entered the Team BRM workshop in Adelaide.

By HEATH McALPINE

Two Formula 1 thoroughbreds have had work completed during this off-time from racing, which included a gearbox rebuild that required the reproduction of custom parts by local industry.

“We did a bit of work on a Larousse LC88 that we re-prepped after it completed demonstration runs at the Adelaide 500,” said Team BRM’s Mark Rundle.

“We also did some work on a 1989 Dallara F189 with a Cosworth that has pretty much had to have a gearbox rebuild, so that’s in the process of happening, while we await gears for Pfitzner Performance Gears.”

Sourcing parts for the Dallara has proved extremely challenging due to the age of the machine and the unique components required to complete the reconstruction of the gearbox. The gap in racing has enabled the team to make large steps to return the Dallara to the race track.

“The Dallara has been a longer-term project because the gearbox parts for that car were bespoke to suit it back in the day,” Rundle explained.

“That’s been a fair process trying to source parts, then also having to recreate and make things from scratch. We’ve been working with PPG as it is a local Adelaide company as well to manufacture the parts we can’t buy and putting it all back together again.”

The team’s current fleet of S5000s remain garage-bound but the current climate has forced Rundle to rethink the driver line-up for a revised S5000 season expected to be announced soon.

“All the S5000s are literally sitting there ready to go, we only did two sessions at the Grand Prix and each had a full birthday during summer after the two events last year,” Rundle said.

“Our driver roster is going to be a little different as three of the five are internationals, who aren’t going to be able to run. So, we’ll see what pans out.”

Although The Bend has remained open, but pit crews haven’t been allowed, though these restrictions are expected to ease within the next few weeks in South Australia. This could see Team BRM back at the race track soon, but the state’s closed borders mean who is able to test will be limited to local drivers only until the restrictions are expected to be lifted in July.

“Up until now, we’ve been allowed to run at The Bend just without a pit crew, but that’s changing in the next couple of weeks,” Rundle said.

“That will enable us to go testing, the only issue being with South Australia’s border closed it will only be available for drivers based here.”

The small race team has also kept busy by completing the build of a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo rally car, various engine builds for rallying and the design of wheel alignment bars.

What’s your team currently working on? Let us know at [email protected] and we could feature your team in our next ‘What’s In The Workshop’ feature

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