The Lotus 81 was a Formula One car designed by Lotus for the 1980 season. It was driven by legendary driver Mario Andretti, who was the reigning world champion at the time. The car featured a ground-effect design, which had become popular in Formula One at the time.
The Lotus 81 was powered by a Ford Cosworth DFV V8 engine, which was a common engine choice for many Formula One teams at the time. The car also featured a six-speed manual gearbox.
The 1980 season was a challenging one for Andretti and the Lotus team. The car was not as competitive as they had hoped, and Andretti struggled to achieve the same level of success as he had in previous seasons. Despite this, Andretti was able to secure a few podium finishes throughout the season.
Overall, the Lotus 81 was not as successful as some of its predecessors, but it still holds a place in Formula One history as a representative of the technological advancements of the time. Andretti's skill and determination behind the wheel of the car also helped to solidify his status as one of the greatest drivers in Formula One history.
1:43 | Racing | GP Replicas
Lotus 88 was a Formula One car designed by Colin Chapman and his team at Lotus for the 1981 season. The car was driven by Italian driver Elio de Angelis.
The Lotus 88 was unique in that it featured a twin-chassis design, with an inner chassis that housed the driver and mechanical components, and an outer chassis that provided aerodynamic benefits. The car also featured a flexible skirt system that helped to improve the car's ground effect aerodynamics.
The Lotus 88 made its debut at the 1981 British Grand Prix, but was soon banned by the FIA due to concerns about the legality of its twin-chassis design. Despite this setback, the car showed promise in testing and de Angelis was able to achieve some strong results with it.
Overall, the Lotus 88 was a groundbreaking design that pushed the boundaries of Formula One technology. It may have been short-lived, but it remains a memorable and innovative car in the history of the sport.
1:43 | Racing | GP Replicas
The Lotus 88B was a Formula One car designed by Lotus for the 1981 season. It was driven by Italian driver Elio de Angelis, who raced with the number 11.
The Lotus 88B was unique in that it featured a twin chassis design, with an inner chassis that was designed to handle the aerodynamic loads of the car, while the outer chassis was designed to handle the mechanical loads. This design was controversial and was eventually banned by the FIA, as it was seen as a way to circumvent the rules regarding ground effect aerodynamics.
Elio de Angelis had a mixed season in the Lotus 88B, with a best finish of 3rd place at the Austrian Grand Prix. He finished the season in 10th place in the drivers' championship with 13 points.
Overall, the Lotus 88B was an innovative but ultimately unsuccessful design due to the controversy surrounding its twin chassis design. Elio de Angelis would go on to have a successful career in Formula One, winning two races and finishing on the podium 17 times before his tragic death in a testing accident in 1986.
1:18 | Racing | GP Replicas
The Lotus 97T was a Formula One racing car designed by Gérard Ducarouge for Team Lotus in the 1985 Formula One season. The car was powered by a turbocharged 1.5L Renault V6 engine, and was driven by Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna.
The Lotus 97T was a competitive car, with Senna achieving two race wins in the car during the 1985 season. The first win came at the Portuguese Grand Prix, where Senna drove a dominant race to take his first Formula One victory. The second win came at the Belgian Grand Prix, where Senna again showed his skill in wet conditions to take the win.
The Lotus 97T was known for its distinctive black and gold livery, which was a nod to the team's sponsorship deal with John Player Special cigarettes. The car also featured innovative aerodynamic design elements, such as side pods that were shaped to channel air to the rear wing.
Overall, the Lotus 97T Senna 1985 is remembered as one of the most iconic cars of the 1980s Formula One era, and helped to establish Ayrton Senna as one of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport.
