Formula 1's great Lotus landmarks - Lotus 49

Colin Chapman and Team Lotus produced some of the most important and iconic cars in Formula 1 history. The Lotus 25 brought monocoque chassis to the fore, the 49 introduced the Cosworth DFV as a stressed member, the 72 helped set the template for modern single-seaters, and the 79 took F1 into a new realm with ground-effects.

To mark F1's celebration of the 1000th world championship race at last year's Chinese Grand Prix, Ben Anderson conducted a special track test for Autosport magazine at Lotus Cars' circuit at Hethel. And now that the world championship is celebrating its 70th birthday, it seemed a good time to revisit four milestone machines.

Thanks to Colin Chapman's son Clive and the Classic Team Lotus concern that he runs, which helps keep the Lotus name alive in historic motorsport, we tested four of the very best Lotus F1 cars to ever grace a circuit. The type 25, 49, 72 and 79 designs represent F1 at its innovative best - redefining the boundaries of competition for their contemporaries and pioneering concepts that still hold relevance today.

In the second article in a four-part tribute to Lotus and the F1 world championship, we focus on the type 49.

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Driving the Lotus 49

By Ben Anderson

I was a massive Damon Hill fan growing up. My parents even signed me up to his fan club as a Christmas present. I would receive regular letters updating me on his progress to the 1996 world championship, which of course I was avidly following, having become obsessive about F1 two years earlier.

To sit in this particular Lotus - the 49 with which Damon's father Graham claimed two consecutive Monaco GP victories in 1968 and '69 - an unprecedented achievement for the same chassis - is particularly poignant for me.

Chapman Jr proudly states that this particular Lotus design, which made its debut at the 1967 Dutch GP, produced what remains to this day the biggest year-on-year step in performance for an F1 car, according to the Pomeroy Index that offers a method of performance comparison for cars across different eras.

The car's main advantage, at least initially, was the first iteration of the three-litre Cosworth DFV V8 engine that would go on to dominate F1 throughout the 1970s. The DFV was also used as a stressed member, helping to save weight

You can see the move to bigger, grippier tyres than on the earlier type 25, plus experimentation with wings as aerodynamics became an increasingly important consideration. And there's that iconic Gold Leaf sponsorship livery, something not seen on F1 cars previously.

"We always tried to be a little bit forward with our design and we certainly weren't copiers," says legendary Lotus mechanic Bob Dance, who is present to help during the test. "Seatbelts came in with the higher rollover bars, and they were actually starting to try to improve the safety. We also added the onboard fire extinguishers in 1968."

Chapman Jr points out that the car still features the remainder of the overspray of blue paint that it carried for the 1970 Monaco GP, the result of a deal struck to allow 'Mr Monaco' Graham Hill to race John Miles's car after crashing his own in practice. This chassis was then rebuilt to its Gold Leaf B-spec during a 1997 restoration project, which means it has different suspension uprights and bigger wheel rims compared to the original design.

The Lotus 49 won a title double in 1968, with Hill, and in C form was still good enough for Jochen Rindt to win the 1970 Monaco GP. The car's main advantage, at least initially, was the first iteration of the three-litre Cosworth DFV V8 engine that would go on to dominate F1 throughout the 1970s, only being fully overthrown by the arrival of turbocharging.

"I think Colin was keen on the 1.5-litre categories as that played into his hands, but when the three-litre formula was applied he saw the opportunity and was heavily involved in getting the DFV project off the ground," says Chapman Jr. "He would kind of fight his own corner and if he lost he would change horses.

"It was reliable, useable horsepower. Dad went to Ford. He knew Keith Duckworth, who had worked at Lotus but went to set up his engine business. Mike Costin left to follow him and set up Cosworth because they were running the four-cylinder engine in Formula 2. When the new formula came out, Dad went to Cosworth and said, 'What can you do?'

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"Cosworth said they could do an engine if Dad could find the money. Dad went to a lot of people but got turned down, and then Walter Hayes forced it through [at Ford]. So £100,000 was the budget and it was going to be exclusive to Team Lotus for two years - and after a few months and races Dad was told he'd have to let other teams have the engine as there wouldn't be a Formula 1 anymore because we were just blowing people away! He probably managed to wheedle a few engines out the deal..."

The DFV was also used as a stressed member, helping to save weight, which soon became de rigueur for racing cars. Once we hit the track, I feel immediately more confident in the 49B than I felt in Jim Clark's 25. It feels a bit more like it could be my car.

I'm more comfortable in the cockpit - there is plenty of room for my 'flipper' feet and I don't have to drive the hairpins single-handed because of a lack of elbow room - and I can straightaway feel this car is a big step forward. It's supersize everything - bigger engine, bigger tyres - and the driving experience is more rewarding for it.

This is much closer to a modern racing car, though the brakes don't feel amazing. Stopping at the end of the long straight takes longer than you expect. But the stiffness of the suspension and power of the engine are more modern - it keeps pulling. You can feel it's so much more solid, but you also feel it could bite you unexpectedly - both on power and under braking.

You're flat-out through the esses, short-shifting through the five-speed Hewland gearbox, but you have to pay attention. There are a few warning signs that there's not endless grip to explore.

This is the beginning of what I feel F1 should be. It's lazier and doesn't have huge grip compared to a modern single-seater, but it's not a million miles away

It's more balanced than the Formula 5000 cars I've driven in the past, which are probably the nearest reference I have, because the weight distribution is better, but there's a limit to what the treaded Dunlop tyres can do, despite their large contact patch.

It's difficult during such a short run to know where the limit of the tyre is, which doesn't fill you with confidence on the brakes nor through the high-speed corners. It's quite stable most of the time at high speed, but the rear will let go if you are too greedy, and you find you need to use all the road.

This is the beginning of what I feel F1 should be. It's lazier and doesn't have huge grip compared to a modern single-seater, but it's not a million miles away.

I imagine, once you get familiar with it, you could have a lot of fun with this car. It'd be amazing to race at somewhere like Spa or Silverstone - and probably a bit frightening at somewhere like Monaco...

Three magic Lotus 49 moments

1967 Dutch GP, Zandvoort

Yes, it is a cliche to pick out one of the most famous debuts in F1 history, but there is a reason for that.

First, Hill took pole by half a second on the Cosworth DFV-engined car's debut and led the early stages. Then, shortly after Hill's retirement, Clark took over at the front to take a victory that marked the start of a new era.

No other car would take a pole in the world championship until the following year's Spanish GP - 11 months later. Poor reliability prevented a title double in 1967, but Hill would make amends the following season.

1967 Italian GP, Monza

One of the great comebacks in F1 history underlined the pace advantage of the Lotus 49-Cosworth DFV combination.

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Hill and Clark battled with the Brabhams of Jack Brabham and Denny Hulme in the early stages at Monza before Clark was forced to pit with a puncture, losing a lap.

Helped by a tow from Clark, Hill then broke clear of the Brabhams, building up a lead of well over a minute before suffering engine failure. Clark had been lapping even quicker and, remarkably, swept back into the lead on lap 61 of 68.

Victory looked his until the 49 spluttered with fuel starvation in the final miles, allowing John Surtees (Honda) and Brabham to charge by. But the car's enormous advantage was clear for all to see.

1970 Monaco GP, Monte Carlo

Colin Chapman's next wondercar, the wedge-shaped 72, was supposed to be Lotus's primary weapon in 1970. It was in the end, but teething troubles meant the 49 - now in C specification - was wheeled out once again.

Lead driver Rindt started only eighth at Monaco and the retirement of others gradually moved him up to fifth. Rindt now started to charge and, when Chris Amon's March retired with 19 laps to go, the ageing Lotus moved into second.

Jack Brabham was 13.5 seconds ahead, but Rindt's spectacular efforts brought the gap down. The duo started the final lap just 1.3s apart.

Approaching the last corner, Brabham went off line lapping the De Tomaso of Piers Courage, locked up and slid into the barriers. Rindt shot by to take the 49's 12th and final world championship GP victory.

Our thanks to John Bowers, Clive Chapman, Classic Team Lotus and Lotus Cars.

Tomorrow's Lotus Landmark: the type 72