In the 1985 season, Lotus technical director Gérard Ducarouge, in addition to managing the British team's Formula 1 program, was also involved in designing a car called the Lotus 96, commissioned by Roy Winkelmann to compete in the American IndyCar Championship. From this project, the French engineer drew considerable inspiration for the creation of the new Formula 1 car that the John Player Special Team Lotus brought to the track for the 1985 season, the Lotus 97T.
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| LOTUS 97T, Elio de Angelis Silverstone, British GP 1985 |
The French engineer was once again supported by chief designer Martin Ogilvie, and the result of their work was a highly competitive and well-balanced car, featuring as its main aerodynamic innovation the introduction of an early form of "bargeboards", the panels positioned between the front wheels and the sidepods, designed to divert airflow outward and prevent the formation of harmful aerodynamic vortices. Another aerodynamic innovation was the placement of two small "winglets" at the end of the sidepods, ahead of the rear wheels, after the new technical regulations banned the use of small side wings positioned alongside the rear wing.
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| LOTUS 97T, Ayrton Senna Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1985 |
The 97T's chassis was a carbon fiber monocoque, housing the Renault EF4 V6 Turbo engine, which was replaced mid-season by the new 1492 cc EF5 unit, offering more power but also consuming more fuel, thus making fuel management a recurring issue for the British team throughout the 1985 season. The gearbox assembly on Ducarouge’s new creation was the modified and reinforced Hewland FGA 5-speed unit developed by Lotus technicians, while the car’s wheelbase measured 2720 mm, its weight was 540 kg, and it used Goodyear tires.
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| LOTUS 97T, Ayrton Senna Imola, San Marino GP 1985 |
The drivers for 1985 are the confirmed Elio de Angelis and the new arrival, young Brazilian talent, Ayrton Senna. In their hands, the 97T proved highly competitive, especially in qualifying, where it secured five consecutive pole positions between the second and sixth rounds of the championship. The team also claimed two somewhat unexpected victories: the first with Senna, who under torrential rain at the Portuguese Grand Prix, earned his maiden Formula 1 victory, and the second with De Angelis, who achieved his second and final F1 win at Imola. De Angelis, initially second at the finish line, was awarded the victory after Alain Prost’s McLaren was disqualified for being underweight. The new Lotus performed particularly well on twisty circuits but was less comfortable on faster tracks, a characteristic that allowed De Angelis to quickly establish a good driving rapport with the car, even leading the championship standings after four races. Meanwhile, the young Senna struggled with the Renault engine’s reliability and high fuel consumption, which held him back.
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| LOTUS 97T, Ayrton Senna Spa-Francorchamps, Belgian GP 1985 |
After his win in Portugal, Senna endured a seven-race point drought, even running out of fuel within sight of the finish line on two occasions. However, in the second half of the season, Senna's star truly began to rise, as he secured podium finishes in five consecutive races, claimed three pole positions, and achieved another victory. On two other occasions, he had to ease off in the closing laps to conserve fuel, thus missing out on possible wins. Senna finished the season fourth in the standings with 38 points, while De Angelis, whose performance dipped in the second half of the season, ended up fifth with 33 points. Team Lotus scored a total of 71 points (from 3 wins, 2 second places, 4 third places, 1 fourth, 6 fifths, and 1 sixth), ending the season fourth in the Constructors' Championship, tied on points with Williams, who claimed third place by virtue of having one more race win.
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