the team to redesign the entire car, bringing in drivers Patrick Nève and Harald Ertl to develop a new car with the limited funds available in the months before the Formula One season was to begin. The problems in getting working ground effects on the chassis led to the team abandoning the concept, and returning to the older "wing car" that had been in prevalence before. These redesigns drained the team of funds; Kauhsen struggled to pay the entry fee for the championship, and only managed to acquire older tyres from Goodyear. After obtaining some sponsorship, and signing Italian driver Gianfranco Brancatelli, the Kauhsen WK004 made its début appearance at the first race of the 1979 British Formula One season in Zolder, albeit retiring early in the race due to engine issues. Kauhsen's first World Championship appearance was at the , using another redesigned car. Brancatelli failed to qualify for the race, being the slowest out of the 27 entries, the closest competitor being three seconds quicker. Running an updated car at the next race in Belgium, Brancatelli again failed to qualify, with a broken clutch preventing an improvement in pace. After the two successive failures, and a lack of funds, Willi Kauhsen withdrew from Formula One and closed the team. The team's assets were purchased by Arturo Merzario, and was merged with his own eponymous Merzario team, which had been having a similar lack of success with the A2 chassis. The Kauhsen WK was used as the basis for the Gian Paolo Dallara designed Merzario A4 car, but this did not improve from the performance of either of the cars, failing to qualify at the remaining World Championship rounds. The A4's only racing appearance was at the non-championship Dino Ferrari Grand Prix, finishing in 11th place. Merzario later left Formula One at the end of 1979, and moved to the Formula Two championship. Complete European Formula Two results (key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap.) Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) References Formula One constructors Formula One entrants Formula Two entrants German auto racing teams German racecar constructors World Sportscar Championship teams