Jody Scheckter’s 1975 Tyrrell 007

April 25, 2024 JOMA

There’s No Place Like Home

Outside of winning on the streets of Monte-Carlo, there are few achievements greater in Formula 1 than a driver securing victory in their home grand prix. Jody Scheckter accomplished this feat in 1975 while driving a Tyrrell 007, becoming the first-ever South African to win the Grand Prix at Kyalami—but it wasn’t without challenges.

Practice for the race proved a grueling affair, with Graham Hill, Guy Tunmer, and Niki Lauda all crashing out—the latter at over 120 mph. Scheckter also came off the track, which was deemed so dangerous that practice was stopped until modifications were made to the fencing.

When the flag finally dropped, Scheckter made a strong start behind the Brabhams of Carlos Pace and Carlos Reutemann, quickly overhauling the Brazilian after just three laps. He held on in front of his home crowd, resisting a late charge by the Argentinean to take a famous win on home soil.

The 007, designed by Derek Gardner, epitomized beautiful simplicity in its execution. The most notable change from the Championship-winning 006 was a significant increase in its wheelbase. This modification, championed by Jackie Stewart, aimed to make the car easier to drive compared to its twitchy predecessor. The front-end treatment marked a significant visual departure from the full-width nose of the 006. However, Gardner opted for an evolutionary approach, retaining certain features such as the inboard front brakes.

Powered by the ubiquitous Ford-Cosworth DFV engine, the 007 in 1974 was competitive straight out of the box. Scheckter finished 3rd in Belgium and 2nd at Monaco, then won in Sweden, leading a Tyrrell one-two with teammate Depailler. Scheckter followed up with another victory in the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch and remained in contention for the Drivers’ World Championship until the final round of the season.

Such was the inherent quality of the 007 that it was carried over into the 1975 season, with Gardner’s latest upgrades including the relocation of the front brakes so that they were now outboard. The initial races presented a mixed performance for Scheckter, who claimed victory on home soil in the South African Grand Prix and secured a second-place finish in Belgium.