Description
Author: Andrew Cotton, Hardbound, 156 Pages, H6079, ISBN: 9781785210792, First Published, November, 2016.
The 1970s were a time of real innovation in Formula 1. Without the development tools that hone technologies to the first degree, the cars were more experimental and looked more as a designer would wish, rather than as performance dictates. During this era, the Lotus Type 79 dominated the races that it contested in 1978 and took Mario Andretti to the Drivers' World Championship title, and Team Lotus to the constructors' title.
The team had successfully harnessed 'ground effect', a phenomenon that provided downforce through underfloor design rather than through over-body wings.
While others were developing concepts in the same area Team Lotus was the first team to harness ft successfully. Others quickly introduced their own versions, and by 1979 when Team Lotus halted its Type 80 project and relied upon the Type 79 once again, the car was not nearly as competitive. However, in its prime, with the livery of John Player Special, the car became an icon of the era and for marry is the best-looking Formula 1 oar of all time.
This book charts the design and development of the Type 79, from the moment that Team Lotus realised how to make ground effect work efficiently in the wind tunnel with the Type 78, to its final young driver tests in 1979. With the aid of Team Lotus's immaculately kept set-up sheets, the race history of the Type 79 is charted in the hands of Andretti, Ronnie Peterson, Jean-Pierre Jarier, Carlos Reutemann and Hector Rebaque.
The anatomy of the car is examined in detail, from its first inception to finished contender, using the wonderful photographs of Tony Matthews. We look at the drivers that competed in the Grands Prix of the time, and details are provided for the
of each individual chassis.
Introduction The 1970s Formula 1 era, the origins of grain° effect in racing, and the birth of the Lotus 79.
Design and development of the Lotus 79 The design team with recollections from Peter Wright and Martin Oglivie, wind tunnel, discovering ground effect.
• The Lotus 79 in action Behind the scenes of the 1978 and 1979 racing seasons
• Anatomy of the Lotus 79 An insight into one of the most innovative Formula 1 cars in history.
• The drivers Mario Andretti, Ronnie Peterson, Jean-Pierre Jarier. Carlos Reutemann and Hector Rebaque.
Chassis histories An insight into the history of each of the five individual Lotus 79 chassis built.
