If someone asks you to illustrate the principle that aesthetics and elegance often go hand in hand with efficiency in design and engineering, show them an image of the Lotus 79.
Mario Andretti - 1978 F1 World Champion
by Alex Stutchbury Art
Limited Edition Giclée Print (Limited to 150 prints)
Check out this beautiful painting Giclée print here on The GPBox
Colin
Chapman, probably the most brilliant and inventive engineer in F1 History, made
his greatest move through this car that was one of his most
dominating creations in the history of the World Drivers' Championship. The multiple victories and 1-2s of this chassis brought him both F1 two world titles in 1978 (Drivers & constructors) with crowned champion Mario Andretti, and his team-mate Ronnie Peterson who died after crashing at Monza in italian Grand Prix.
By exploring the ground effect, a field in which other engineers had been pioneers before him such as the American Jim Hall through his Chaparral prototypes, Colin Chapman was going to revolutionize - once more - the Formula1 by launching a new fashion, that of wing-cars. A trend that was going to be pushed to the extreme of security and legality boundaries and drivers physical limits, to the point of provoking an internal war between the british teams and the latin constructors teams and also the FISA (International Motor Sport Federation). This eventful episode of Formula 1, and unfortunately also dramatic, will end with the definitive ban of the wing-cars at the end of 1982 season.
For many, the Lotus 79 will remain in history as the most beautiful F1 of all time.
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