Lotus is a huge piece of Formula 1 history. A history filled with spectacular success, technological innovation, and, what’s inevitable for this sport – tragedy. We’ll get to see the cars that made Lotus great during the presentation of historic F1 vehicles. Most of them were designed by the brilliant engineer and founder of Lotus – Colin Chapman, whose inventions are in use up to this day. 

 

The Lotus 25, iconic for the Formula 1 of the sixties, is first in the line-up. A revolutionary design, making use of a monocoque instead of the traditional tubular space frame, it was stiffer, narrower, lower and much lighter than its contemporaries. The monocoque construction became a standard for the sport, with very advanced designs in use today. Colin Chapman made the first sketches during lunchtime, with napkins as a drawing board. The legendary Jim Clark achieved his first victory behind the wheel of this car (1962), and soon afterwards he secured a world championship for both himself and the Lotus team (1963).

 

The Lotus 49 is another model that completely changed the face of Formula 1. The legendary Ford Cosworth DFV engine became an integral part of the chassis, supporting the whole structure (an idea carried over from its less successful predecessor). It had the monocoque mounted on one side and the transmission coupled with the suspension on the other. Model 49 demonstrated that this design was the way to go in the future. Up to this day it remains a principle upon which Formula 1 car construction is based. The Lotus 49 was also used to test another innovation – the rear wing. In 1968 Graham Hill earned his second world champion title behind the wheel of this car. 

 

The Lotus 72 was a successor to the 49. The innovative solutions in this car include side-mounted radiators and an engine cold air intake located above the driver’s head – both of which, once again, became a standard for F1 car design. Thanks to the use of cutting edge aerodynamic elements it was light years ahead of anything the competing teams could throw at it. However, it had its flaws, the most prominent being fragile construction (the same could be said for most Lotus cars, as they were designed to push the edge). In 1970, the well-liked Jochen Rindt, the only posthumous Formula 1 world champion, lost his life driving one of these cars at Monza. In 1972 Emerson Fittipaldi drove this car to become the youngest world champion, the first of his two titles. His car was painted black and gold, the same colours that the Renault Team uses today. 

 

The Lotus 79 was a car that took full advantage of the so-called ground effect. A specially designed underside of the chassis reduced the pressure of the air going under the car, causing it to, literally, hug the asphalt (much the same as today’s diffusers). It was nicknamed ”Black Beauty”, as it was good-looking, modern and completely dominated the 1978 Formula 1 season. Mario Andretti won the driver’s and constructor’s world champion titles behind the wheel of this car, both of which were the last in Lotus’ history. The end of the year marked the beginning of the team’s decline.

 

The Model 91 was, alongside the McLaren MP4/1, the first F1 car to be built completely out of carbon fibre and to use an active suspension system. During the 1982 season it was driven by Nigel Mansell. It was the same year that the brilliant Colin Chapman passed away, his racing team outliving its founder. Another car that we are going to see in Warsaw is also one of the last cars bearing the Lotus name – model 102 from 1990. With it came the beginning of the end for the team, as the car earned only three points during the whole season. Still, it is a reminder of one of the best teams in Formula 1 history.

 

When you take a look at these gems and get to hear their engines during VERVA Street Racing, you will think of the grand history of Lotus. It makes it easy to understand why two contemporary teams entered into a long and costly dispute over a name. The irony is that the name is the only thing that links them with the legendary team. 

 

Cezary Gutowski

 

Considering that some of the cars coming to Warsaw will be highly specialized racing machines, the accompanying ordinary road cars do not seem all that impressive. Not a single one of them, even though some develop over 1000 horsepower (or even sport
a 17-litre engine!), would be able to beat a full-fledged racing machine, such as the 2-litre,
220 horsepower Formula 3 car, on a real racing circuit. However, when hearing names like Ferrari F 430 Scuderia, Cobra, Bac Mono, Ultima GTR and, last but not least, Aston Martin, one can’t help feeling thrilled about the excitement that lies in store. For an ordinary driver, who doesn’t take part in racing and rallying, these are still amazingly fast, and above all, gorgeous supercars. I’m sure that every one of us wouldn’t mind taking them out for a spin. 

 

My favourite car in this category has to be the Mercedes SLS that I get to see and hear at every Formula 1 event I attend. It’s an amazing, beautifully shaped roadster, successor to the legendary Gullwing which was made famous by its upwards-opening doors. It circles the racing circuits on Thursdays, the day before the training sessions kick off. With Bernd Maylander at the wheel and a medical assistance car following suit, the car completes a number of laps to let the driver familiarize himself with the track. In case of an accident or extreme weather, a silver SLS with a yellow blinker on the roof leaves the pits to lead the pack of superfast race cars and no one – with the possible exception of Lewis Hamilton – has the right to overtake it. 

 

The moment the safety car kicks into action is quite easy to notice, as it is distinguished by an amazing engine sound – completely different to that of the racing cars.
Formula 1 vehicles are powered by eight-cylinder engines with a displacement of only
2.4 litres, designed in such a way as to allow them to develop over 700 horsepower. When redlined at 18 000 rpm (limited by official regulations), they let out a piercing shriek that can make your skin crawl. The SLS is also equipped with an eight-cylinder engine, but it’s a lot larger, measuring in at 6.3 litres. When the gas pedal is pressed, the car emits a deep, gurgling roar which is specific for this type of engine, mounted exclusively in the most expensive Mercedes models. Being a sound closely associated with Formula 1, it is worth hearing live. 

 

It looks a bit silly when leading the pack during an F1 race. The safety car driver does his best to drive the car to its full potential, which is by no means small. 571 horsepower, sports suspension and wide tires clearly show that it is no lightweight. Meanwhile, behind it the
F1 cars cruise at a leisurely pace. The drivers zigzag to keep the tires warm, keeping the revs down to avoid overheating the engine (at ”low” speeds the radiator is not getting enough airflow), and waiting for the moment that the superdream roadblock of a car gets out of the way, letting them continue on with the racing.

 

Keeping that in mind we can only imagine how utterly demanding driving a Formula 1 car must be. For an ordinary driver, the Mercedes SLS is a rocket on wheels with sensational, shocking even, performance. Each touch of the gas pedal brutally presses the driver into the seat, and the car seems to possess unlimited power, impossible to make use of on a normal road. It’s a beautiful, superfast and expensive roadster available only to the chosen few. Simply put – it’s a car of my dreams. 

 

Cezary Gutowski