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Formula 1's great Lotus landmarks - Lotus 79

By:
Co-author:
Matt Kew

As Formula 1 turns 70, Autosport is marking the occasion with a series of track test features in Lotus machinery that dominated the world championship in the '60s and '70s. In the final instalment of the series, Ben Anderson tries the Lotus 79

Is the Lotus 79 the best-looking Formula 1 car ever? We think it might be, but either way there is no doubting its impact on the sport.

The 79 refined the ground-effect concept and dominated the 1978 F1 season, taking the constructors' title and helping Mario Andretti and Ronnie Peterson to a 1-2 in the drivers' standings.

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