BACK
LOTUS
TYPE 79
The one that perfected the Type 78’s revolutionary ground effect
THE LEGACY OF BLACK BEAUTY
LOTUS TYPE 79 AND THE REVOLUTIONARY GROUND EFFECT
The new Lotus Type 79 drove to 6 World Championship Grand Prix victories in a single season. Bringing Mario Andretti and Team Lotus the 1978 Formula 1 Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. More important though, is the Type 79’s magnitude as one of the most significant race cars of all time.
The Lotus Type 79 was the first fully developed ground-effect car. It was the perfect refinement of the Type 78, the car that changed the core principles of motorsport engineering to this very day. And secured Colin Chapman’s reputation as the most successful racing car designer in the history of Formula 1.
PERFECTED
GROUND EFFECT
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Building on the Lotus Type 78, the first ‘wing’ car, the Lotus Type 79 perfected Colin Chapman’s concept of ground effect. The level of downforce they managed to generate was unprecedented. And nothing less of a revolution in Formula 1 car design.
THE ENGINEERING
LOTUS 79 ENGINEERING AND THE FAMOUS GROUND EFFECT
The concept had started with the earlier Type 78, the first ‘wing’ car. Lotus founder Colin Chapman had started to explore the potential of reducing drag and maximising downforce, to achieve race-winning performance.
The idea was straightforward: the principle of flight is based on low pressure under a wing creating lift, so by inverting the wing you get the opposite — the car is being 'sucked’ to the track.
Perfecting the ground effect
Further innovation came in the form of long narrow skirts, which dropped from the car’s body to touch the road. It formed a simple seal between car and track, creating a vacuum and further sucking the chassis to the road. Lotus had invented the ‘ground effect’. If the Type 78 is where it was first shown, the Type 79 is where it was perfected.
Finding the extra advantage
The Lotus Type 79 was a direct evolution of the Type 78, but Colin and his team went further in exploiting aerodynamics. Large fibreglass sidepods acted as giant venturi tunnels, sucking the car onto the track. Narrow skirts sealed the airflow and kept the low-pressure zone stable.
Style & results
The engineering brilliance of the Lotus Type 79 was matched by its elegance: every shape and curve of the bodywork served a purpose. The result was a car that combined an iconic F1 livery with performance, writing a compelling chapter of Lotus racing history.
“Everybody on the team was highly motivated to create something different, and to have Colin so motivated was a real chance for me to go for the Championship.”
~ Mario Andretti
THE RACING YEARS
LOTUS 79 IN FORMULA 1: THE 1978 SEASON
The Lotus 79 Formula 1 debut came at the 1978 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder. Mario Andretti took pole and won the race outright. Teammate Ronnie Peterson was held back by a poor pit stop, but still managed to finish second in his Type 78. Colin Chapman couldn’t have asked for a better start. One that proved illustrative of the dominating season that followed.
The 1-2 season of Lotus Type 79
Lotus secured multiple 1-2 finishes with the Type 79, re-establishing its supremacy in Formula 1. The fourth and final 1-2 of the season was secured at the Dutch Grand Prix, before the year ended bittersweet. Andretti claimed the 1978 Drivers’ Championship title, but Peterson tragically lost his life at Monza.
The Constructors’ Championship also went to Lotus with 86 points, comfortably ahead of Ferrari who were trailing by 58 points.
The return of the green livery
In 1979, the Type 79 continued briefly. With the cars now running in the dark green colours of new sponsor Martini. The first time a Team Lotus Formula 1 car was seen in green again, since early 1968.
It didn’t help the team on the track though. Rival teams had caught up with their own ground-effect Lotus copies and outpaced the Lotus Type 79. With the advantage gone, Team Lotus eagerly waited for the completion of the new Lotus Type 80.
THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
TITLES, WINS AND LOTUS 79 ACHIEVEMENTS
The Lotus Type 79 will go into history as one of the most successful and influential Lotus F1 cars that graced the tracks. Between 1978 and 1979 the car collected an impressive amount of accolades:
- Drivers’ Champion (1978) – Mario Andretti
- Constructors’ Champion (1978) – Team Lotus
- 6 World Championship Grand Prix victories in 1978
- Most successful single season since Mercedes-Benz’s 1955 dominance
- First F1 race car to perfect ground-effect aerodynamics
THE DRIVERS
MARIO ANDRETTI AND RONNIE PETERSON IN THE LOTUS TYPE 79
Andretti and Peterson proved to be an almost unbeatable force in the Lotus Type 79.
Mario Andretti, the American star who steered the Lotus Type 79 to the 1978 World Drivers’ Championship with his smooth driving style.
Ronnie Peterson, the ‘Super Swede’ who played a crucial role in Lotus’ dominance as Andretti’s teammate. He won races and scored vital points. Despite his tragic death at the Italian GP, he ultimately finished runner-up in the championship, just 13 points behind Mario Andretti.
In the Type 79’s final season Mario Andretti was joined by new teammate Carlos Reutemann.
DRIVE THE
NEXT GENERATION