The Lotus 81 was a Formula One racing car built by Colin Chapman’s team for the 1980 season. Unlike many of its forebears it was not especially innovative or competitive, arriving at a time when Chapman’s interest in racing was waning.
Lotus 81 at a glance
| Season | 1980 Formula One |
|---|---|
| Design | standard ground effect with sliding skirts |
| Engine | Cosworth DFV 3.0-litre V8 |
| Drivers | Mario Andretti, Elio de Angelis, Nigel Mansell |
| Best result | second, Elio de Angelis, Brazil |
| 1980 races | all 14 rounds with Andretti and de Angelis |
| 1981 use | first four races as a stop-gap |
| Replaced by | Lotus 87 |
| Weakness | excessive pitch sensitivity |
Based on one source (English Wikipedia).
History of the Lotus 81
The 81 was a very standard ground-effect design with sliding skirts and the ubiquitous Cosworth DFV 3.0-litre V8. It was said to generate a great deal of downforce but to suffer from excessive pitch sensitivity, which eventually led Chapman to develop the innovative twin-chassis Lotus 88.
Mario Andretti and Elio de Angelis used the 81 in all fourteen rounds of the 1980 championship, and the car also gave Nigel Mansell his Formula One debut, the British driver lining up in three races that season. The best result was de Angelis’s second place in Brazil.
Chapman intended to use the Lotus 88 in 1981, but the furore over the legality of the new car meant the 81 was kept on as a stop-gap for the first four races Lotus entered, the team boycotting the San Marino Grand Prix. Mansell took third in Belgium and de Angelis claimed three points finishes before the car was replaced by the Lotus 87.
Design and features
- Ground effect with skirts: a conventional layout rather than a Chapman innovation.
- Cosworth DFV: the standard 3.0-litre V8.
- Pitch sensitivity: the car’s excessive reaction to ride-height changes led to the Lotus 88.
- Mansell’s debut: the 81 gave the future champion his first Formula One races.
Lotus 81 versions
- Lotus 81 (1980–1981): the standard car, used into the first four races of 1981.
The 81 followed the championship-winning Lotus 79 and was replaced by the Lotus 87. More racing cars are in the Lotus collection.
Sources
- Lotus 81, English Wikipedia: design, drivers, 1980–1981 results
