Tyrrell 1968-1973

Just how great were Ken Tyrrell achievements between 1968 and 1973?

Looking back, it seems scarcely believable that Ken could build an F1 team virtually from scratch, and take on and beat the likes of Ferrari,Lotus, Brabham etc. It showed what could happen if everything clicked amongst a small, close-knit, motivated and talented group of individuals.

Of course it helped having Jackie Stewart on board, but it is a tribute to Tyrrell's managerial skills and integrity that the Scotsman not only joined the team but stayed with them until the end of his career.

The one common theme is that people trusted and believed in Tyrrell. In the early days it was Matra, and then later Tyrrell took on board Elf,Ford and Goodyear. All of this whilst they built the car in an old woodshed in Surrey!

Of course, it had to come to an end. The retirement of JYS and the death of Cevert were massive blows, and the team lost momentum from 1974 onwards, although remaining central to the F1 universe. The increasingly sophisticated, ultra-commercial F1 world to some extent passed Tyrrell by. However, we should never forget what they accomplished in the late 60s and early 70s.

I've often wondered how much of Tyrrell's success was down to JYS. Much as I admire Ken Tyrrell, his team gradually faded once the Scot retired. It was painful to see a great team racing in plain blue through lack of sponsorship in 1979 with their Lotus copy, and while Alboreto provided a temporary revival, it seemed there was no way back for Tyrrell after 1973.

The contribution made by JYS was indeed massive, and the team was never quite the same after he retired. The Tyrrell/Stewart era was a classic case of "right place, right time".