Lotus 97T
Encyclopedia
The Lotus 97T was a Formula One
racing car designed by Gérard Ducarouge
and built by Team Lotus
. A development of the Lotus 95T
of 1984, it was designed for the 1985 Formula One season
by French engineer Gérard Ducarouge and powered by a 1500cc Renault
turbocharged engine. Sponsorship came from John Player Special
and French oil company Elf
. The 97T was a simple design but was robust and powerful. It used elements from the defunct Lotus 96T
Indycar project in the aerodynamics. The 97T featured another innovative piece of Lotus design: an early form of bargeboards
.
Lotus' major coup for 1985 was signing rising star Ayrton Senna
from the Toleman
team to partner Elio de Angelis
. De Angelis had finished third in the previous season's drivers' championship and had had many promising results with the 95T. The 97T was a natural development, but taking into account new sporting regulation changes over the rear wings of the cars.
The 97T was very competitive during the season, taking 8 poles, 7 with Senna and 1 with De Angelis and 3 wins. Senna's first was a brilliant performance in the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix
where he won by over a minute in monsoon conditions. His second came at Spa, held in wet/dry conditions. De Angelis added a third win at Imola after Prost was disqualified.
The 97T was fast but was unreliable. Senna in particular had a run of bad luck mid season, including a huge shunt at Paul Ricard
; and he retired many times while leading which cost him a possible chance at the world championship. Eventually, Lotus finished fourth in the constructors championship.
In total the Lotus 97T scored 3 victories, 2 second places and 4 third places. The car also achieved 8 pole positions and 3 fastest laps.
The car marked the start of a brief return to the successful days of the 1960s and 1970s for Lotus, which was continued by the 98T
of 1986 and the Honda-powered 99T
of 1987.
-Lotus finished with the same amount of points as the Williams
team, but because Williams won one more race than Lotus (Nigel Mansell
and Keke Rosberg
each won 2 races for Williams while Senna won 2 and de Angelis won 1 race for Lotus), that put Williams third and Lotus fourth in the Constructor's championship.
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing car designed by Gérard Ducarouge
Gérard Ducarouge
Gérard Ducarouge is a French former Formula One car designer. Like many designers, his background was based in aeronautical engineering...
and built by Team Lotus
Team Lotus
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing...
. A development of the Lotus 95T
Lotus 95T
The Lotus 95T was an F1 car designed by Gérard Ducarouge for Team Lotus' use in the 1984 Formula One season. It was Lotus' first newly designed chassis since the Lotus 88. The car was powered by a Renault turbo V6 engine with twin Garrett turbochargers. It was a development of the previous Lotus...
of 1984, it was designed for the 1985 Formula One season
1985 Formula One season
The 1985 Formula One season was the 36th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1985 Formula 1 World Championship which commenced on 7 April 1985 and ended on 3 November 1985 after sixteen races. World Championship titles were awarded for both Drivers and Manufacturers.-Season...
by French engineer Gérard Ducarouge and powered by a 1500cc Renault
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
turbocharged engine. Sponsorship came from John Player Special
John Player & Sons
John Player & Sons, known simply as Player's, was a tobacco and cigarette manufacturer based in Nottingham, England. It is today a part of the Imperial Tobacco Group.-History:...
and French oil company Elf
Elf Aquitaine
Elf Aquitaine was a French oil company which merged with TotalFina to form TotalFinaElf. The new company changed its name to Total in 2003...
. The 97T was a simple design but was robust and powerful. It used elements from the defunct Lotus 96T
Lotus 96T
The Lotus type 96T was Team Lotus's last Indycar.The project was the brainchild of former Formula 2 team owner Roy Winkelmann. During the 1960s Winklemann had proved successful running Brabhams and scoring successes with Jochen Rindt...
Indycar project in the aerodynamics. The 97T featured another innovative piece of Lotus design: an early form of bargeboards
Bargeboard (aerodynamics)
Bargeboards are pieces of bodywork on open-wheel racing cars, serving a purely aerodynamic function. They are curved vertical planes situated longitudinally, between the front wheels and the sidepods, held away from the chassis at the front on struts or other connectors, and connecting to the...
.
Lotus' major coup for 1985 was signing rising star Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
from the Toleman
Toleman
Toleman Motosport was a Formula One constructor based in the UK. It was active between 1981 and 1985 and attended 70 Grands Prix.-Origins:In the 1970s, businessmen and motorsport fans Ted Toleman and Alex Hawkridge began their involvement in various car racing formulae in the UK. Ted was also noted...
team to partner Elio de Angelis
Elio de Angelis
Elio de Angelis was an Italian racing driver who participated in Formula One between and , racing for the Shadow, Lotus and Brabham teams. He was killed during testing at the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet in 1986...
. De Angelis had finished third in the previous season's drivers' championship and had had many promising results with the 95T. The 97T was a natural development, but taking into account new sporting regulation changes over the rear wings of the cars.
The 97T was very competitive during the season, taking 8 poles, 7 with Senna and 1 with De Angelis and 3 wins. Senna's first was a brilliant performance in the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix
1985 Portuguese Grand Prix
The 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held in Estoril on April 21, 1985. It was the second round of the 1985 Formula One season and was won by Ayrton Senna from pole position, taking both his first pole position and win in the process....
where he won by over a minute in monsoon conditions. His second came at Spa, held in wet/dry conditions. De Angelis added a third win at Imola after Prost was disqualified.
The 97T was fast but was unreliable. Senna in particular had a run of bad luck mid season, including a huge shunt at Paul Ricard
Circuit Paul Ricard
The Paul Ricard Circuit is a motorsport race track built at Le Castellet, near Marseille, France, in 1969 with finance from the eccentric drinks magnate Paul Ricard, who created what essentially became Pernod Ricard...
; and he retired many times while leading which cost him a possible chance at the world championship. Eventually, Lotus finished fourth in the constructors championship.
In total the Lotus 97T scored 3 victories, 2 second places and 4 third places. The car also achieved 8 pole positions and 3 fastest laps.
The car marked the start of a brief return to the successful days of the 1960s and 1970s for Lotus, which was continued by the 98T
Lotus 98T
The Lotus 98T was a development of the Lotus 97T of 1985. Of the four chassis built three were assigned to Ayrton Senna, now in his second year with Team Lotus, and one to team mate Johnny Dumfries....
of 1986 and the Honda-powered 99T
Lotus 99T
The Lotus 99T was a Formula One car designed by Gérard Ducarouge for Lotus for use in the 1987 Formula One season. After Renault pulled out of F1 at the end of 1986, Lotus signed a deal with Honda for use of their hugely powerful turbocharged 1500cc engine. As part of the deal, Lotus agreed to sign...
of 1987.
Complete Formula One results
(Results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)| Year | Team | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Player Team Lotus Team Lotus Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing... |
Renault Gordini Renault F1 Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking... EF4B / EF15 V6 V6 engine A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft... tc Turbocharger A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance... |
BRA 1985 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1985 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jacarepaguá on April 7, 1985. It was the first round of the 1985 Formula One season.... |
POR 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held in Estoril on April 21, 1985. It was the second round of the 1985 Formula One season and was won by Ayrton Senna from pole position, taking both his first pole position and win in the process.... |
SMR 1985 San Marino Grand Prix The 1985 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Imola on May 5, 1985. It was the third round of the 1985 Formula One season.Limited fuel allowances played a big part in the race, as a succession of drivers ran out in the last few laps... |
MON 1985 Monaco Grand Prix The 1985 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 19, 1985. It was the fourth round of the 1985 Formula One season. The race was won by Alain Prost driving a McLaren.-Piquet/Patrese accident:... |
CAN 1985 Canadian Grand Prix The 1985 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 16, 1985. It was the fifth round of the 1985 Formula One season.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings... |
DET 1985 Detroit Grand Prix The 1985 Detroit Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 23, 1985 in Detroit, Michigan. It was the sixth round of the 1985 Formula One season.__FORCETOC__-Summary:... |
FRA 1985 French Grand Prix The 1985 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Paul Ricard on July 7, 1985. It was the seventh round of the 1985 Formula One season.... |
GBR 1985 British Grand Prix The 1985 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on 21 July 1985. It was the eighth round of the 1985 Formula One season.... |
GER 1985 German Grand Prix The 1985 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nürburgring on August 4, 1985. It was the ninth round of the 1985 Formula One season.... |
AUT 1985 Austrian Grand Prix The 1985 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on August 18, 1985. It was the tenth round of the 1985 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :*Lap Leaders: Alain Prost , Niki Lauda... |
NED 1985 Dutch Grand Prix The 1985 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Zandvoort on August 25, 1985. It was the eleventh round of the 1985 Formula One season.This proved to be F1's last visit to Holland, and Niki Lauda's final F1 victory... |
ITA 1985 Italian Grand Prix The 1985 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 8, 1985. It was the twelfth round of the 1985 Formula One season.It was the last Formula One Grand Prix where the winning driver received a laurel wreath.- Classification :... |
BEL 1985 Belgian Grand Prix The 1985 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on September 15, 1985. It was the thirteenth round of the 1985 Formula One season.The top 5 finishers all were or went on to be World Champion.- Classification :- Notes :... |
EUR 1985 European Grand Prix The 1985 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on October 6, 1985. It was the fourteenth round of the 1985 Formula One season.... |
RSA 1985 South African Grand Prix The 1985 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 19, 1985 at the Kyalami Circuit in South Africa. It was the fifteenth and penultimate round of the 1985 Formula One season.... |
AUS 1985 Australian Grand Prix The 1985 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held in Adelaide on November 3, 1985. It was the sixteenth and final race of the 1985 Formula One season.... |
71 | 4th | |||
 Elio de AngelisElio de Angelis Elio de Angelis was an Italian racing driver who participated in Formula One between and , racing for the Shadow, Lotus and Brabham teams. He was killed during testing at the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet in 1986... |
3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | NC | Ret | 5 | 5 | 6 | Ret | 5 | Ret | DSQ | ||||||
 Ayrton SennaAyrton Senna Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time... |
Ret | 1 | 7 | Ret | 16 | Ret | Ret | 10 | Ret | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | Ret | Ret | ||||||
-Lotus finished with the same amount of points as the Williams
WilliamsF1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...
team, but because Williams won one more race than Lotus (Nigel Mansell
Nigel Mansell
Nigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series...
and Keke Rosberg
Keke Rosberg
Keijo Erik Rosberg , nicknamed "Keke", is a Finnish former racing driver and winner of the Formula One World Championship. He was the first Finnish driver to compete regularly in the series. Rosberg grew up in Oulu and Iisalmi, Finland...
each won 2 races for Williams while Senna won 2 and de Angelis won 1 race for Lotus), that put Williams third and Lotus fourth in the Constructor's championship.