Lotus 21
The Lotus 21 was a Formula 1 racing car , built in 1961 by the British motorsport team Lotus .
Development history and technology
The Lotus 21 was an interim solution derived from the Lotus 20 . On the one hand, the Lotus 18 could not be further developed, on the other hand the Lotus 20 was built for Formula Junior . A few 20s were upgraded for Formula 1, but the car was only partially suitable for this racing formula. In addition, the British teams were waiting for the promised V8 from Climax , which was not finished. That is why the tried and tested FPF engine with the ZF transmission was used.
The frontal area of the Lotus 21 was significantly smaller than that of the Type 18. This was achieved, among other things, by a very tight cockpit and the almost lying position of the driver. To reduce air resistance, the coil springs and shock absorbers on the front axle were also moved inwards and the wishbones were designed to be aerodynamic. The inclination of the engine by 18 ° to the right should also improve the aerodynamics. A special feature was that the pipes of the frame were used as oil and water pipes.
Despite the flat front section of the car, two aluminum tanks were installed in front of the cockpit. The suspension essentially consisted of double wishbones; The car had external brakes at the front and rear.
Racing history
The racing car made its debut at the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix ; he finished tenth, driven by Jim Clark . The car and the Lotus team had their first major success at the end of the year, when Innes Ireland won the US Grand Prix on a Lotus 21 . It was the first win for a factory Lotus. Ireland won four non-World Cup races but had to leave the team after the season.
Jim Clark and Trevor Taylor won four races in South Africa in the winter of 1961/1962, followed by the Lotus 24 .
Many privateers, including Stirling Moss (for Rob Walker's team ), Jack Brabham , Willy Mairesse (drove the Lotus 21 as a works driver), Gerhard Mitter and Jo Siffert drove Formula 1 races with the Lotus 21.
Technical specifications
| Parameters | Lotus 21 (1961) | |
|---|---|---|
| engine | In-line four-cylinder, type Coventry Climax FPF Mk II, block and cylinder head made of aluminum, dry sump lubrication , water cooling |
|
| Displacement | 1498 cc | |
| Bore × stroke | 81.2 x 81.9 mm | |
| power | 154 hp (113 kW) at 7500 rpm | |
| Valve control | 2 overhead camshafts ( DOHC ) | |
| Mixture preparation | 2 Weber twin carburettors | |
| transmission | ZF five-speed transmission | |
| Body and chassis | Glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP) and tubular steel frame | |
| Front suspension | Double wishbones, internal coil springs and shock absorbers | |
| Rear suspension | Double wishbones, double push rods, coil springs, shock absorbers, stabilizers |
|
| steering | Rack | |
| Brakes | Girling disc brakes, disc diameter : front 267 mm, rear 241 mm |
|
| Track width front / rear: | 1346 mm | |
| wheelbase | 2261 mm | |
| Tire size front / rear | 5 × 15 / 6.5 × 15 | |
| Dimensions L × W × H | 3581 × 1524 × 711 mm | |
| Empty weight (without driver) | 450 kg | |
literature
- David Hodges: Racing cars from A – Z after 1945. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-613-01477-7 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Stephan Anton: Brief, tragic racing history . In: curbs , No. 35, February 2020, Medien Bonn, pp. 84–89.
