Zakspeed 891

The Zakspeed 891 was a Formula One car for the 1989 season run by the German Zakspeed team. Its drivers were German Bernd Schneider in his second year with the team and F1 rookie Aguri Suzuki from Japan.

Zakspeed 891

The 891 of Bernd Schneider at the Technik Museum Sinsheim
Category	Formula One
Constructor	Zakspeed
Designer(s)	Gustav Brunner
Predecessor	881
Technical specifications[1]
Chassis	Carbon fibre and Kevlar Monocoque
Suspension (front)	Double wishbones, push-rod operated shock absorbers
Suspension (rear)	Double wishbones, push-rod operated shock absorbers
Axle track	Front: 1,800 mm (71 in) Rear: 1,650 mm (65 in)
Wheelbase	2,820 mm (111 in)
Engine	Yamaha OX88, 3,498 cc (213.5 cu in), 75° V8, NA, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted
Transmission	Zakspeed 6-speed manual
Fuel	Castrol
Tyres	Pirelli
Competition history
Notable entrants	West Zakspeed Racing
Notable drivers	34. Bernd Schneider 35. Aguri Suzuki
Debut	1989 Brazilian Grand Prix
Last event	1989 Japanese Grand Prix
Races Wins Poles F/Laps 2 0 0 0
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0

This was the first Formula One car powered by a Yamaha engine.

Overview

Due to neither Schneider nor his 1988 team mate Piercarlo Ghinzani scoring any points in the 881, the team was forced into pre-qualifying in order to be able to try to qualify for a race. While Schneider was able to qualify his car 25th for the 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix, it would prove to be a false hope with the German only able to pre-qualify and qualify once more, at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix. Suzuki never made it past pre-qualifying at any of the 16 rounds during the season.

Most of this was attributed to what was found to be a very underpowered Yamaha engine. Late in the season following another double failure to pre-qualify at the Spanish Grand Prix, the Yamaha OX88 V8 was reported to be producing only 560 bhp (418 kW; 568 PS).^[2] This compared badly to the base 620 bhp (462 kW; 629 PS) of the common Judd V8. It was also unfavorable in comparison to the 650 bhp (485 kW; 659 PS) - 700 bhp (522 kW; 710 PS) bhp of the top four engines, the V10's of Honda (McLaren) and Renault (Williams), the Ferrari V12, and the Cosworth built Ford V8 used by (Benetton). This made Schneider qualifying 21st for the following race in Japan all the more impressive.

The 891 was the last Formula One car to be produced by Zakspeed as the team pulled out of Grand Prix racing following the 1990 season. Yamaha also pulled out of Formula One at the end of 1989, but would later return with the Brabham team in 1991.

• 
  Yamaha's OX88 V8 engine used by Zakspeed in 1989.

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year	Team	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pts.	WCC
1989	West Zakspeed Racing	Yamaha OX88 V8	P		BRA	SMR	MON	MEX	USA	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	ESP	JPN	AUS	0	NC
				Bernd Schneider	Ret	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	Ret	DNPQ
				Aguri Suzuki	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ