LOTUS FORD 80

After the win of 1978 worldchampionship with US-American Mario Andretti and Swede Ronnie Peterson, who had died after the same year´s Monza starting accident, the conditions within Team Lotus changed dramatically. Peterson, who had signed up with McLaren before his tragic death, was replaced by Argentine´s Carlos Reutemann, who had been at Ferrari the years before.

While the Lotus Ford 79 had been the car to beat in the 1978, being up to 2 seconds faster than the next rival, Colin Chapman as the leading designer in Grand Prix Racing of that epoque, tried to top that performance. He once again decided to bring out a revolutionary concept, but for that reason, the Lotus Ford 80 was not ready at the beginning of the season. The only new thing Chapman was able to present publicly was the new title sponsor to replace the tobacco company John Player Special. It was Italian aperétif group Martini, who gave the Lotus Grand Prix cars back their British Racing Green livery, they had lost back in 1968.

The Lotus Ford 80 made it´s debut appearance in the 1979 Spanish Grand Prix held at Jarama near the country´s capital of Madrid. Already at this time the car was not in it´s original specification anymore. Chapman had created the Mk80 without both it´s front and rear wings for reducing air resistance. To reach the same level of down force for enough speed in the corners, he designed very long side pods, with wing profiles in it, reaching from the front axle up to the gearbox. But for this reason he had to install bent lateral skirts. In the nose section another aerofoil was integrated and it´s airflow was protected by a couple of small skirts, too.

In the beginning Mario Andretti was very enthusiastic to drive the Mk80, hoping to defend his title. But this revolutionary concept only worked in theory. The scepticism Carlos Reutemann showed about that car, became reality. While Andretti tried to develop the new car, Reutemann refused to drive it and remained in the cockpit of the Mk79. That devided Team Lotus into two fractions. First the Mk 80 was supplied with conventional front and rear wings to bring Andretti a fine 3rd place at the Jarama debut. But this success could never been repeated. Andretti drove the car only in 2 further Grand Prix, in Monaco and France, where he both had to retire for technical reasons. Then he also switched back to the Mk79 for the rest of the season. but in contrast to the year before, not a single Grand Prix victory came Team Lotus´way.

Model Designation: Lotus Ford 80 Year: 1979 Designer: Colin Chapman Driver: Mario Andretti (USA) First Grand Prix: Spain 1979 Last Grand Prix: France 1979Chassis: Lotus Aluminum Engine: Ford Cosworth 3.0 litre DFV V8 Gearbox: Hewland FG400 5 speed manual Tyres: Goodyear Sponsors: Martini (Aperétifs), Essex (Oil Company), Tissot (Watches)

 

 

 

MARIO ANDRETTI, LOTUS FORD 80 (1)

MARIO ANDRETTI, LOTUS FORD 80 (2)

 

Exclusive technical images by Klaus Ewald from the 2005 Jim Clark Revival at Hockenheim

 

Text: J H , drawings and draphics: project * 2000

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