Zakspeed: The team from Niederzissen (1985-1989)

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bigears
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Zakspeed: The team from Niederzissen (1985-1989)

Post by bigears »

Zakspeed is a motor racing team from Germany, founded in 1968 by Erich Zakowski and nowadays run by his son Peter Zakowski. Their home town of Niederzissen is located not far away from the Nurburgring race track.

The engine was the basis for their Formula One entry from 1985 to 1988. In spite of the team's engineering expertise, Zakspeed never managed to create a competitive chassis/engine package.

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The 1986 season
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Autosport 20th March 1986.

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Autosport 31st July 1986.

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Autocar & Motor 23rd April 1986.[/spoiler]

The 1987 season
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Motoring News 24th January 1987.

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Motoring News 11th February 1987.

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Motoring News 18th February 1987.

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Autosport 19th February 1987.

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Motoring News 25th February 1987.

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Motoring News 11th March 1987.

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Motoring News 8th April 1987.

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Motoring News 15th April 1987.

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Motoring News 7th May 1987.

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Motoring News 7th May 1987.

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Motoring News 3rd June 1987.

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Motoring News 24th June 1987.

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Motoring News 24th June 1987.

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Motoring News 8th July 1987.

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Motoring News 8th July 1987.

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Motoring News 15th July 1987.

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Motoring News 15th July 1987.

The British Grand Prix wrote:Brundle: Qualified 16th on Friday, dropping to 17th in final grid order. Rear suspension rose joint failure sent him down Woodcote escape road on Friday, then major turbo failure in second session. Delayed in race by brake problems. Pitted to change black box and was running at finish, 11 laps behind the winner.

Danner: Qualified 20th on Firday, then up to 18th the following day. Ran well down the field and eventually retired with gearbox trouble


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Autosport 30th July 1987.

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Motoring News 29th July 1987.

The German Grand Prix wrote:Brundle: Qualified 19th, hampered by turbo failure, spark box problems and engine failure in Friday untimed, so out late with new engine installed for dry qualifying session. Then gearbox jammed in second, Engine reluctant to rev properly in wet on Saturday. Left on grid when engine died, but drove doggedly to finish 10 laps behind, unclassified, after long delays to change spark box due to persistent misfire and also an electrical pick-up.

Danner: Qualified 20th, also losing time in Friday qualifying after engine change. Stopped to change spark box after 19 laps of race, then resumed and retired with a broken driveshaft two laps later.

Autosport 30th July 1987.

The Hungarian Grand Prix wrote:Ghinzani: Torrid time in Friday untimed. Collided with Mansell damaged nose and front left suspension. Switched to spare but went off again when engine cut out, destroying monocoque and causing red flag to be shown. Oversteer in afternoon. Clutch problems ended his challenge on Saturday. Failed to qualify.

Schneider: Troubled by evil handling throughout Friday and suffered engine cut-out on Saturday morning. Improved time - went faster than Ghinzani - in afternoon qualifying, but it was not enough to get him into the field.

Autosport 11th August 1987.

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Motoring News 19th August 1987.

Having demonstrated a Zakspeed in front of 140,000 of his countrymen after the Hungarian GP Kesjar Csaba has been promised a serious test in the car at the end of the European F1 season. The first three finishers in the German F3 championship will also get a run in Eric Zakowski's car, the series having been clinched at the Nurburgring on Sunday by Bernd Schneider, Csaba's Schubel Dallara team-mate

Autosport 3rd September 1987.

The Italian Grand Prix wrote:Brundle: Qualified 17th on Friday, sustaining position on second day. Ran 13th in early stages, moving up to eighth before gradually losing gears and eventually stopped with five laps to go with broken transmission.

Danner: Qualified 18th on Friday, improving to 16th in second session. Ran 12th just ahead of Brundle in ealry stages, then tyre stop lap 26 and steady run to eventual ninth, two laps behind.

Autosport 10th September 1987.

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Motoring News 21st October 1987.

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Motoring News 25th November 1987.

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Motoring News 2nd December 1987.

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Motoring News 9th December 1987.

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Motoring News 16th December 1987.

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Motoring News 23rd December 1987.[/spoiler]

The 1988 season
[spoiler]Image
Motoring News 3rd February 1988.

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Motoring News 13th January 1988.

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Motoring News 30th March 1988.

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Autosport 31st March 1988.

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Motoring News 18th May 1988.

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Motoring News 18th May 1988.

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Motoring News 1st June 1988.

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Motoring News 6th July 1988.

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Motoring News 6th July 1988.

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Motoring News 13th July 1988.

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Motoring News 20th July 1988.

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Autosport 21st July 1988.

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Motoring News 27th July 1988.

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Autosport 1st September 1988.

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Motoring News 1st September 1988.

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Motoring News 1st September 1988.

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Autosport 1st September 1988.

The Belgian Grand Prix wrote:Ghinzani: Gustav Brunner was presenter for Friday practice. Worked on setting up the car in the morning, but suffered clutch difficulties in the afternoon, setting only 24th best time. Did a handful of laps in soaking Saturday afternoon session. Ran behind Schneider for first half of the race until oil line broke, depriving engine of its lubrication and bringing another retirement for Piercarlo.

Schneider: Broke fifth gear on Friday morning and had engine difficulties early in official session, switching to the spare. Lost vital time changing aerodynamics and unable to use his second set of tyres to good effect. Twenty-fifth on the grid. Had a fright on the warm-up when rear bodywork blew off as he went through Eau Rouge. Ran ahead of Ghinzani for much fo the race although forced to retire close to the finish when his car became stuck in fourth gear.

Autosport 1st September 1988.

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Autocar & Motor 7th September 1988.

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Motoring News 14th September 1988.

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Motoring News 14th September 1988.

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Autosport 3rd November 1988.

The Japanese Grand Prix wrote:Ghinzani: Serving out his last two races for Zakspeed - and most likely in Formula One. Car handling troublesome as ever, although this improved somewhat on Saturday. It mattered little for he was stranded on the trakc when his engine died for no apparent reason and he failed to qualify.

Schneider: Car very nervous on Friday, with several half spins and only the 29th time overnight. Happier on aturday but on his last flying lap he went into a big slide at the high-speed on the way back to the pits. He hooked a wheel over the kerb and spun hard into the wall, the wheel assembly being forced back into the monocoque and hitting driver's elbow. Delighted to qualify but badly bruised. Forced to use Ghinzani's car in the race. Moved quickly through the field, reaching 16th position by lap 11, but trtired soon afterwards with loss of feeling in his injured arm.

Autosport 3rd November 1988.

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Motoring News 30th November 1988.

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Motoring News 7th December 1988.

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Motoring News 21st December 1988.[/spoiler]

The 1989 season
[spoiler]Image
Motoring News 1st February 1989.

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Motoring News 15th February 1989.

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Motoring News 22nd February 1989.

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Motoring News 1st March 1989.

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Motoring News 1st March 1989.

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Motoring News 22nd March 1989.

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Motoring News 29th March 1989.

In order to try to speed up its development programme on the so far troublesome OX88 V8, Yamaha and Zakspeed are to carry out parallel testing in Japan and Germany. Zakspeed still has its own dynamometers, and the plan is not so much to get into engine development at Niederzissen, but to try to hone the anciliary systems while Yamaha concentrates on the major components.

Motoring News 26th April 1989.

The San Marino Grand Prix wrote:Schneider: In order to improve reliability. Yamaha has reduced the power of its engines, resulting in a loss of straightline speed. Failed to pre-qualify after a misfire problem and a broken halfshaft.

Suzuki: Suffered an engine misfire throughout pre-qualifying and failed to make the cut.

Autosport 27th April 1989.

Our sources tells us that Erich Zakowski is seriously thinking of quitting F1 at the end of this year, after his team's dismal showing with its Yamaha-powered ZK891s, and heading instead for the World Sports Prototype Championship.

Motoring News 5th July 1989.

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Motoring News 12th July 1989.

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Motoring News 2nd August 1989.

Zakspeed Formula One driver Bernd Schneider was an interested spectator at the Nurburgring last weekend, taking a close look at the WS-PC scene

Autosport 24th August 1989.

The West cigarette brand is thoguh unlikely to be continuing its alliance with Zakspeed into 1990.

Motoring News 31st August 1989.

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Autosport 31st August 1989.

The Belgian Grand Prix wrote:Schneider: Bernd spun off his second lap in pre-qualifying. He returned to the pits to try Suzuki's car, but failed to make the top four.

Suzuki: Complained his engine was down on power and had to share the car with Schneider after the German spun his own. Failed to pre-qualify.

Autosport 31st August 1989.

The struggling Zakspeed team has received a further setback with the news that US-based cigarette cmpany West will not extend its sponsorship package into 1990. "Zakspeed's entire future is not in the hands of engine supplier Yamaha," said a team spokeman.

Autocar & Motor 6th September 1989.

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Motoring News 8th November 1989.

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Autosport 23rd November 1989.

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Motoring News 22nd November 1989.

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Motoring News 20th December 1989.[/spoiler]

Before the 1990 season
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Motoring News 17th January 1990.

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Motoring News 24th January 1990.

Bernd Schneider, out of Formula One since the withdrawal of Zakspeed, is believed to be talking to Kremer Porsche about a possibility of a drive in the Sports-Prototype World Championship.

Autosport 1st March 1990.
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ibsey
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Re: Zakspeed: The team from Niederzissen (1985-1989)

Post by ibsey »

bigears, can't thank you enough for providing these articles. :)
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Re: Zakspeed: The team from Niederzissen (1985-1989)

Post by go_Rubens »

ibsey wrote:bigears, can't thank you enough for providing these articles. :)


Agreed, ibsey! bigears, I can't fathom how much work this might be, so thank you so much!
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dinizintheoven
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Re: Zakspeed: The team from Niederzissen (1985-1989)

Post by dinizintheoven »

The most striking thing about this thread is how it could, and maybe should, have gone right for Zakspeed and never did... this'll be why I remember Martin Brundle bragging that he managed to score the team's only points, because it was such an improbability to do so.

As for Minardi being desperate enough to consider taking on the Yamaha engine for 1990... let's just be glad that didn't happen!

I'm going to have to stop reading these threads now because it's 3 am, but I'll start again in the morning.
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Re: Zakspeed: The team from Niederzissen (1985-1989)

Post by Gerudo Dragon »

jacksmith wrote:Nice job,thanks for sharing.Your information increasing my knowledge.
Looks suspicious.
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Re: Zakspeed: The team from Niederzissen (1985-1989)

Post by dr-baker »

jacksmith wrote:Nice job,thanks for sharing.Your information increasing my knowledge.

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Yannick
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Re: Zakspeed: The team from Niederzissen (1985-1989)

Post by Yannick »

Steffi Graf wrote: It is a very good feeling, very exciting, everything is moving and vibrating.


LOL!

Zakspeed continued on in DTM and ITC as a successful, front-running outfit, using cars from different manufacturers in the process. However, when DTM returned in the early 00s, Zakspeed remained in lower categories. I have no idea whether they still exist, at least the categories they ran in got continuously lower all the time since then.
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Re: Zakspeed: The team from Niederzissen (1985-1989)

Post by mario »

bigears, I have done you something of a disservice in not thanking you beforehand for posting this material up - there are some quite interesting snippets in those articles that I do hope to put to good use shortly.

Yannick wrote:
Steffi Graf wrote: It is a very good feeling, very exciting, everything is moving and vibrating.


LOL!

Zakspeed continued on in DTM and ITC as a successful, front-running outfit, using cars from different manufacturers in the process. However, when DTM returned in the early 00s, Zakspeed remained in lower categories. I have no idea whether they still exist, at least the categories they ran in got continuously lower all the time since then.

It is a little confusing what exactly is going on with Zakspeed - there is some indication that they declared themselves insolvent in 2010, but their website seems to indicate that they were running a McLaren MP4/12C GT3 car in 2011 in the VLN series. They do not seem to be active in the VLN series at the moment, though, so it is possible that they are now no longer in existence.
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