Wolf WR7

The Wolf WR7 was a Formula One car built for the 1979 season by the Walter Wolf Racing team. Three examples of the car were produced. The first was WR7. A second car, WR8, was built to the same specification, while a slightly modified car, WR9, first appeared at the British Grand Prix.[3] The cars were driven by 1976 champion James Hunt and Keke Rosberg. The engine was a Ford Cosworth DFV.

Wolf WR7
Fittipaldi F7

Keke Rosberg with his Wolf WR7 at Imola in 1979
Category	Formula One
Constructor	Wolf/Fittipaldi
Designer(s)	Harvey Postlethwaite
Predecessor	Wolf WR5/6 (Wolf) Fittipaldi F6A (Fittipaldi)
Successor	Fittipaldi F8
Technical specifications[1][2]
Chassis	Aluminium monocoque, with engine as a fully stressed member.
Axle track	Front: 1979: 1,626 mm (64.0 in) 1980: 1,778 mm (70.0 in) Rear: 1,626 mm (64.0 in)
Wheelbase	1979: 2,667 mm (105.0 in) 1980: 2,642 mm (104.0 in)
Engine	Ford Cosworth DFV 2,993 cc (182.6 cu in) 90° V8, naturally aspirated, mid-mounted.
Transmission	Hewland FGA 400 5-speed manual gearbox, with Borg & Beck clutch.
Tyres	Goodyear
Competition history
Notable entrants	Walter Wolf Racing Skol Fittipaldi Team
Notable drivers	James Hunt Keke Rosberg Emerson Fittipaldi
Debut	1979 Argentine Grand Prix
Races Wins Poles F.Laps 23 0 0 0
n.b. Unless otherwise stated, all data refer to Formula One World Championship Grands Prix only.

Competition history

The car was designed by Harvey Postlethwaite, previously responsible for the Hesketh 308 in which James Hunt won his first race. Wolf's former driver Jody Scheckter left the team at the end of 1978, going to Ferrari, where he would win the World Championship. He was replaced by 1976 champion James Hunt. When it was found that Hunt was unable to fit into the Wolf WR5/6 chassis, a new car had to be built in a haste prior to the season opener in Argentina.[4] The cars proved unreliable and uncompetitive, with Hunt only finishing one of his six races in WR7 and WR8. The assertion made by Motor Sport magazine ahead of the season that Hunt was a driver likely to "quickly lose interest" when not provided with a competitive machine[4] proved right when he left the team (and the sport) after the 1979 Monaco Grand Prix. Keke Rosberg took over his drive for the remainder of the season, but also only finished one race. Rosberg crashed WR9 heavily during qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix so a hybrid car using WR8's monocoque, dubbed WR8/9 was built up for his use in the USA.[5]

At the end of the 1979 Formula One season, Walter Wolf, owner of the team, pulled out of Formula One and sold the assets of his organisation to Wilson and Emerson Fittipaldi for the use of their Fittipaldi Automotive team. The WR7 cars were raced as Fittipaldi F7s in the early part of the 1980 Formula One season by Emerson Fittipaldi and Rosberg.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrants	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Points	WCC
1979	Walter Wolf Racing	Wolf WR7 Wolf WR8 Wolf WR8/9 Wolf WR9	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G		ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	ESP	BEL	MON	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	CAN	USA	0	NC
					James Hunt	Ret	Ret	8	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret
					Keke Rosberg								9	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	Ret
1980	Skol Fittipaldi Team	Fittipaldi F7	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G		ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	BEL	MON	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	CAN	USA		11	8th
					Emerson Fittipaldi	NC	15	8	3	Ret	6	Ret
					Keke Rosberg	3	9	Ret	Ret	7	DNQ	Ret	DNQ

References

1. "Wolf WR7". statsf1.com. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
2. "Fittipaldi F7". statsf1.com. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
3. Lang, Mike (1983). Grand Prix! Vol 3. Haynes Publishing Group. p. 280. ISBN 0-85429-380-9.
4. Jenkinson, Denis (January 1979). "Formula One Teams for 1979". Motor Sport magazine archive. p. 26.
5. Lang, Mike (1983). Grand Prix! Vol 3. Haynes Publishing Group. p. 326. ISBN 0-85429-380-9.