I realize that our coverage of Serbian agricultural exhibitions has been, at best, limited. I’m not proud of this, but to make up for it, I’d like to show you something displayed at a recent agricultural equipment expo in Serbia, what may or may not be a running prototype from the Minsk Tractor Factory in Belarus, something that they’re calling the MTZ 50 Formula 1 tractor. Yes, it looks like someone typed “formula 1 car but it’s a tractor” into some AI image generator, only this is a thing that exists in our reality, alongside dryer sheets and your cousins.
There’s a video floating around online that seems to be Belarusian dictator Alexander Loukachenko claiming he drove it at nearly 200 mph:
Biélorussie : MTZ a présenté un "tracteur Formule 1", lors d'une exposition en Serbie, l'usine a assemblé un véhicule de course.
MTZ affirme qu'il ne s'agit que d'un prototype marketing. pic.twitter.com/jgC0jR1ZXn— Rebecca Rambar (@RebeccaRambar) June 3, 2023
I’m not so sure I believe him. This F1 Tractor is a very-well executed joke, but I’m just about sure there’s no way in hell that old dictator drove it at 198 mph, on tractor tires. Yes, I’m calling bullshit on a dictator. What I don’t know is if this was all supposed to be part of the joke? Or was he really trying to claim it as true? It’s got to be part of the joke, right?
As a joke, I have to hand it to the MTZ factory, because they executed this really well, a perfect meshing of tractor visual vocabulary re-worked into the forms and shapes and proportions of an F1 car.
All of the components seem to be pulled right from or at least adapted from the actual tractor parts, and I especially like the details of keeping the front “face” with the rectangular headlamps, the big side steps, the vertical exhaust stacks, and the tractor wheels and tires.
For reference, here is the stock MTZ 30 the F1 tractor is based on, so you can understand the design lineage:
I also like how it appears to have some sort of agricultural hardware mounted on the back, which if I knew more about farming I suppose I could identify:
(wikimedia commons)
Imagine how much sorghum you could plant with this baby!
That photo above was taken in 2019, when it was first shown at Belagro 2019, an agricultural trade show. I’m not exactly sure why it’s trending now, but it sure seems to be.
It’s a good joke, and MTZ should absolutely trot it out more often to get some mileage out of it. I’d love to know if Loukachenko is actually in on the gag, or is just making shit up to get political clout? I’m not well versed enough is the politics of that region to know what’s actually possible or not, but I can still appreciate the goofball absurdity of this F1 tractor, dammit.
For a few seconds i actually gave it the benefit of the doubt and considered if it could do 200mph.
The answer is no,not a chance.The rear tires would fly apart for a start.And imagine the consequences of the heavy (but slightly flexible) steel rear axle getting into harmonic resonance.Remember here’s no suspension to soak up bumps.It would absolutely 100% be a death trap
I kind of doubt that the axle would really flex significantly. Those are really really thick and strong, more so than control arms would be.
Lukashenko says delusional stuff with a straight face all the time. He’s balls-to-the-wall crazy.
I hear it plows at speed.
Me thinks Mercedes needs to take Jason to a good ‘ol Midwestern tractor pull.
Oh yes. And we’re entering fair season here so it’s the perfect time for it.
I wouldn’t be promoting anything from Belarus.
Fun fact, MTZ’s tractors were about the only Soviet-made motorized vehicles ever officially sold in the United States, distributed here under the “Belarus” brand from 1968 until sometime in the mid 1990s, though sales really petered out after the fall of the USSR and spare parts support started getting more irregular.
The same company that distributed Belarus tractors also picked up the rights to Lada and UAZ, and had just finished federalization to EPA and NHTSA standards in 1979, and was signing up dealer franchises for an official US launch, when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan and the whole deal fell apart faster than a Chinese motorcycle.
I’ll bet those Belarus owners never had to deal with the right to repair their own $&%#@+ tractors! Some duct tape, bailing wire and a hammer maybe a bit of chewing gum and you’re good.
Same, although the fact that this is supposed to be a fast tractor makes me wonder how quickly it could tow off a Russian tank.
Belarussians who are sick of your dictator and his BFF’s garbage…get on that.
I love mowing and F1, this thing was built for me! Is there a 25 year rule on importing tractors, or just cars?
I would actually watch this racing series. Must be made from 100% tractor parts. As a bonus, farmers would benefit the resulting awesome homologation tractors.
I do love how they kept the rear fenders/splash guards without any attempt to make them at all functional.
‘Fess up now, Torch: Are you ABSOLUTELY sure you had nothing to do with this?
I want to see a head to head comparison with the JCB GT backhoe
Sergio Perez drove this in the Russian Grand Prix a few years back but failed to get out of Q1.
Get Misk Tractor. It’s time to let wife stop pulling plow and go milk cow*
*state owned collective cow. (might also be state owned collective wife)
If that approached anywhere close to 200, I bet the boys at JCB are shaking in their boots at the thought of losing their Guinness World Record for fastest tractor.
As there’s no way it did, I think the JCB record is safe.
Minsk Tractor Factory brings formula-1 ground-effect to a new level of performance
Somebody let Nikita Mazepin know there is an open seat for him. Perfect synergy with uralkali to boot!
After the war is over and relations get back to normal you have to go there and see it in person.
And try to drive it if it actually runs.
OMFFG
This is what Toto Wolfffff was worried about!
I had a Belarus tractor, made my Lada feel civilized and reliable
God speed the plow.
Strong like bull; smart like tractor.
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/GreatIdioticHydatidtapeworm-size_restricted.gif
I bet it’s got an engine from a Lada. Those are discs from a harrow on the back btw.
I was going to say coulters but upon closer inspection they do appear to be canted, making them discs of a speed tiller/disc harrow or similar
*deletes draft of strongly-worded email*
It’s a Lambo dude
How TF did you miss out on using “Farmula 1” ?
Our team will make sure Jason is heavily disciplined for this oversight.
Is that the farm team?
fuxking hell that’s so much better I’m gonna change the topshot right now!
Thank you, I haven’t even read the article but sped to the Comments for this. Good work!
Would daily drive this over a Morgan 3 wheeler.
Just need to remove some safety lights to make it street legal.
Yeah I don’t think it’d have any trouble driving right over a Morgan 3.
Came here for that (and a few other items, also already covered by others)
I mean, this is how I would draw race cars as a kid. Big ol’ tractor wheels but the basic shape of F1. I should probably reach out to them about patent rights.