1986 Lotus 98T Renault - Images, Specifications and Information

Model history:

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In 1985 Lotus had returned to their winning ways for the first time since the sudden death of company founder Colin Chapman in 1982. The combination of the Gerard Ducourage designed 97T chassis, Renault twin-turbo engine and two talented pilots (Elio de Angelis and Ayrton Senna) resulted in three Grand Prix victories that season. Everything pretty much stayed the same for 1986, with the exception of the departure of Italian drive de Angelis, who was replaced by Scottish driver Johnny Dumfries. The 98T fielded that year was nevertheless not an evolution of the previous season's machine but featured a brand new tub.

The reason for Ducarouge to draw up a new chassis was a change in the fuel-cell limitations. The maximum size had been slightly cut in order to slow gas-guzzling turbos down a little. The French designer used this to create a more compact monocoque. For the first time a one-piece moulded composite structure was used. The front double wishbone suspension was carried over from the previous cars with a heavily revised geometry. At the rear an adjustable ride-height system was used for most of the races. Another novelty was the implementation of a six-speed gearbox The aerodynamic package also received some tweaks but it takes a keen eye to distinguish the 98T from its immediate predecessor.

In 1985 Lotus had a privileged position with their engine supplier Renault over the French manufacturer's other customer. Upon the withdrawal of the Renault Formula 1 team at the end of that year, Lotus was effectively the Works team and received all the latest developments. The EF15B specification of twin-turbo V6 engine had been especially constructed with fuel efficiency in mind. At the start of the season the engine still featured valve-springs but soon after a much refined pneumatic valve system was incorporated. Although it was very expensive, the new valve-train greatly improved the V6's reliability. In qualifying trim the French engine produced upwards of 1150 bhp, which was pegged considerably during the races to save fuel.

Senna was the undisputed number 1 driver in the team, while the young and unexperienced Dumfries struggled to get to grips with the menacing turbocharged F1 cars. The Brazilian immediately showcased the raw speed of the new 98T at his season opening home race. He qualified the car on pole but then had to feather the throttle in the race to make it home in second. The Renault engine was clearly not as frugal as the Hondas and TAG-Porsches used by the competition. At the subsequent Spanish Grand Prix, Senna once again clinched the best starting position. This time he did manage to stay ahead of the competition although with the narrowest of margins; he beat Nigel Mansell with the Williams-Honda by just 0.014s.

In the remaining fourteen races that season, Senna would qualify the Renault engined Lotus 98T on pole six more times. Unfortunately he could only convert that into a race win one more time, in Detroit. The tight track street-circuit was kind on the Lotus' fuel load. With two victories and six podium finishes, Senna ended the year fourth in the championship with 55 points. His team-mate only managed to rack up three points from one fifth and one sixth place finish. Lotus finished third in the constructor's table well behind Williams and McLaren but ahead of Ferrari.

In more ways than one the 1986 season was the end of an era. From 1987 onwards the cars would not sport the black and gold colors of John Player Special for the first time in well over a decade. With Camel's yellow and blue scheme, the cars were still easily recognizable. For the new 99T Team Lotus also switched engine suppliers. The cutting edge Honda V6 replaced the aging Renault engines. The 98T had done both the JPS colors and the Renault engine proud in their final season. With a more frugal engine the chassis could quite possibly have been even more successful.

Chassis: 98T-04

The fourth and final 98T was called into service after chassis 03 was damaged in a testing accident. Ayrton Senna raced the car from the British Grand Prix onwards. Senna qualified the car on pole four times but failed to convert any of them in a victory. He came closest at the inaugural Hungarian Grand Prix where he fought ferociously with compatriot Nelson Piquet for the victory.
In recent years chassis 04 was completely restored by Dawn Treader Performance in the UK. To get the high-tech racing car back to full order over 2500 hours of man-hours were needed. The final result was showcased at the 2007 and 2008 Goodwood Festivals of Speed.