A relatively uneventful race belied stunning drives from the Lotus teammates and Andretti headed the podium by a tiny margin of 0.32 seconds. Andretti qualified on pole, just ahead of his teammate Peterson. This is a 1:8 scale recreation of the Lotus 79 as raced to victory by Mario Andretti at the 1978 Dutch Grand Prix.

The Lotus 79 claimed six race wins, eight more podiums, ten pole positions and five fastest laps during its 26-race existence. Powered by a Ford Cosworth DFV engine that was housed at the rear of the car, the 79, also known as the John Player Special Mark IV or ‘Black Beauty’, was hailed for its stunning good looks.įive chassis were built during its two-season lifespan, though 1978 remains the 78’s critical year, as it, driven by Mario Andretti and Ronnie Peterson, powered to a Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship double. It is also credited with pushing Formula 1 into the aerodynamics era, an influence still clearly seen today. The 79 is thought to have been the first F1 car designed using computer aids and the first to be analysed by pit computers on race weekends. It was the first car to take full advantage of the ‘ground effects’ aerodynamics as pioneered in its immediate predecessor, the Lotus 78. Headed by founder Colin Chapman, the 79 was designed by the team at Lotus for the 1978 season.

Download 1978 lotus f1 car