JULY 24, 1995

Tyrrell dumps Hydrolink

TYRRELL has been testing in recent days at Magny-Cours in France with both Mika Salo and Ukyo Katayama spending a day developing a new fly-by-wire throttle system and working on the set-up of the Tyrrell-Yamaha 023 without its Hydrolink suspension system.

TYRRELL has been testing in recent days at Magny-Cours in France with both Mika Salo and Ukyo Katayama spending a day developing a new fly-by-wire throttle system and working on the set-up of the Tyrrell-Yamaha 023 without its Hydrolink suspension system.

Hydrolink was developed by Tyrrell engineers in partnership with Fondmetal Technologies in Italy. The aim was to replace the grip lost - caused by the reduction of aerodynamic downforce because of regulation changes - by enhancing mechanical grip. The team's aim was to do this by controlling the bump and roll characteristics of the car using high-speed hydraulics. According to windtunnel testing by Frenchman Jean-Claude Migeot of Fondmetal, the system offered substantial theoretical benefits; but these were not seen on the track where the cars proved to be very nervous and difficult to drive.

The team has said that it still believes that Hydrolink is the way to go in the long term, but has ditched the system to concentrate on conventional suspension development in an effort to get some points on the board this season.

The decision is another blow to the career of Migeot, who shot to design stardom in 1989 with the raised-nose Tyrrell 019, but went on to design the disastrous Ferrari F92A with Steve Nichols.