Watch This Ferrari 246 Dino Formula 1 Tear Up the Track
For as desirable and sought after as its road cars are, Ferrari will always be inextricably linked to its performance in Formula 1. The Maranello automaker has more Grand Prix victories than anyone in the sport, with a massive 242. Thanks to YouTuber Robbert Alblas, we now have a chance to hop onboard one of Ferrari’s most significant F1 racers: the Ferrari 246 F1 Dino.
The Ferrari 246 F1 Dino arrived on the racing scene for the 1958 F1 season. Like the later road-going Ferrari models that bore the Dino nameplate, the car was powered by a 65-degree V-6 engine. This powertrain decision came as a result of updated regulations that saw engine capacity limited to just 2.5-liters at the time, and was supported by none other than Enzo Ferrari’s own son Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari. Dino would work alongside Ferrari’s chief engineer Vittorio Jano on a V-6-powered F2 project, and is often credited for the creation of the Dino V-6. That said, others suggest that Jano’s work on the Lancia V-8 ahead of his arrival at Ferrari informed much of the design work. Regardless, the Ferrari 246 F1 Dino ultimately became the first V-6-powered car to participate in F1. Unfortunately, Dino would pass away in 1956 at just 24 years old, never getting a chance to see his efforts hit the track.
The Ferrari 246 Dino F1 would arrive in 1958, at which point it would begin a rather successful motorsports career. Driver Mike Hawthorn would manage to narrowly beat out Sir Stirling Moss for the 1958 Driver’s Championship from behind the wheel of the 246, with the team managing second place in the Constructors battle behind Vanwall. The Dino V-6 proved to be the high-point of the car, as the chassis itself was underdeveloped compared to the British rivals in particular. Unfortunately, three different drivers would lose their lives in the 246 during that inaugural season, including those of factory drivers Luigi Musso and Peter Collins. The car would remain in use through 1960, when Phil Hill would become the last driver to win a race in a front-engined car at Monza that year. Regulations dropping engine capacity to 1.5-liters for 1961, as well as the rise of mid-engined competitors spelled the end of the 246 F1 Dino.
Thanks to some incredible camera work, we now all have a chance to see what it might have been like behind the wheel of this particularly special Ferrari racer. The footage itself was taken at Zandvoort with driver Richard Wilson behind the wheel. There are even a few other vintage racers on the track, which helps to turn up the excitement. While It might not have the howl of a V-10 or V-12-powered example, but there will always be something sweet about that high-revving F1 V-6.
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