REPORTAGE: Jan Lammers briefly a Formula One driver again at Lotus
Warm welcome
At Lotus in Hethel, Lammers – most recently visiting the AutoRAI Podcast – received a very warm welcome, as a valued member of the Lotus family. Several mechanics and engineers that Jan worked with in his Lotus career took the opportunity to warmly welcome the Dutchman. The reunion with the Lotus Type 79 Cosworth – in this case, the car adorned in the iconic black-and-gold John Player Special colors with which Andretti became champion in 1978 – brought back for the Dutch driver many memories of a time when Lotus dominated Formula One.
Many innovations at Lotus
Even today, Lotus is still recognized for the many advanced innovations the brand introduced in its heyday in Formula One, many of which can still be found in today’s Formula One cars. For example, Lotus was the first to introduce the sequential transmission in 1957, used the engine as a structural part of the chassis for the first time in 1966, introduced the rear diffuser in 1979 and Lotus debuted a carbon fiber monocoque in 1981.
Sponsorship displays, also a Lotus initiative
Even something as customary as sponsor graphics on the car was initiated by Lotus. But perhaps the brand’s most famous innovation was the so-called “ground effect” technology that first made its appearance on the Lotus Type 78 and was perfected on the Type 79. This “ground effect” is aerodynamics that accelerates the air under the car, causing it to be sucked to the asphalt, so to speak.
Lotus Type 79
It was the Lotus Type 79 that became truly successful with that technology. Immediately upon its debut in 1978 at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the Type 79 won the race in the hands of Mario Andretti, who added five more wins that year. One was the victory at Zandvoort, which became extra special because Andretti’s teammate Ronnie Peterson seized second place, securing the “double” for Lotus. That run of wins in 1978 eventually earned Andretti the drivers’ championship title and Lotus the constructors’ title.
Test with a champion car
That same Type 79 chassis was ready for Jan Lammers a year later, on Oct. 24 and 25, 1979, at the Paul-Ricard circuit, this time sporting the familiar Martini livery. Lammers was allowed to test in the car for Lotus that year in order to secure a coveted Formula One seat with the factory team. In the end, the coveted seat that year went to Italian Elio de Angelis.
Handwritten test notes still preserved
Together with Clive Chapman, Colin Chapman’s son and owner of Classic Team Lotus, Jan Lammers relived his debut in the Lotus Type 79 at Hethel. Much to his surprise, the team still keeps the handwritten test notes from Lammers’ test at Paul Ricard. Clive Chapman took advantage of Lammers’ visit to present him with a painting of Lotus’ famous one-two victory at Zandvoort.
Also a bit of a drive
Of course, it wasn’t just memories at Hethel, and Lammers also got behind the wheel of the John Player Special car, for some memorable laps around Lotus’ test track. “It was heartening to be reunited with the people at Lotus, whom I know from both my Formula One days and the GT program,” Jan Lammers declared afterwards. “The fact that a top-dominant Formula One car from that era and today’s modern Lotus Evija hypercar are hardly inferior to each other in terms of performance and handling is kind of indicative of the evolution of the entire automotive industry.”
Lotus good for six Formula One wins at Zandvoort
Although Lotus has not been active in Formula 1 for many years, with six victories it remains one of the most successful brands on the Zandvoort circuit. Absolute record holder at Zandvoort is still the legendary Jim Clark, who with Lotus in 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1967 triumphed four times on the dune circuit. In 1970, it was Austrian Jochen Rindt who triumphed for Lotus at Zandvoort, while Mario Andretti repeated that feat for Lotus in 1978.
Lotus Type 33
One of the cars with which Jim Clark was so successful for Lotus in the past was the Type 33, with which Clark became Formula 1 world champion in 1965. That same year, he also won the famous Indy 500; an impressive feat that has not been matched to this day. That same Lotus Type 33 was recently completely restored and made drivable again by Lotus, and of course was one of the highlights for Jan Lammers at Hethel.
Jan Lammers in Lotus Evija
By the way, the Lotus Type 79 was not the only car Jan Lammers took a seat in during his visit to Hethel. For the occasion, Lotus had also prepared for him the brand new, 1,498 kW (2,039 hp) electric Lotus Evija hypercar. With an acceleration from standstill to 100 km/h in less than three seconds and a limited top speed of 350 km/h, this Lotus Evija demonstrates unparalleled performance. With that, the Evija has the perfect ingredients for some blisteringly fast laps of the Hethel circuit in the hands of Jan Lammers, who was very impressed with the Evija’s performance.
