Lotus 25
Encyclopedia
The Lotus 25 was a racing car designed by Colin Chapman
for the 1962 Formula One
season. It was a revolutionary design, the first fully stressed monocoque
chassis to appear in F1. An early brainchild of Chapman's fertile mind, the original sketches for the car were made on napkins while Chapman discussed his idea while dining out with Lotus chassis designer Mike Costin.
The monocoque made the car more rigid and structurally stronger than typical F1 cars of the period. The 25 was three times stiffer than the interim 21
, while the chassis weighed only half as much. As a result, the car was extremely low and narrow (frontal area only 8.0 ft², 0.74m² compared to the normal 9.5 ft², 0.88 m²)It was also envisaged to have a column gear lever, to keep cockpit width to a minimum, although this was only experimental and discarded. To assist this, the driver reclined sharply behind the wheel (an idea seen in the 18
, and pioneered over a decade previously by Gustav Baumm at NSU
), leading to the nickname 'The Bathtub', while front suspension pieces were moved inboard (as in the 1948 Maserati
). The 25 was powered by a 1498cc Coventry Climax
FWMV V8, although Reg Parnell Racing
in 1964 fitted BRM P56
s of similar specification to their second-hand 25s. Such was 25's effect on motor racing, even today's modern F1 cars follow its basic principles.
Some privateer
s who had been buying Lotus chassis were disgruntled by the fact Chapman refused to provide them 25s. These teams, including Rob Walker Racing, were given Lotus 24
s, while the works team had exclusive use of the 25 for Jim Clark
and Trevor Taylor
. When it first appeared at the Dutch Grand Prix
, the futuristic 25 was inspected by John Cooper
, who asked Chapman where he had put the chassis in the car.
The car gave Clark his first Grand Prix victory, at Spa
, that year. He followed by taking another win in Britain
, and again in the USA
, which put him in contention for the title, but at the final race, South Africa
while leading, a much publicised engine seizure cost him the title to Graham Hill
.
Clark gained his revenge the following year, taking his first world championship in the 25, by winning 7 races, Belgium
, France
, Holland
, Britain
, Italy
, South Africa
, and Mexico
. Lotus also won its first constructors' championship. In addition, 25s were entered at Indianapolis, where they trialled Lucas electronic ignition for Ford. The 25 was used during the 1964 season, winning a further three races in Clark's hands. At the final race in Mexico
, just as in 1962, the Climax engine developed an oil leak and with literally a lap to run Clark coasted to a halt in sight of world championship victory, this time conceding to John Surtees
.
Clark went on to take the car's final win at the 1965 French Grand Prix
before it was replaced by the Lotus 33
. The Lotus 25 won 14 races, took 17 pole positions, and set 13 fastest laps.
In 2008/9 Lotus launched a special edition of the Elise supercharged model in the original Lotus 25 racing colours. This had track standard sports suspension and traction control. A total of 25 of these Lotus Jim Clark Type 25 cars were produced for the RHD market.
Colin Chapman
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman CBE was an influential British designer, inventor, and builder in the automotive industry, and founder of Lotus Cars....
for the 1962 Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
season. It was a revolutionary design, the first fully stressed monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
chassis to appear in F1. An early brainchild of Chapman's fertile mind, the original sketches for the car were made on napkins while Chapman discussed his idea while dining out with Lotus chassis designer Mike Costin.
Lotus 21
The Lotus 21 was a Formula One racing car designed by Colin Chapman. It was a mid-engined design using a tubular spaceframe structure skinned with fibreglass panels, of a more advanced build than seen in the Lotus 18...
, while the chassis weighed only half as much. As a result, the car was extremely low and narrow (frontal area only 8.0 ft², 0.74m² compared to the normal 9.5 ft², 0.88 m²)It was also envisaged to have a column gear lever, to keep cockpit width to a minimum, although this was only experimental and discarded. To assist this, the driver reclined sharply behind the wheel (an idea seen in the 18
Lotus 18
The Lotus 18 was a race car designed by Colin Chapman for use by Lotus in Formula Junior, Formula Two, and Formula One. It was the first mid-engined car built by Lotus and was a marked improvement over Chapman's early and only moderately successful front-engined formula cars, the 12 and 16. It was...
, and pioneered over a decade previously by Gustav Baumm at NSU
NSU Motorenwerke AG
NSU Motorenwerke AG, normally just NSU, was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and pedal cycles, founded in 1873. It was acquired by Volkswagen Group in 1969...
), leading to the nickname 'The Bathtub', while front suspension pieces were moved inboard (as in the 1948 Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
). The 25 was powered by a 1498cc Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...
FWMV V8, although Reg Parnell Racing
Reg Parnell Racing
Reg Parnell Racing was a privateer Formula One team during the 1950s and 1960s. The team was founded by ex-Formula One driver Reg Parnell after he retired from racing. The team's best results were a pair of second places in the British Grand Prix and the German Grand Prix of...
in 1964 fitted BRM P56
British Racing Motors
British Racing Motors was a British Formula One motor racing team. Founded in 1945, it raced from 1950 to 1977, competing in 197 Grands Prix and winning 17. In 1962, BRM won the Constructors' Title. At the same time, its driver, Graham Hill became World Champion...
s of similar specification to their second-hand 25s. Such was 25's effect on motor racing, even today's modern F1 cars follow its basic principles.
Some privateer
Privateer (motorsport)
In motor sport, a privateer is usually an entrant into a racing event that is not directly supported by an automobile manufacturer. Privateers teams are often found competing in rally and circuit racing events, and often include competitors who build and maintain their own vehicles...
s who had been buying Lotus chassis were disgruntled by the fact Chapman refused to provide them 25s. These teams, including Rob Walker Racing, were given Lotus 24
Lotus 24
The Lotus 24 was a Formula One racing car designed by Team Lotus for the 1962 Formula One season. Having devised the monocoque Lotus 25 for use by the works team, Colin Chapman decided to build a 'conventional' back-up spaceframe design which he would also sell to privateers...
s, while the works team had exclusive use of the 25 for Jim Clark
Jim Clark
James "Jim" Clark, Jr OBE was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965....
and Trevor Taylor
Trevor Taylor
Trevor Taylor was a British motor racing driver from England.Born in Sheffield, the son of a garage owner from Rotherham, Taylor was the product of the later period of 500cc Formula 3 racing, initially using a Staride and later Cooper Norton...
. When it first appeared at the Dutch Grand Prix
1962 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1962 Dutch Grand Prix was the eleventh time the Dutch Grand Prix motor race was held. The race also held the honorary designation of the 22nd European Grand Prix. It was run to Formula One regulations as the opening round of the 1962 World Drivers' Championship on 20 May 1962...
, the futuristic 25 was inspected by John Cooper
John Cooper (car maker)
John Newton Cooper was a co-founder, with his father Charles Cooper, of the Cooper Car Company. Born in Surbiton, Surrey, England, UK he became an auto racing legend with his rear-engined chassis design that would eventually change the face of the sport at its highest levels, from Formula One to...
, who asked Chapman where he had put the chassis in the car.
The car gave Clark his first Grand Prix victory, at Spa
1962 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1962 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on June 17, 1962.- Classification :* Dan Gurney practiced in a Lotus-BRM owned by Wolfgang Seidel, but after a few laps he deemed the car unraceworthy...
, that year. He followed by taking another win in Britain
1962 British Grand Prix
The 1962 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Aintree on July 21, 1962.- Classification :* Scuderia Ferrari withdrew their other two entries, cars #4 and #6, to which drivers had not been allocated.-Standings after the race:...
, and again in the USA
1962 United States Grand Prix
The 1962 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 7, 1962 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York.__FORCETOC__-Summary:...
, which put him in contention for the title, but at the final race, South Africa
1962 South African Grand Prix
The 1962 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at East London on December 29, 1962.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Jim Clark - 1:29.3*Fastest Lap: Jim Clark - 1:31.0...
while leading, a much publicised engine seizure cost him the title to Graham Hill
Graham Hill
Norman Graham Hill was a British racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion. He is the only driver to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport — the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championship.Graham Hill and his son Damon are the only father and son pair both to...
.
Clark gained his revenge the following year, taking his first world championship in the 25, by winning 7 races, Belgium
1963 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1963 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race, held at Spa-Francorchamps on June 9, 1963. Jim Clark won the race in extremely wet and rainy conditions. After starting eighth on the grid Clark passed all of the cars in front of him, including early leader Graham Hill...
, France
1963 French Grand Prix
The 1963 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims-Gueux on June 30, 1963. It was the fourth round of the 1963 Formula One season.- Race report :Jim Clark roared into a familiar lead from the start from Richie Ginther in the BRM...
, Holland
1963 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1963 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zandvoort on June 23, 1963.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Jim Clark - 1:31.6*Fastest Lap: Jim Clark - 1:33.7-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings...
, Britain
1963 British Grand Prix
The 1963 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on July 20, 1963.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...
, Italy
1963 Italian Grand Prix
The 1963 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 8, 1963.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: John Surtees - 1:37.3*Fastest Lap: Jim Clark - 1:38.9...
, South Africa
1963 South African Grand Prix
The 1963 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at East London on December 28, 1963.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...
, and Mexico
1963 Mexican Grand Prix
The 1963 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mexico City on October 27, 1963.- Classification :* Surtees was disqualified for a push-start.- Notes :*Pole position: Jim Clark - 1:58.8*Fastest Lap: Jim Clark - 1:58.1...
. Lotus also won its first constructors' championship. In addition, 25s were entered at Indianapolis, where they trialled Lucas electronic ignition for Ford. The 25 was used during the 1964 season, winning a further three races in Clark's hands. At the final race in Mexico
1964 Mexican Grand Prix
The 1964 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mexico City on October 25, 1964.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Jim Clark - 1:57.24*Fastest Lap: Jim Clark 1:58.37...
, just as in 1962, the Climax engine developed an oil leak and with literally a lap to run Clark coasted to a halt in sight of world championship victory, this time conceding to John Surtees
John Surtees
John Surtees, OBE is a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver from England. He was 500cc motorcycle World Champion in 1956 and 1958–60, Formula One World Champion in 1964, and remains the only person to have won World Championships on both two and four wheels...
.
Clark went on to take the car's final win at the 1965 French Grand Prix
1965 French Grand Prix
The 1965 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Clermont-Ferrand on June 27, 1965.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Jim Clark - 3:18.3* Fastest Lap: Jim Clark - 3:18.9 on lap 34* Lap Leaders: Jim Clark 40 laps ....
before it was replaced by the Lotus 33
Lotus 33
The Lotus 33 designed by Colin Chapman, was a Formula One car built by Team Lotus. Its development was based on the earlier Lotus 25 model, taking the monocoque chassis design to new development heights. The 33 was again powered by the 1500 cc Climax engine. The 33 was almost identical to the 25,...
. The Lotus 25 won 14 races, took 17 pole positions, and set 13 fastest laps.
In 2008/9 Lotus launched a special edition of the Elise supercharged model in the original Lotus 25 racing colours. This had track standard sports suspension and traction control. A total of 25 of these Lotus Jim Clark Type 25 cars were produced for the RHD market.