|
|
|
|
1978
- Lotus 79 - Ford Cosworth
Ground Effects
Arrive
Using lessons
learned with the previous year's Lotus 78, the 79 used the underbody as
a wing. Venturi tunnels created downforce, and skirts on the undersides
of the sidepods kept the air from escaping. Mario Andretti won the world
title.
1981 - McLaren
MP4 - Ford Cosworth
The Carbon Fiber
Revolution
John Barnard's
design made, rather than broke, the mold. Sheets of carbon fiber bonded
together with resin, and baked at high temperatures, resulted in an incredibly
strong but light chassis. The days of steel and aluminum were numbered.
1988 - Lotus
99T - Honda
Making a Level
Playing Field
The first signs
of the electronic age. Computer-controlled "active" suspension kept the
car level through corners, which allowed more efficient use of the aerodynamics.
Ayrton Senna was a firm believer, choosing to develop the system at the
races.
1989 - Ferrari
640
Shifting from
Manual Gearchanges
Ferrari had
awful reliability problems with its semi-automatic gearbox. The advantages
were a much faster more reliable change, done with the driver keeping his
hands on the steering wheel. Against all odds, it won first time out.
1992 - Williams
FW14 - Renault
The Car that
had it all…
Williams persevered
with its hydraulic gearbox despite awful reliability early on. The '92
car had a complex active-suspension that did away with the need for springs
and shocks. It was quick and reliable, and Mansell ran away with the title.
So there you
are Hamilton's list of the 10 most influential cars in modern age of F1.
Of note is are the marques represented.
Lotus
5
Ferrari
2
McLaren
1
Renault
1
`Williams 1
Need more be
said? Those lesson learned on the track did more than trickle down to a
few street cars, they are indeed at the heart of every Lotus. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I
purchased with interest the July issue of "Racer" magazine, an article
by Maurice Hamilton discussed the controversy and merits of technology
inside the modern F1 car. Does wheel speed sensors, power steering, launch
control, traction control, automatic or semi-automatic gearboxes, ECMs
that have more computing power than Apollo astronauts that control and
manage fuel, ignition, shift points and who knows what else, make the driver
redundant? Hamilton interviews drivers like Alesi, who is extremely vocal
about the down side, Michael Schumaker and Ralf Schumaker and Eddie Irvine.
The Schumaker brothers both similar in saying that these driver aids don't
take away the skill required to drive a modern F1 car, they simply mean
that the driver has to use a different skill set to optimize and use all
the available traction. Eddie, in his always Eddie Irvine way was quoted,
"Traction control cuts down the driver input, for sure, especially in the
wet. It makes my job easier, no question… Traction control is just another
tool; you need less feel and better hearing! With everything going automatic,
it's getting to the stage where I will be able to stay on my boat in Miami
and just get the team to pay me for the use of helmet design!"
Much of what
drivers were saying related to my experience autocrossing a modern performance
street car with traction control, stabilization control, ABS and the like.
While perhaps in the everyday world these systems saves lives I found I
needed to alter my driving, while I could, with these systems, abuse the
car, by diving jumping on the throttle earlier, make steering inputs mid-corner,
etc. and the car would save me, doing these "incorrect" inputs slowed the
vehicle. What I had to learn was not so much managing the traction at the
four corners, but maximizing the systems, who in turn were maximizing the
traction. It was more like playing a video game than driving.
Anyway, I digress,
there was real Lotus content in the article. As a sidebar to the piece
Hamilton listed 10 F1 cars that "Broke the Mold". I quote the following
list from the piece.
1962 - Lotus
25 - Coventry Climax
Man in the Tub
The first monocoque
chassis was con |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| structed
from riveted sheetmetal boxes. Smaller frontal area increased straightline
speed with the same engine power. More rigid than spaceframe construction,
monocoques also offered more driver protection.
1967 - Lotus
49 -Ford Cosworth
Fit for the
Task
A truly landmark
car, the Lotus 49 was designed in conjunction with Ford and Cosworth. The
result was a compact engine that actually took a load-bearing role as part
of the chassis, unlike other engines which were "plugged in" items.
1968 - Ferrari
312/F1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wings
and Things
The idea of
enhancing downforce via rear spoilers took off this year - literally, in
some cases. Ferrari's wing was initially fixed, but later made adjustable
via a hydraulic system. However, abruptly changing wing settings proved
to be a bad idea.
1970 - Lotus
72 - Ford Cosworth
Thin End of
the Wedge
Classic wedge
shape created by a flat, sloping nose increased downforce and significantly
reduced drag. In place of nose air intakes, radiator inlets were moved
to the sides of the monocoque - a style that would be widely emulated.
1977 - Renault
RS01
Giving the Power
a Boost
Introduced midway
through the 1977 season, the 1.5 liter V6 turbocharged Renault was very
quick on the straights, but suffered turbo-lag. The potential was obvious,
and within two years, Jean-Pierre Jobouille scored the first turbo win.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
