Video: F1’s only four-wheel drive winner, the Ferguson P99

Not to Harry Ferguson. The Northern Irish engineer who revolutionised farming with his tractors was convinced his innovative all-wheel-drive system had a future on the road. And what better showcase than the ultimate engineering shop window: F1.

To modern fans used to F1 cars being mid-engined, rear-driven missiles, the idea of four driven wheels might sound absurd. But at the time the advantages were obvious —  relentless traction, confidence-inspiring handling, savage corner exits and rain performance to embarrass a traditional F1 car.

Ferguson’s vision took form in the P99, developed under the brilliant Tony Rolt, a war hero twice decorated with the Military Cross who was as fearless an engineer as he had been a soldier.

Even for Rolt, the P99 was a tough nut to crack. Development dragged on longer than expected, and by the time the car appeared in 1961, Formula 1 had moved on. The regulations had changed, confining the P99 to the short-lived Intercontinental Formula. Worse still, rear-engined cars were on the march, Cooper’s breakthrough win in 1959 signalled the end for front-engined machines like Ferguson’s.

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Yet, the P99 still drew a glittering roster of drivers: Graham Hill, Innes Ireland, and most famously, Stirling Moss. It was Moss who delivered its moment of glory at the International Gold Cup at Oulton Park in 1961. On a damp, treacherous track, the car’s traction was unstoppable and Moss’ genius did the rest.

He stormed to victory by over 45 seconds, making history as the first (and last) Formula 1 win for a four-wheel-drive car, and the final triumph for a front-engined Grand Prix machine.

Other teams flirted with the idea, Matra, McLaren, and Lotus all built 4WD F1 cars, but the compromises proved too much. The extra weight and the tricky driving style demanded by the system outweighed the advantages.

The P99, however, wasn’t finished. It reinvented itself as a hillclimb weapon, with Peter Westbury steering it to the British Hillclimb Championship crown in 1964. Later, it retired into the care of the Donington Grand Prix Collection, preserved as a piece of racing history, before roaring back to life decades later in the hands of Tony Rolt’s son, Stuart.

This tractor-maker’s dream turned racing underdog competed in the Richmond & Gordon Trophies at the 2024 Revival, and as this film featuring owner Thomas Schlereth and motorsport historian Doug Nye reveals, the Ferguson P99 remains unique for how it dared to drag Formula 1 into uncharted territory.

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