Most people know of the Tyrell Project 34 six-wheeled F1 car but fewer are aware that more than one famous F1 constructor experimented with the six-wheel F1 concept.

The front wheels of an open-wheeled F1 car generate aerodynamic drag. The thinking behind the Tyrell car was that this drag affect could be reduced by using smaller tyres at the front. To counteract the corresponding loss of front-end grip, Tyrell built a car with four tiny front wheels thereby overcoming the drag effect and actually increasing grip.

The P34 was reasonably successful with the two cars taking a memorable 1-2 in the Swedish Grand Prix in 1976. The Tyrell team also finished 3rd and 4th overall in the championship. The car was less successful in 1977 however and the idea was dropped. Although Goodyear had manufactured special 10" tyres for the car, it had failed to match the development work on them compared to the normal sized tyres used by other teams. With all four front wheels steering the car, Tyrell also found that the P34's complicated four-wheel front suspension assembly added a lot of weight to the car.

At March Cars in Bicester, designer Robin herd had watched the P34 closely and, by late 1976, had come to the conclusion that the "four front wheels" concept was something of a blind alley. In his assessment, the improved aerodynamics at the front were largely negated by the rear tyres which account for 30-40% of the car's total drag. He also felt that the extra grip they generated would be more useful at the rear end.

With this in mind, Herd drew up plans for a six-wheeled car with four driven wheels at the rear. His theory was that with all six tyres the same size as a regular F1 front tyre, the car would not only be be slimmer than normal F1 cars but would possess improved aerodynamic performance at the rear with much cleaner air passing over wing. Four driven wheels would also mean better traction and, unlike the Tyrell, there would be no problem with tyre development since the car would use exactly the same rubber as other Goodyear-shod competitors.