<< Prev Page 2 of 2 Disappointed with the performance of the V12, Matra decided not to field a new car in 1969. They spent most of the year developing and testing the V12 engine in preparation for the following season. The French manufacturer did continue its support for Ken Tyrrell's Matra International team. In the season opener at Kyalami, Stewart raced an extensively modified version of the MS10. The rear subframe was gone and the engine was now used as a fully stressed member. Many of the suspension components were also new. These changes successfully prolonged the life one-year old MS10 as Stewart scored a victory in the car's final outing. Upon his return to Europe he was greeted by the all new Matra MS80, which he used for the rest of the year.
Many of the new components fitted on the Kyalami-spec MS10 were a preview of the new Matra. The biggest change was the 'Coke-bottle' shaped monocoque of the MS80. This freed up additional space for fuel on either side of the driver. Naturally the engine was mounted fully stressed. In Stewart's hands the MS80 was a winner straight out of the box with back to back victories in the Oulton Gold Cup and the Spanish Grand Prix at Montjuich. The young Scot won four more Grands Prix and with a total of six victories in eleven races, he was deservedly crowned World Champion at the end of the year. His team-mate, Jean-Pierre Beltoise, added enough points for Matra to become Constructor's World Champion as well.
Towards the end of 1969 Matra was acquired by Chrysler Europe subsidiary Simca. Under Simca's orders, Matra refused to supply Tyrrell with new chassis, if he wanted to continue to use the Ford badged Cosworth engine. Reluctant to give up on the most potent engine on the grid in favour of the still unproven Matra V12, Tyrrell decided to sever his ties with Matra. In 1970 he fielded a Cosworth engined March for Stewart, who scored one victory, while Tyrrell worked on a Formula 1 car of his own. The Cosworth engined Tyrrells would propel Stewart to two more World Championships. With the departure of Tyrrell, Stewart and Cosworth, Matra also lost its winning ways. Three seasons of racing the V12 engined MS120 yielded just a couple of third place finishes. Matra later returned as an engine supplier, finally scoring wins with the V12 in the early 1980s. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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Disappointed with the performance of the V12, Matra decided not to field a new car in 1969. They spent most of the year developing and testing the V12 engine in preparation for the following season. The French manufacturer did continue its support for Ken Tyrrell's Matra International team. In the season opener at Kyalami, Stewart raced an extensively modified version of the MS10. The rear subframe was gone and the engine was now used as a fully stressed member. Many of the suspension components were also new. These changes successfully prolonged the life one-year old MS10 as Stewart scored a victory in the car's final outing. Upon his return to Europe he was greeted by the all new Matra MS80, which he used for the rest of the year.