The March 761 was a Formula One racing car designed by Robin Herd of March Engineering for the 1976 season, with continued use in 1977.

In 1976, Ronnie Peterson, dissatisfied with the uncompetitive Lotus 77, returned to March, where he secured the team's second and final victory at Monza. The 761 was quick but fragile, and March's F1 effort was running on a shoestring budget. The works team fielded two cars for Peterson and Hans-Joachim Stuck, with liveries changing race by race due to short-term sponsorship deals. A separate 'B-team,' entered under the March Engines banner, ran cars for Lella Lombardi and Arturo Merzario, both paying drivers.

By this point, the F1 program was under pressure from BMW, which wanted Herd to focus on the Formula Two team, as French constructors Martini and Elf, along with the new Ralt marque, were gaining the upper hand.

That year, Peterson scored only one other point before negotiating a return to Tyrrell for 1977. While he felt most at home at March, it was evident the team lacked the resources to compete in Formula One at a high level.

A token F1 effort with Rothmans sponsorship was attempted in 1977 with Alex Ribeiro and Ian Scheckter, but it yielded no significant results. However, as March’s works team faded from F1, the 761—cheap, simple, and readily available—became a popular choice for privateers, notably Frank Williams. After his acrimonious split with Walter Wolf, Williams used a 761 to stay in racing until his own car was ready.

Later, Merzario built an unsuccessful F1 car based on his old 761, which he and Simon Hadfield attempted to develop into a ground-effect car—without success.

At the end of 1977, March’s F1 assets and FOCA membership were sold to ATS, which had also acquired the Penske cars. Herd stayed on as a consultant, leading to the curious situation of him refining a development of his own 1975 design—and the 1978 ATS bore some resemblance to contemporary March concepts. Meanwhile, Max Mosley left the company to focus on FOCA matters.

Chassis 761-10 is race-ready, comes with complete history, and is available for sale. Price upon request. Inquire here.

Article and Photography by Officina Caira.