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March 721

Category	Formula One
Designer(s)	Robin Herd Geoff Ferris
Predecessor	March 711
Successor	March 731
Technical specifications
Competition history
Notable entrants	March Engineering
Debut	1972 Argentine Grand Prix, 1972 Spanish Grand Prix (721X, 721G)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 0, 1 (721G) 0, 1 (721G)
Constructors' Championships	0 (best: 6th (1972)
Drivers' Championships	0

The March 721 is a Formula One car, designed, developed, and made by March Engineering for the 1972 Formula One season. It was powered by the 3.0 L (180 cu in) Ford-Cosworth DFV engine. It was driven by Ronnie Peterson, Niki Lauda, Henri Pescarolo, Carlos Pace, and Mike Beuttler.

Racing history

The 721 was the successor model to the March 711 and, after the strong 1971 season, was intended to secure March's leap to the top of the Formula 1 constructors. It came in three versions: the traditional 721, the 721X, and the 721G.

The basic version of the 721, which did not have an additional designation in the form of a letter, was a slightly improved version of the old 711 and was built for customers such as Frank Williams Racing Cars and Günther Hennerici's Eifelland. It also served as an interim car for the factory team until the new 721X was ready. Eifelland's car was fitted with a new bodywork designed by Luigi Colani and was renamed as Eifelland E21.

The March 721X was a completely new design. The rear springs were highly hinged and could be operated via levers and springs. Designer Robin Herd wanted to create a low moment of inertia by concentrating most of the car's weight in the middle of the car. Alfa Romeo provided a transversal gearbox, fitted between the Cosworth DFV engine and the rear axle. In theory, this design made sense, but the Goodyear racing tires that March used in 1972 never really harmonized with the chassis. The front tires were constantly being overloaded, causing oversteer and understeer. The drivers couldn't handle the car and the 721X is generally viewed as a bad design. Niki Lauda, one of the March factory drivers of 1972, called the 721X "a complete failure", "a stillbirth" and "a debacle".

Seeing that the car was a failure, March built an alternative model, the 721G, in just nine days to avert a complete failure in the 1972 season. For the 721G, a conventional Formula 2 chassis from the March 722 was adapted for Formula 1. Suspension and brakes were from the customer version of the 721, and the powerplant was again the Cosworth DFV V8 engine. In 1972, March had built three Formula 1 model within a year. Ronnie Peterson took third place with the G-Type at the German Grand Prix. Niki Lauda remained pointless with the March in his first full Formula 1 season.

References

1. "1972 March 721X Cosworth - Images, Specifications and Information".
2. "1972 March 721G Cosworth - Images, Specifications and Information".
3. "March 721X Formula 1 car". 6 December 2018.
4. "March 721 car-by-car histories".
5. "March 721/3".
6. "March 721 - Photo Gallery - Racing Sports Cars".

v t e March Engineering
Founders Max Mosley Alan Rees Graham Coaker Robin Herd
Notable drivers Chris Amon Jo Siffert Niki Lauda Ronnie Peterson Vittorio Brambilla Henri Pescarolo Lella Lombardi
Formula One cars 701 711 721 731 741 751 761 2-4-0 771 781 811 821 87P 871 881 CG891 CG911B
Formula Two cars 702 712 722 732 742 752 762 772 782 792 802 812 822 832 842 85J 86J
Formula 3000 cars 85B 86B 87B 88B 89B
Indy Lights cars March 86A
Formula 5000 cars 72A 73A 74A 75A 76A
Formula 3 cars 693 703 713M 713S 723 733 743 753 763 773 783 793 803 813
CART cars 81C 82C 83C 84C 85C 86C 87C 88C 89C 89P 89CE 90P 90CA
Sports prototype cars 707 717 817 827 RC82 82G 83G 832 847 84G 85G 86G 87G 88G R87E R88C
Group 5/Group 6 cars 73S 74S 75S 76S 77S
Sports 2000 cars 81S 82S 83S 84S

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