Category | Formula One | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constructor | Team Lotus | ||||||||||
Designer(s) | Colin Chapman Geoff Aldridge Martin Ogilvie | ||||||||||
Predecessor | 72 / 76 | ||||||||||
Successor | 78 | ||||||||||
Technical specifications | |||||||||||
Chassis | Aluminium monocoque | ||||||||||
Suspension (front) | Lower wishbone, top rocker | ||||||||||
Suspension (rear) | Single lower link with double, parallel upper; twin radius rods | ||||||||||
Engine | Ford-Cosworth DFV 2993cc V8, naturally aspirated, mid-mounted | ||||||||||
Transmission | Hewland FG400 5-speed manual | ||||||||||
Power | 465 hp (347 kW) @ 10,800 rpm [1] 260 lb⋅ft (350 N⋅m) torque | ||||||||||
Tyres | Goodyear | ||||||||||
Competition history | |||||||||||
Notable entrants | John Player Team Lotus | ||||||||||
Notable drivers | Mario Andretti Gunnar Nilsson Ronnie Peterson (one race) | ||||||||||
Debut | 1976 Brazilian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
First win | 1976 Japanese Grand Prix | ||||||||||
Last win | 1976 Japanese Grand Prix | ||||||||||
Last event | 1976 Japanese Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||||
Drivers' Championships | 0 |
The Lotus 77 was a Formula One racing car designed by Colin Chapman, Geoff Aldridge and Martin Ogilvie for the 1976 Formula One season.
The car was a stop-gap means to an end for Lotus, who were fighting back after the failure of the Lotus 76 and the obsolescence of the Lotus 72 in 1975. Three chassis were built and, as of 2018, all are still in existence.
The Lotus 77 featured a slimmer, lighter monocoque design over the 72, but was similarly powered by the Cosworth DFV. It featured improved aerodynamics and repositioned radiators to aid better cooling. The front brakes were initially inboard, in line with its predecessors, but were moved outboard in a more conventional design part-way through the season. The suspension was designed around a series of rocker arms instead of the usual set up of wishbones. The idea behind the new system was to set the suspension up for a specific track, taking into account ride height and road surface, and the 77 was dubbed 'The Adjustacar' as a result. It worked in a fashion, but inexperience with such an infinitely adjustable car meant that optimum settings were often not achieved.
It was quickly deemed that this suspension arrangement wasn't suitable and Len Terry was brought in to design a more orthodox system with rocker arms and outboard brakes. Later in the season Lotus hired Tony Southgate from Shadow to act as chief engineer. He moved the oil radiator to the nose to improve weight distribution and also added a cockpit-adjustable rear anti-roll bar and a lighter compressed-air starter.
All drivers reported the steering and ride were occasionally vague and unresponsive and that the car lacked straight-line speed. Andretti did not care for the car, proclaiming it to be a 'dog'. This motivated Lotus to accelerate research and create the Lotus 78.
Andretti skipped the Monaco Grand Prix to race in the Indianapolis 500.
After a slow start to the season, the 77 proved to be best of the rest behind Ferrari, McLaren and Tyrrell. Andretti worked hard to develop the car, and from mid season onwards, the 77's performance picked up. It was however best suited to tracks with long corners such as Anderstorp, where Andretti led easily before engine failure put him out. At Zandvoort and Mosport Park tracks he finished on the podium.
Colin Chapman vetoed Andretti's request to race the Lotus 78 at Zandvoort, so Mario reluctantly raced the 77 until the end of the season. The final race was run in monsoon conditions at Fuji Speedway in Japan. Andretti's car was very well set-up for the track, with the car set to its narrowest width and with virtually flat rear wing; [2] Andretti drove a clever tactical race to win by a lap from Patrick Depailler and new world champion James Hunt. Andretti was glad to put the 77 aside to concentrate on developing the 78 for the 1977 Formula One season.
(key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap.)
Year | Entrant | Engines | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Points | WCC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1976 | John Player Team Lotus | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | BRA | RSA | USW | ESP | BEL | MON | SWE | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | NED | ITA | CAN | USA | JPN | 29 | 4th | |
Ronnie Peterson | Ret | ||||||||||||||||||||
Bob Evans | 10 | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||
Mario Andretti | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 5 | Ret | 12 | 5 | 3 | Ret | 3 | Ret | 1 | ||||||||
Gunnar Nilsson | Ret | Ret | 3 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 5 | 3 | Ret | 13 | 12 | Ret | 6 | ||||||
The 1970 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zandvoort on June 21, 1970. It was race 5 of 13 in both the 1970 World Championship of Drivers and the 1970 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. This race was held the same day as the 1970 FIFA World Cup Final in Mexico City, Mexico, but that event took place later in the day from this Grand Prix.
The Hon.John Jeremy Miles was a British racing driver from England. He participated in 15 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, making his debut on 6 July 1969, in the Lotus 63 4-wheel drive F1 car for which he was the official Team Lotus test driver. He scored a total of 2 championship points with a fifth place in the 1970 South African Grand Prix.
The Lotus 78 was a Formula One racing car used in the 1977 and 1978 seasons. It was designed by Peter Wright, Colin Chapman, Martin Ogilvie and Tony Rudd, and was the first ground effect car in Formula One.
The Lotus 32 was a Formula 2 racing car built by Team Lotus in 1964. It was developed from the Lotus 27 Formula Junior model. Twelve cars were produced, four of which were run by Ron Harris Team Lotus, whose drivers included Jim Clark and Mike Spence. Spence won the 1964 Autocar British Formula 2 Championship while Clark was fourth in the Trophées de France Championship.
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport categories including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar, and sports car racing. More than ten years after its last race, Team Lotus remained one of the most successful racing teams of all time, winning seven Formula One Constructors' titles, six Drivers' Championships, and the Indianapolis 500 in the United States between 1962 and 1978. Under the direction of founder and chief designer Colin Chapman, Lotus was responsible for many innovative and experimental developments in critical motorsport, in both technical and commercial arenas.
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