# Lotus 81

The Lotus 81 was a Formula One racing car built by Colin Chapman's Lotus team for the 1980 Formula One season. Unlike many of forebears the 81 was not a terribly innovative or competitive car, coming as it did at a time when Chapman's interest in his racing activities was waning.
Instead it was a very standard ground effect design with sliding skirts and the ubiquitous Cosworth DFV 3.0 litre V8 powerplant. The car was said to generate a great deal of downforce but have excessive pitch sensitivity problems, ultimately leading Chapman to develop the innovative twin-chassis Lotus 88.
Mario Andretti and Elio de Angelis used the 81 in all 14 rounds of the 1980 Formula One world championship, and the car also gave Nigel Mansell his Formula One debut, with the British driver lining up in a total of three races that season. The best result for the car was Elio de Angelis's 2nd place in Brazil.
Chapman had intended to use the Lotus 88 for the 1981 season, but a massive furore over the legality of the new car meant that the 81 was kept on as a stop gap for the first four races Lotus competed in, as they boycotted the 1981 San Marino Grand Prix, with Mansell taking 3rd place in the Belgian Grand Prix and de Angelis claiming three points finishes. The car was replaced by the Lotus 87.

## Complete Formula One results

(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Points | WCC |
| 1980 | Team Essex Lotus | 81 | Ford Cosworth DFV | G | | ARG | BRA | RSA | USW | BEL | MON | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | NED | ITA | CAN | USA | | 14 | 5th |
| 1980 | Team Essex Lotus | 81 | Ford Cosworth DFV | G | Mario Andretti | Ret | Ret | 12 | Ret | Ret | 7 | Ret | Ret | 7 | Ret | 8 | Ret | Ret | 6 | | 14 | 5th |
| 1980 | Team Essex Lotus | 81 | Ford Cosworth DFV | G | Elio de Angelis | Ret | 2 | Ret | Ret | 10 | 9 | Ret | Ret | 16 | 6 | Ret | 4 | 10 | 4 | | 14 | 5th |
| 1980 | Team Essex Lotus | 81B | Ford Cosworth DFV | G | Nigel Mansell | | | | | | | | | | Ret | Ret | DNQ | | | | 14 | 5th |
| 1981 | Team Essex Lotus | 81B | Ford Cosworth DFV | M | | USW | BRA | ARG | SMR | BEL | MON | ESP | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | NED | ITA | CAN | CPL | 22* | 7th |
| 1981 | Team Essex Lotus | 81B | Ford Cosworth DFV | M | Nigel Mansell | Ret | 11 | Ret | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 22* | 7th |
| 1981 | Team Essex Lotus | 81B | Ford Cosworth DFV | M | Elio de Angelis | Ret | 5 | 6 | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | 22* | 7th |
* Of those, 9 points were scored with the 81 model.
vte Team Lotus :
vteLotus Cars timeline :
Type
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
0123456789
0123456789
0123456789
0123456789
0123456789
0123456789
0123456789
01234
Sports racer
VIII
IX
Eleven
15
17
19
23
30
40
47
62
Mark VI
Seven
340R
2-Eleven
3-Eleven
Roadster
Elan
Elan M100
Elise
Coupé
Elite
Elan
Exige
Emira
Europa
Esprit
Europa S
Evora
Evija
Grand tourer
Elan +2
Elite
Eclat
Excel
Saloon
Cortina
Cortina
Carlton
Emeya
SUV
Eletre
  Electric
Racing cars
Mark I
Mark II
Mark III
Mark IV
Mark V
12
16
17
18
20
21
22
24
25
27
29
31
32
33
34
38
39
41
42
43
44
48
49
56
59
61
63
64
66
69
70
72
73
74
76
77
78
79
80
81
86
87
88
91
92
93T
94T
95T
96T
97T
98T
99T
100T
101
102
107
109
112
114
115
119
T125
T127
T128 F1
T128 LMP
T129
E20
E21
E22
E23 Hybrid
Related cars
Caterham Seven
Ford Cortina Lotus
Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
DeLorean
Hennessey Venom GT
Westfield Sport
Isuzu Piazza
Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
Opel Lotus Omega/Vauxhall Lotus Carlton
Kia Elan
Opel Speedster/Vauxhall VX220
Tesla Roadster
Proton EMAS
Lotus-Radford Type 62-2
Concept cars
APX
Elan Concept
Elite Concept
Elise Concept
CityCar
Eterne
Emotion
Esprit M70
Esprit Concept
Ethos
Etna
M250
M90
Future cars
Type 134
Type 135
Key figures
Colin Chapman
Tony Rudd
Romano Artioli
Dany Bahar
Len Terry
Group Lotus
Official website
Lotus Cars
Lotus Engineering
Team Lotus
Lotus F1 :