Team Lotus

Interesting facts

Colin Chapman founded Lotus Engineering in 1952 in Hornsey, London; the dedicated racing division, Team Lotus, split off as its own operation in 1954. Team Lotus made its Formula One debut at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix, fielding Graham Hill and Cliff Allison in Coventry Climax-powered cars, later replaced that season by the Lotus 16. In 1960 Chapman switched to the pioneering mid-engined Lotus 18, a move that laid the foundation for the team's later technical dominance. Also in 1960, Stirling Moss - driving a Lotus 18 for the privateer Rob Walker team - gave the marque its first World Championship race win, at Monaco. The works team scored its own first championship victory with Innes Ireland at the 1961 United States Grand Prix. The Lotus 25, introduced in 1963, was the first monocoque chassis in Formula One, fundamentally reshaping how racing cars were designed. Team Lotus's Formula 1 history ran from 1958 to 1994, 29 seasons in total as a British team. Team Lotus won the Constructors' Championship 4 times, in 1970, 1972, 1973, 1978. The team scored a total of 907 constructors' championship points.