Lotus 24

The Lotus 24 was a Formula One racing car[1] designed by Team Lotus for the 1962 Formula One season. Despite some early success in non-Championship Grands Prix, it was eclipsed by the technically superior Lotus 25 and rarely featured in the points in World Championship races.

Lotus 24

Lotus 24 BRM at the Silverstone Classic in 2018. Miles Griffiths - Hi-Tech Motorsport
Category	Formula One
Constructor	Team Lotus
Designer(s)	Colin Chapman
Predecessor	21
Successor	25
Technical specifications
Chassis	Steel spaceframe
Suspension (front)	Double wishbone, with inboard coilover spring/damper units.
Suspension (rear)	Lower wishbone, top link and radius rod suspension, with outboard coilover spring/damper units.
Engine	Coventry Climax FWMV, 1496cc, 90° V8 BRM P56, 1498 cc, 90° V8 Naturally aspirated mid-mounted
Transmission	ZF 5DS10 5-speed manual
Tyres	Dunlop
Competition history
Notable entrants	Team Lotus Brabham Racing Organisation UDT Laystall Racing Team Siffert Racing Team
Notable drivers	Trevor Taylor Maurice Trintignant Chris Amon Innes Ireland Masten Gregory Roger Penske
Debut	1962 Dutch Grand Prix
Races Wins Podiums Poles F.Laps 49 0 1 0 0
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0
n.b. Unless otherwise stated, all data refer to Formula One World Championship Grands Prix only.

Concept

Having devised the monocoque Lotus 25 for use by the works team, Colin Chapman decided to build a 'conventional' back-up spaceframe design which he would also sell to privateers. The 24 was a completely different design from its predecessor, the 21, and used much of the same suspension as the 25. Both Coventry Climax FWMV and BRM P56 engines were generally fitted, with at least one example running with the Coventry Climax FPF four-cylinder.

Racing history

Trevor Taylor at the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix.

The Lotus 24 made its debut at the 1962 Brussels Grand Prix. Jim Clark put it in pole position for the first heat, but retired after only one lap. Two weeks later Clark won the Lombank Trophy race at Snetterton. Its first World Championship event was the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix, where it finished second with Trevor Taylor. However, that would be its best Championship finish; the Lotus 25 had arrived on the scene and was obviously the way ahead, much to the chagrin of those who had paid good money for their 24. Colin Chapman had promised his customers that the team cars would be mechanically identical to the customer cars, leaving himself free to alter what he classified as the cars' "bodywork".[2]

The 24 continued to be run by private teams in 1963 and 1964 with limited success, and by 1965 only one World Championship entry was made, Brian Gubby failing to qualify for the British Grand Prix.

World Championship results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Engine	Driver	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points[N 1]	WCC
1962	Team Lotus	Climax V8		NED	MON	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA	USA	RSA		36 (38)[N 1]	2nd
			Trevor Taylor	2	Ret	Ret		8	Ret
	Brabham Racing Organisation		Jack Brabham	Ret	8	6	Ret	5
	R.R.C. Walker Racing Team		Maurice Trintignant	WD	Ret	8	7	WD	Ret	Ret	Ret
	Dupont Team Zerex		Roger Penske								9
	John Mecom	Climax L4	Rob Schroeder								10
	Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia		Nino Vacarella							Ret
	UDT Laystall Racing Team	Climax V8	Innes Ireland	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	16		Ret	8	5
			Masten Gregory					7
		BRM V8					7				6			1[N 2]	8th
	Autosport Team Wolfgang Seidel		Dan Gurney			DNS
			Wolfgang Seidel					Ret	DNQ
			Tony Shelly							DNQ
			Günther Seiffert						DNQ
	Ecurie Filipinetti		Jo Siffert				Ret			DNQ
			Heinz Schiller						Ret
1963	British Racing Partnership	Climax V8		MON	BEL	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA	USA	MEX	RSA	54 (74)[N 3]	1st
			Innes Ireland	Ret					Ret
	Bernard Collomb		Bernard Collomb	DNQ					10
	Reg Parnell Racing		Maurice Trintignant				8
			Mike Hailwood					8
		BRM V8	Hap Sharp								Ret	7		4[N 2]	8th
			Roger Ward								Ret
			Chris Amon									Ret
			Masten Gregory					11
	Tim Parnell						Ret			Ret
	Ecurie Filipinetti		Phil Hill				NC
	British Racing Partnership		Jim Hall	Ret	Ret	8	11	6	5	8	10	8
	Siffert Racing Team		Jo Siffert	Ret	Ret	7	6	Ret	9	Ret	Ret	9
	Selby Auto Spares		Paddy Driver										DNS
1964	Bernard Collomb	Climax V8		MON	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	USA	MEX	37 (40)[N 3]	3rd
			Bernard Collomb	DNQ
	Siffert Racing Team	BRM V8	Jo Siffert	8										3[N 2]	8th
	British Racing Partnership		Innes Ireland	DNS
			Trevor Taylor					Ret
	Reg Parnell Racing		Peter Revson			DSQ		Ret
	Revson Racing			DNQ					14		13
1965	Brian Gubby	Climax V8		RSA	MON	BEL	FRA	GBR	NED	GER	ITA	USA	MEX	54 (58)[N 3]	1st
			Brian Gubby					DNQ

Notes

1. Points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the first six finishers at each round, but only the best placed car for each make was eligible to score points. In 1962 only the best five results from the season were retained, and only the best six results for 1963, 1964 and 1965.
2. Total points scored by all Lotus-BRM cars, including points scored by drivers of Lotus 25 and Lotus 33 variants.
3. Total points scored by all Lotus-Climax cars, including points scored by drivers of Lotus 25 and Lotus 33 variants.

Bibliography

• Whitelock, Mark (2006). 1½-litre Grand Prix Racing 1961-1965. Veloce Publishing Ltd. ISBN 184584016X.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

References

1. Automobile Year, No. 10, 1962-1963, Page 198.
2. Blunsden, John (July 1962). "Lotus "Ramlösa" - Segervagnen i Spa" [Lotus' Frameless: the Victory Machine at Spa]. Illustrerad Motor Sport (in Swedish). No. 7–8. Lerum, Sweden. pp. 6–7.