The 72 was yet another innovative design by Chapman featuring inboard brakes, side mounted radiators in sidepods, as opposed to the nose mounted radiators which had been commonplace since the 1950s and an overhead air intake. The overall shape of the car was innovative too, resembling a wedge on wheels which was inspired by the earlier Lotus 56 gas turbine car, and the layout taken from the Lotus 63 four wheel drive project testbed. The shape made for better air penetration and higher speeds. In a back-to-back test with the Lotus 49, the 72 was 12 mph faster with the same Ford Cosworth engine.
Chapman's efforts produced one of the most remarkable and successful designs in F1 history. Taking the stressed engine layout technique from the Lotus 49 and adding advanced aerodynamics. This produced a car that was years ahead of its rivals.
This is the iconic championship winning 1972 version with which Emerson Fittipaldi won 5 races and was crowned World Champion, at the time becoming the youngest in the sport at the age of 25 yr. 9 m.
#1972 #Emerson_Fittipaldi #F1 #Ford_Cosworth #Formula_1 #Formula_One #Lotus #racing_car
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