With the arrival of Harvey Postlethwaite, the 126 C2 was completely redesigned for the 1982 season: it received Ferrari's first true full monocoque with aluminum honeycomb panels, making it more akin to the cars of the British specialists than any Ferrari since 1962. The car was smaller, more nimble, and aerodynamically much better than its predecessor, though slower than its rivals in corners due to the heavy turbo engine. Its debut in South Africa in January ended with both cars retiring. At Long Beach, Ferrari competed with two thin, offset rear wings that acted as a single double wing.
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Learn moreRedesigned · The 1982 season
Redesigned
With the arrival of Harvey Postlethwaite, the chassis, suspension, and bodywork were completely redesigned. An improved chassis followed during the season, introduced at the French Grand Prix: the rocker-arm front suspension was replaced by a more aerodynamically efficient pull-rod suspension. A slimmer longitudinal gearbox replaced the transverse unit, allowing air to flow more cleanly beneath the sidepods. Engine output rose to 650 bhp in qualifying and around 600 bhp in the race.
The 1982 season
Villeneuve and Pironi set record times in testing and began the season with solid results. Then came the controversial race at San Marino, after which Villeneuve accused Pironi of ignoring team orders. Villeneuve died during qualifying at the next race in Belgium. Tambay scored three podiums, including a win in Germany, and finished fifth in the championship; there, Pironi crashed so severely that his racing career came to an end.
Summarized from the cited sources; every figure was automatically verified against the sources.
1981
1983
1984