The Race

And Colossally That's History! S3 E8: Lotus 72 - The car that changed F1 forever

Added 2025-05-23 16:55:20 +0000 UTC

On the latest episode of And Colossally That's History! Richard and Matt are reappraising the legacy of one of F1's most enduring cars: The Lotus 72.

Named by no less than Adrian Newey as the car he wishes he'd designed, the 72 was a revolutionary machine in Formula 1 terms, setting the template, as it did, for all F1 cars that would follow.

It was also one of the longest-serving and most successful cars in F1 history, spending six years in the top flight (from 1970 to 1975) , and being raced to 20 world championship-status Formula 1 grand prix wins, two Formula 1 drivers’ world championships, and three Formula 1 constructors’ world championships.

Richard and Matt explore how innovative Lotus boss Colin Chapman, working with designer Maurice Philippe, arrived at the game-changing 72, and why it became so successful. They also talk about the great drivers that excelled in various iterations of it, with both Matt and Richard describing in brilliant detail their experiences of watching the car being expertly piloted by Ronnie Peterson - a man who seemed its perfect match.

Matt and Richard will be bringing members an exclusive Q&A episode at the end of Season 3, where they'll answer questions on each of the topics covered. So if you'd like to ask a follow-up question about the Lotus 72, drop it in the comments!

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