--- title: Harvey Postlethwaite · HICONIUM description: Harvey Postlethwaite in the HICONIUM register — one file carrying their credit. canonical_url: https://hiconium.dev/people/harvey-postlethwaite image: https://hiconium.dev/og/people/harvey-postlethwaite.png --- > HICONIUM · Index: https://hiconium.dev/llms.txt · Every page: append `.md` or send `Accept: text/markdown`. > Path: [Home](https://hiconium.dev/) › [People](https://hiconium.dev/people) › Harvey Postlethwaite > On this page: [F1 composites on the GTO](#f1-composites-on-the-gto) · [Chassis for the turbo V6](#chassis-for-the-turbo-v6) · [First World Championship victory](#first-world-championship-victory) · [One file carries this name](#one-file-carries-this-name) People # Harvey Postlethwaite Ferrari Gestione Sportiva technical director who headed 288 GTO development | Label | Value | | --- | --- | | Born | Barnet, 1944 | | Died | Barcelona, 1999 | | Nationality | British | The record British Formula One engineer who headed Ferrari GTO development as Gestione Sportiva technical director and was credited with its composite-body technology. Born in Barnet on 4 March 1944, Postlethwaite attended the Royal Masonic School for Boys and Birmingham University, graduating in mechanical engineering before completing doctoral research on automotive crash research. He worked in ICI’s research department in Runcorn before joining March Engineering in 1970. At March he worked on the two-litre sports car and the March-BMW 732 driven by Jean-Pierre Jarier to the 1973 European Formula Two championship. Lord Hesketh hired him as chief engineer after Hesketh acquired a March 731. Postlethwaite developed the Hesketh 308, whose rubber-sprung 1975 version carried James Hunt to the Dutch Grand Prix win. When Hesketh ran out of funds, he moved to Walter Wolf’s operation and designed the WR1; Jody Scheckter won its 1977 Argentine debut, then Monaco and Canada, finishing second in the drivers’ championship. Ferrari recruited him in 1981 to improve the chassis for its turbocharged V6. He designed the 126C2, and Ferrari won the constructors’ championships in 1982 and 1983. In 1982 Gilles Villeneuve was killed at Zolder and Didier Pironi was seriously injured at Hockenheim; Keke Rosberg took that year’s drivers’ title and Nelson Piquet the next. Postlethwaite left Ferrari in 1987 after John Barnard’s arrival. Ferrari’s own retrospective says that senior Formula One personnel from the 126 C programme led GTO development under Postlethwaite, then GES technical director. CAR’s 1985 road test attributed the lightweight plastics mainly to him: glassfibre panels, apart from the doors, and Kevlar composite at the rear bonnet and bulkhead. Nicola Materazzi developed the twin-turbo V8; Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina shaped the body. ### F1 composites on the GTO CAR’s 1985 account said the GTO’s lightweight plastics were mainly Postlethwaite’s work: glassfibre body panels apart from the doors, with Kevlar composite at the rear bonnet and bulkhead. Evo described a Kevlar-glassfibre honeycomb composite derived from Ferrari Formula One practice. ### Chassis for the turbo V6 Ferrari hired Postlethwaite to improve the chassis for its turbocharged V6. His 126C2 took the 1982 constructors’ title; the revised 126C2B repeated the result in 1983. ### First World Championship victory Postlethwaite designed the Hesketh 308 and Wolf WR1. Hunt’s 1975 Dutch Grand Prix victory was his first World Championship Grand Prix win; Scheckter won three Grands Prix for Wolf in 1977. The stations 1. 1970–1973 March Engineering Engineer 2. 1973–1975 Hesketh Racing Chief engineer 3. 1976–1979 Walter Wolf Racing Designer 4. 1980–1981 Fittipaldi Automotive Designer 5. 1981–1987 Ferrari Technical director 6. 1987–1991 Tyrrell Technical director 7. 1991 Sauber Technical director 8. 1991–1993 Ferrari Technical director 9. 1994–1998 Tyrrell Technical director and managing director 10. 1998–1999 Honda Racing Developments Technical director The house [![Ferrari](https://hiconium.dev/images/marques/full/ferrari.svg)](https://hiconium.dev/manufacturers/ferrari) Credited through Ferrari. In the register ## One file carries this name - [Ferrari 288 GTO Technical director · Ferrari 1984–1987 €3.4M 1984–1987 €3.4M Rating 92.0](https://hiconium.dev/vehicles/ferrari/288-gto) The files above are the register's own record of this name. [The people index](https://hiconium.dev/people) holds everyone the register credits. In their words > “After you have worked with all these facilities and resources, it's a bit difficult to envisage going back to work with any other formula one team in this game.” Harvey Postlethwaite · The Guardian, 1999 Sources - [theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/news/1999/apr/15/guardianobituaries.alanhenry) - [heskethracing.co.uk](https://www.heskethracing.co.uk/team/harvey_postlethwaite/) - [grandprix.com](https://www.grandprix.com/people/dr-harvey-postlethwaite.html) - [atlasf1.com](http://www.atlasf1.com/99/apr21/horton.html) - [news.verstappen.com](https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/1032) - [oldracingcars.com](https://www.oldracingcars.com/teamboss/Harvey_Postlethwaite) - [fieldtax.com](https://www.fieldtax.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Executors-of-Dr-Harvey-Postlehwaite-v-HMRC.pdf) - [independent.co.uk](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/obituary-postlethwaite-the-great-innovator-dies-aged-55-1087386.html) - [autosport.com](https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/why-a-mercedes-u-turn-couldnt-deny-saubers-f1-debut-surprise/10443178/) - [global.honda](https://global.honda/en/F1/machine/1991_TyrrellHonda020/) - [grandprix.com](https://www.grandprix.com/news/what-happens-now-with-honda.html) - [ferrari.com](https://www.ferrari.com/magazine/articles/honouring-a-legend-the-ferrari-gto) - [ferrari.com](https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/magazine/articles/performance-icon-ferrari-gto) - [carmagazine.co.uk](https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/features/car-culture/from-italy-to-britain-by-ferrari-288-gto-car-archive-july-1985/) - [evo.co.uk](https://www.evo.co.uk/ferrari/11375/birth-of-an-icon-ferrari-288-gto) - [octane-magazine.com](https://www.octane-magazine.com/articles/features/ferrari-288-gto-driving-and-celebrating-the-legend/) - [ferrari.com](https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/formula1/126-c2) - [formula1.com](https://www.formula1.com/en/information/drivers-hall-of-fame-keke-rosberg.5oGvi8v8jkuvLTXHTgm0bt) - [formula1.com](https://www.formula1.com/en/results/1983/drivers)