Team story
Origins
Harry Ferguson Research built the P99 to demonstrate the possibilities of four-wheel drive in high-performance cars. Tony Rolt and Freddie Dixon took part in the research. The single-seater was intended to test a technical system with potential industrial applications before attempting to sustain a full Grand Prix season.
The Formula 1 journey
Jack Fairman started the P99 in the 1961 British Grand Prix at Aintree; Stirling Moss also drove it during the race. The outcome was disqualification. Moss later won the Gold Cup at Oulton Park, held outside the championship.
That important success for four-wheel drive is therefore not a Ferguson championship victory.
Historical timeline
Three chapters in the story of Ferguson
Three episodes to revisit the people, cars and races that shaped this journey.
First appearance · British Grand Prix
Jack Fairman · British Grand Prix 1961. The recorded outcome is DSQ. This is the first recorded race start, or the first entry if the team never started a race.
Sporting landmark · Ferguson
No classified race result is documented for this part of Ferguson’s record. The entries and cars listed elsewhere on the page provide the available reference points; they should not be read as completed races.
Latest recorded appearance · British Grand Prix
Stirling Moss · British Grand Prix 1961. The recorded outcome is DSQ. This is the last race start attributed to this constructor in the archive, not necessarily the end of the organisation behind it.
A distinctive way of racing
Four-wheel drive and a front-mounted engine distinguished the P99 as its rivals moved towards rear engines. At Aintree it used a 1.5-litre Climax in accordance with the new formula. The same chassis later had a hillclimbing career, continuing the experimentation.
What remains
The Ferguson system later found a road-going application in the Jensen FF. The P99 was preserved and restored by the family museum, returning with Moss to the Festival of Speed in 2005. Its legacy therefore includes automotive research and a non-championship victory without changing the record of its single championship appearance.