Lotus 98T
Encyclopedia
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.
Designed by Gérard Ducarouge and Martin Ogilvie the chassis featured a lower monocoque than the 97T as a result of a regulation change stipulating a reduction in fuel capacity to 195 litres. The powertrain consisted of the new Renault
EF15bis turbo V6 engine driving through a Hewland gearbox.
The EF15bis was to appear in two forms, the standard engine and the "D.P." engine which featured pneumatic valve springs for the first time. At the end of the season Renault
introduced the revised EF15C which in addition to the D.P. valve gear also boasted common rail fuel injection and much revised water cooling through the cylinder head reducing the likelihood of pre-ignition (detonation). Power figures for this period of F1 history are largely speculative as most engine manufactures freely admitted that their test beds would not have a sufficient power rating to measure the 1.5 litre turbos output at above 4 bar boost. It is generally accepted that the Renault EF15 produced between 1200 bhp and 1300 bhp at 5.5bar boost.
The gearbox came in two variants, a conventional five speed and a new six speed. The six speed was very much a development gearbox and was largely unreliable. While Senna opted to run only with the five speed, Dumfries was tasked with testing the six speed. Both gearboxes featured Hewland internals within a Lotus designed casing.
Other notable innovations of the 98T included a two stage ride height adjustment, water injection through the intercoolers, an early form of barge board (also present on the 97T) and an advanced (for the time) fuel consumption micro computer.
During the 1986 Formula One season
the Formula One
paddock was very much alive with speculation as to the legality of the Lotus 98T. The increasing rumours prompted Peter Warr
, then Lotus team manager, to issue a press statement calling for the rumours to stop or for the teams to officially protest the car. No protest was lodged.
Lotus 97T
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...
of 1985. Of the four chassis built three were assigned to 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...
, now in his second year with 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...
, and one to team mate Johnny Dumfries.
Designed by Gérard Ducarouge and Martin Ogilvie the chassis featured a lower monocoque than the 97T as a result of a regulation change stipulating a reduction in fuel capacity to 195 litres. The powertrain consisted of the new 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...
EF15bis turbo V6 engine driving through a Hewland gearbox.
The EF15bis was to appear in two forms, the standard engine and the "D.P." engine which featured pneumatic valve springs for the first time. At the end of the season 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...
introduced the revised EF15C which in addition to the D.P. valve gear also boasted common rail fuel injection and much revised water cooling through the cylinder head reducing the likelihood of pre-ignition (detonation). Power figures for this period of F1 history are largely speculative as most engine manufactures freely admitted that their test beds would not have a sufficient power rating to measure the 1.5 litre turbos output at above 4 bar boost. It is generally accepted that the Renault EF15 produced between 1200 bhp and 1300 bhp at 5.5bar boost.
The gearbox came in two variants, a conventional five speed and a new six speed. The six speed was very much a development gearbox and was largely unreliable. While Senna opted to run only with the five speed, Dumfries was tasked with testing the six speed. Both gearboxes featured Hewland internals within a Lotus designed casing.
Other notable innovations of the 98T included a two stage ride height adjustment, water injection through the intercoolers, an early form of barge board (also present on the 97T) and an advanced (for the time) fuel consumption micro computer.
During the 1986 Formula One season
1986 Formula One season
The 1986 Formula One season was the 37th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It commenced on March 23, 1986, and ended on October 26 after sixteen races....
the Formula One
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...
paddock was very much alive with speculation as to the legality of the Lotus 98T. The increasing rumours prompted Peter Warr
Peter Warr
Peter E. Warr was an English businessman, racing driver and a manager for several Formula One teams, including Walter Wolf Racing, Fittipaldi Automotive, and Team Lotus....
, then Lotus team manager, to issue a press statement calling for the rumours to stop or for the teams to officially protest the car. No protest was lodged.
Complete Formula One results
(results in bold indicate pole position)| Year | Entrant | Engine | Tyres | Driver | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pts. | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 1986 Formula One season The 1986 Formula One season was the 37th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It commenced on March 23, 1986, and ended on October 26 after sixteen races.... |
John Player 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:... 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... EF15B 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 1986 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1986 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jacarepaguá on March 23, 1986.This was the first race to be held after Sir Frank Williams' car accident in France. Nigel Mansell was out of the race on the first lap after an overtaking attempt on Senna saw him in the wall.... |
ESP 1986 Spanish Grand Prix The 1986 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jerez on April 13, 1986. This was the first Spanish Grand Prix since the 1981 race held at Jarama.... |
SMR 1986 San Marino Grand Prix The 1986 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Imola on 27 April 1986. The race was the third round of the year's World Championship... |
MON 1986 Monaco Grand Prix The 1986 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 11, 1986.- Classification :- Notes :*Lap leaders: Alain Prost 71 , Ayrton Senna 7... |
BEL 1986 Belgian Grand Prix The 1986 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on May 25, 1986.Nelson Piquet took pole late in the qualifying session using a spare car... |
CAN 1986 Canadian Grand Prix The 1986 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 15, 1986.- Classification :-Standings after Grand Prix:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings... |
DET 1986 Detroit Grand Prix The 1986 Detroit Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 22, 1986 in Detroit, Michigan.__FORCETOC__-Summary:Rising Lotus star Ayrton Senna started on the pole and came away with a hard-earned win, the fourth of his career. The young Brazilian charged through the field after dropping to... |
FRA 1986 French Grand Prix The 1986 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Paul Ricard on July 6, 1986. Elio De Angelis's fatal crash on the full circuit 2 months before prompted Formula One to use a shortened version of the circuit.- Classification :-Trivia:... |
GBR 1986 British Grand Prix The 1986 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on July 13, 1986. It was the ninth race of the 1986 Formula One season... |
GER 1986 German Grand Prix The 1986 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheimring on July 27, 1986. It was the tenth race of the 1986 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :... |
HUN 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix The 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Hungaroring on August 10, 1986. It was the eleventh round of the 1986 Formula One season.... |
AUT 1986 Austrian Grand Prix The 1986 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on 17 August 1986.- Classification :- Notes :* The Benettons of Berger and Fabi were so dominant in this race that they were 40 seconds ahead of third-placed Prost after 12 laps... |
ITA 1986 Italian Grand Prix The 1986 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 7, 1986.- Race :Following problems at the start of the parade lap, pole position man Teo Fabi was forced to start from the back of the grid and Alain Prost, alongside him on the front row, had to start from the pit... |
POR 1986 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1986 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Estoril on September 21, 1986.- Classification :- Notes :* Williams-Honda took the Constructor's Championship with two races left.... |
MEX 1986 Mexican Grand Prix The 1986 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mexico City on October 12, 1986.It was the first win for Gerhard Berger and the first win for the Benetton team. Benetton ran on Pirelli tyres, and their relative durability compared to competitors on Goodyear tyres played to the... |
AUS 1986 Australian Grand Prix The 1986 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 26 October 1986 at the Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide, Australia. It was the last of 16 races in the 1986 Formula One season... |
58 | 3rd | ||
| 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... |
2 | 1 | Ret | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | Ret | Ret | 2 | 2 | Ret | Ret | 4 | 3 | Ret | ||||||
| Johnny Dumfries John Crichton-Stuart, 7th Marquess of Bute John Colum Crichton-Stuart, 7th Marquess of Bute , styled Earl of Dumfries before 1993 and from this courtesy title usually known as Johnny Dumfries, is a Scottish peer and a former racing driver. He does not use his title and prefers to be known solely as John Bute... |
9 | Ret | Ret | DNQ | Ret | Ret | 7 | Ret | 7 | Ret | 5 | Ret | Ret | 9 | Ret | 6 |