1978 Lotus 79 John Player Special Mark IV

In motorsports, the line between fair and unfair is razor-thin. Is it a revolutionary new idea or is it cheating? There are obvious 'cheats' such as hidden fuel tanks or filling frame rails with easy-to-remove weights so minimum weight was achieved and then dumping the weight while on course. Smokey Yunick used to put a basketball in the gas tank and when it was inflated, the fuel tank would appear to conform to regulations. After the scrutineers left, the ball was deflated, and the extra space was used for additional fuel.

When cars with mid-engine placement and the use of aerodynamics were introduced, they were virtually unbeatable. Throughout history, these 'advantages' are either quickly adopted or quickly banned. In both cases, they were quickly embraced and revolutionized the sport. They both were similar in that they made the cars safer and more stable, capable of achieving higher speeds, which ushered the sport into a whole new era of excitement. Mid-engine placement became popular in Formula 1 during the late 1950s when cars so-equipped became consistent winners. Before long, front-engine cars had become obsolete.

Ground effects made the cars more stable by employing Bernoulli's principle and the Venturi effect, creating low pressure underneath the car to help push it down onto the ground. With a larger downforce and the car 'sticking' to the track, it can achieve higher speeds and faster cornering. Colin Chapman and the Lotus team popularized ground effects in 1978 with its Type 78, and perfected its use with the car that followed, the Type 79. During its racing career- the Lotus 79 captured seven victories and ten pole positions and won the constructors' championship in 1978.

The Lotus 78
Automobiles and aeroplanes were birthed at very similar times in history, with improvements in technology and design quickly adapted to both. Colin Chapman, the founder and principal design engineer of Lotus, often looked to the sky when designing and developing his vehicles. He relied heavily on aerodynamics and lightweight construction to extract every ounce of performance from his vehicles, often finding inspiration in airplanes. The impetus for ground effects came from the de Havilland Mosquito fighter bomber, which had wing-mounted radiators and hot air outlets designed to induce lift. Chapman surmised that an inverted setup would create downforce, and this theory was reinforced by Bernoulli's principle of fluid dynamics. His theories were put to paper in a 27-page document detailing the new ideas and then given to his head of engineering, Tony Rudd.

Rudd assigned chief designer Ralph Bellamy, engineer Martin Ogilvie and aerodynamicist Peter Wright to the low-drag air penetration project. Ruff and Wright, previous employees at BRM, had performed design studies of an inverted wing profile attached to a car, but it did not progress past the design and experimentation stage. The ideas and designs progressed further at Lotus, and the help of Wind tunnel testing revealed the shaped underbody being drawn closer to the surface of the road, and the amount of downforce produced. Impressed with the results, Chapman granted the team's request to develop an F1 chassis embodying these design principles.

Five examples were built under the codename codenamed John Player Special Mk. III, otherwise known as the Lotus 78. It featured a monocoque chassis constructed from an aluminum honeycomb with an exterior wedge shape similar to the preceding Lotus 72. The wheelbase was longer, weight distribution was improved, and it had all-new aerodynamic features. The body was comprised of fiberglass, with aluminum used to strengthen the chassis at points. Flanking the driver's compartment were full-length side pods that contained the 'ground effect' radiators. Wings at the front and rear provided stability at speed.

The engine was the familiar Ford-Cosworth DFV V8 with a 2,993cc (182.6 cubic-inch) displacement, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted position and paired with a Hewland FG400 5-speed manual transmission. The front suspension used double wishbones, and inboard springs and dampers, while the rear had parallel top links, twin radius arms, lower wishbones, and outboard spring/dampers.

Following a rough start to the season, Mario Andretti claimed the first victory for the 78 at the Grand Prix at Long Beach. He won an additional three races throughout the season, and Gunnar Nilsson added a victory at the Belgian Grand Prix. Throughout most of the second half of the season, the Lotus 78 failed to finish more races than it completed. Highlights were a 1st by Andretti at the Italian Grand Prix and a 2nd at the United States Grand Prix, followed by a 9th at the Canadian Grand Prix and another retirement at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Lotus 78 was fast, but its poor reliability and the increased stress created by the ground effects required more work and refinement was needed.

As the 1978 began, the team continued to use the Type 78, with Andretti and Ronnie Peterson scoring a win each, along with three pole positions before the Type 79 entered the scene.

The Lotus 79
The Lotus 78 was the first ground effect car in Formula One; the Lotus 79 was the first F1 car to take full advantage of ground effects aerodynamics. The Lotus 78 introduced the ground effect theory; the Lotus 79 perfected the idea. Additionally, the 79 holds the distinction of being the first F1 car to be designed using computer design aids and the first F1 car to use computers to analyze it in the pits on race weekends.

The downforce generated by the 78 put new stresses on mechanical components, with fatigue or damage due to the suction and g-forces. The Type 79 resolved many of these issues by using different or stronger materials throughout the vehicle. The honeycomb chassis of the Type 78 was replaced by sheet aluminum honeycomb for the Type 79. The weight increased significantly, but so did its strength, and it was able to absorb the pressures exerted on the car. The previous separate fuel tanks were replaced by a single cell positioned behind the driver, returning the center of gravity to the middle of the car. The side pods were larger and there were now full-length skirts. The overall shape and design of the Type 79 were smoother than those of its predecessor, and the rear bodywork was extended to a point inside the rear wheel suspension system. This allowed the underside to extend further back, and along with a redesigned rear suspension, allowed the air to exit the rear more cleanly than on the Type 78. This accommodated the use of a smaller rear wing which reduced drag.

The 2,993cc V8 naturally aspirated V8 engine had a magnesium alloy block and head, dual overhead camshafts, and a Lucas fuel injection system. It produced approximately 475 horsepower at 11,000 RPM and around 260 ft-lbs. of torque at 8,500 RPM. The transmission continued to be the Hewland FG 400, five-speed manual.

The improvements to the design, particularly to the venturi tunnels under the car and the side pods, resulted in the Lotus 79 producing approximately 30% more downforce than the 78. This was a great problem to have, but one that necessitated even more reinforcements to the chassis, particularly around the monocoque and load-bearing points on the chassis tub.

1978 Season
The Lotus 79 was not ready by the start of the 1978 season, so Team Lotus used the 78 for the first few races. The team drivers included Mario Andretti, Ronnie Peterson, and Jean-Pierre Jarier. Nilsson was replaced due to poor health.

At the first race of the season, the Argentine Grand Prix, Andretti placed 1st, and Peterson finished 5th with the 78. Peterson and Rebaque retired early at the Brazilian Grand Prix, and Andretti finished 4th. Peterson managed a 1st overall at the South African Grand Prix, with Andretti in 7th and Rebaque in 10th. Andretti placed 2nd at the United States Grand Prix (Peterson in 4th) and 11th at the Monaco Grand Prix. Peterson drove the 78 to 2nd place at the Belgian Grand Prix, while Andretti placed 1st overall in the new 79. Peterson and Andretti would drive the 79 through the remainder of the season, while Jarier used the older 78.

The Lotus 79 wore a black and gold livery through sponsorship by John Player Special cigarettes, earning it the nickname by the fans and press, Black Beauty.

At the next race, the Spanish Grand Prix, Andretti finished first and Peterson in 2nd. Brabham arrived at the Swedish Grand Prix with their redesigned BT46B, known as the 'fan car.' It had a fan claimed to be for increased cooling but generated an immense amount of downforce by extracting air from beneath the car. Complaints were lodged by other teams, but the FIA ruled it could be used for the remainder of the season. Regardless, the 'fan car' was withdrawn by Brabham after one race. Niki Lauda, driving the BT46, won the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp, Andretti retired early due to engine failure, and Peterson finished third behind Lauda and Riccardo Patrese's Arrows.

Andretti placed first in France and Peterson second. Both 79s retired at the British Grand Prix, followed by a victory at Germany by Andretti and Peterson with another retirement (gearbox failure). Peterson won the next race at the Austrian Grand Prix and Andretti retired due to an accident. The Dutch Grand Prix resulted in the 79s final 1-2 finish with Andretti first and Peterson second.

At the Italian Grand Prix, Andretti qualified on pole and would finish the race in sixth position. Peterson's car had brake failure during warm up, and he was forced to use the older 78 for the main event. During the race, Peterson's car caught fire, and James Hunt (McLaren) pulled him free. Due to his injuries, Peterson passed away on the Monday after the race.

Andretti and Jarier raced at the United States Grand Prix, with Jarier running third until he ran out of fuel with four laps to go. During the early part of the race, the car driven by Andretti was the one to beat, but brake issues and an engine failure sidelined him prematurely. Bad luck resulted in a tenth-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix, and Jarier (who had taken the pole) led the race until an oil leak.

At the end of the season, Andretti was crowned world championship, and Peterson finished runner-up posthumously; Lotus won the constructors' championship with 86 points.

1979 Season
Throughout the 1978 season, the finely tuned Type 79 would inevitably finish in the lead if it could make it to the finish line. Its only real competition was the Ferrari 312T3 and the Brabham BT46B.

Lotus had every intention of retaining its dominant position going into the 1979 season with all new sponsorship by Martini Racing, and the hiring of Carlos Reutemann as their second driver. The Type 79 was replaced by the 80 which incorporated an all-new theory of 'ground effects.' Unfortunately, the new Type 80 did not live up to expectations, and the team reverted back to the 79. During the early part of the season, it was the car to beat, scoring several podium finishes. Its perch atop the leaderboard was soon threatened by the next generation of ground effects car, including the Ferrari 312T4, the Ligier JS11, and the Williams FW07. Lotus would finish the season in fourth place in the constructors' championship. The Type 79 was retired at the end of the 1979 season.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2024