Lotus 91
The Lotus 91 being exhibited in March 2007. This car was presented to Tamiya Corporation, a sponsor in the 1991 season, by Lotus
CategoryFormula One
ConstructorLotus
Designer(s)Colin Chapman (Technical Director)
Martin Ogilvie (Chief Designer)
Predecessor87B
Successor92
Technical specifications[2]
ChassisCarbon fibre and Kevlar monocoque
EngineCosworth DFV, 2,993 cc (182.6 cu in), 90° V8, NA, mid-engine, longitudinally-mounted
TransmissionLotus / Hewland 5-speed manual
Power480 hp (357.9 kW) @ 11,000 rpm[3]
FuelValvoline
TyresPirelli
Goodyear
Competition history
Notable entrantsJohn Player Team Lotus
Notable drivers11. Italy Elio de Angelis
12. United Kingdom Nigel Mansell
12. Brazil Roberto Moreno
12. United Kingdom Geoff Lees
Debut1982 Brazilian Grand Prix
RacesWinsPodiumsPolesF/Laps
151200
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0

The Lotus 91 was a car used by the English team Lotus in the 1982 Formula One season, designed by Colin Chapman, Martin Ogilvie and Tony Rudd.

Design

After several uncompetitive seasons with experimental or uncompetitive cars, Colin Chapman went back to basics and designed the Lotus 91, based in part on the Williams FW07 and Lotus' own 88 design. Powered by the Ford Cosworth DFV and using a standard Hewland gearbox, the 91 was uncomplicated and easy to maintain. Following Brabham's lead, the new car was the first Lotus chassis to use carbon brakes, improving braking performance considerably.

After a design study by Chapman into new composite materials, the decision was taken to build the car in carbon fibre and Kevlar, making it, after the McLaren MP4/1 and Lotus 87, the third F1 car to race to be built from the material - the Lotus 88 not having raced before it was banned.[4]

Under the direction of Peter Warr, the team worked hard to make the car as competitive as possible. The lightweight chassis gave the 91 a fighting chance against the far more powerful turbo engined cars and Cosworth worked on a short stroke version of the DFV purely for Lotus' use.[5] The sidepods were full length units, extending to the very back of the car to take full advantage of the ground effect aerodynamics. However the 91 was quite pitch sensitive, making it tricky to drive.[6] The Lotus 91 was the basis for the Lotus 92 - which pioneered active suspension in Formula 1. This suspension was revolutionary, using an on-board system to control the ride height and behaviour of the suspension, thus the Lotus 92 was the first car to be fitted with active suspension. The system was partially controlled by computers but at this early stage was mostly operated by hydro-pneumatic valves.[7]

Racing history

Elio de Angelis used the car well but found the 91 was mostly competitive on ultra fast tracks like Hockenheim, Monza and the Österreichring. The latter track provided a thrilling final lap win for de Angelis against Keke Rosberg in the Williams.[8] That win, as well as several other consistent results by de Angelis and a podium place by Mansell, helped the team to fifth in the final standings in 1982, before ground effects were banned for the 1983 Formula One season and the 91 was replaced by the first Lotus turbo car.

The 91 was the last Lotus F1 car to win a race under Colin Chapman's rule before he died of a heart attack on 16 December 1982.[9]

The Lotus 91 without front wing

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Team Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pts. WCC
1982 John Player Team Lotus Cosworth DFV
V8 NA		 G RSA BRA USW SMR BEL MON DET CAN NED GBR FRA GER AUT SUI ITA CPL 30 5th
Nigel Mansell 3 7 Ret 4 Ret Ret Ret 9 Ret 8 7 Ret
Elio de Angelis Ret 5 4 5 Ret 4 Ret 4 Ret Ret 1 6 Ret Ret
Roberto Moreno DNQ
Geoff Lees 12

References

  1. MACARONI ammonite: interview with Shunsaku Tamiya - in Japanese
  2. ↑ "Lotus 91". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  3. ↑ "Engine Ford Cosworth • STATS F1".
  4. ↑ "1982 Lotus 91 Cosworth - Images, Specifications and Information". Ultimatecarpage.com. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  5. ↑ "Cosworth DFV – Horses for courses". Motor Sport Magazine. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  6. ↑ "Lotus 91: The F1 Car That Sticks Like Spiderman". YouTube. 15 March 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  7. ↑ "Lotus Active Suspension". gglotus.org. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  8. ↑ "Type 91". Lotus Cars. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  9. ↑ "For Sale: 1982 Lotus 91". Motorsport Retro. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.