ATS
| |
| Full Name | ATS Racing Team |
| Base | Bad Dürkheim, Germany |
| Founder(s) |  Günter Schmid
|
| Team Principal(s) | Günter Schmid
|
| Technical Director | |
| Current Lineup | |
| Rolf Stommelen
|
Formula One |
| Template:AUT Harald Ertl | Formula One |
ATS was a Formula One team founded and run by the eccentric Günter Schmid. ATS would make their racing debut at the 1976 BRDC International Trophy.
Formula One
1976
Günter Schmid purchased a Lola T380 in early 1976, with the team making their debut at the 1976 BRDC International Trophy with Mikko Kozarowitzky at the wheel. He would finish in 14th position, two laps down.
1977
ATS entered 1977 as the lead Lola customer, being the only team to run the brand new T390 chassis. Kozarowitzky would be partnered by Rolf Stommelen with the team entering all European rounds. The driver and chassis combination, powered by venerable Ford Cosworth DFV engines, was good enough to escape pre-qualifying onthe first 7 attempts. Stommelen would take the team's best finish of the year with 11th at the French Grand Prix, but it would Kozarowitzky who attracted unwanted attention to the fledgling team at the Dutch Grand Prix where he swerved into the path of Tom Sneva's McLaren, causing the American to retire from the race. Kozarowitzky would follow this up at the German Grand Prix with a time slow enough to earn ATS their first DNPQ.
Consequently, Kozarowitzky was let go by Schmid, who hired Hans Heyer - fresh from a sixth place finish at Brabham - in his place. The team would finish both races with one car but could not improve on Stommelen's earlier 11th place finish.
1978
ATS' driver line-up of Heyer and Stommelen remained unchanged for 1978. Gone, however, was the Lola semi-works deal; with the team designing their first chassis, the ATS D1. ATS would make it out of pre-qualifying for 3 of the first 5 Grands Prix, but would only make 4 starts. The team's best was result a 10th palce finish at the attrition-hit South African Grand Prix again scored by Stommelen. The team would then fail to pre-qualify for the next 3 Grands Prix in a row.