F1 2022

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Co-founder of Lotus Hazel Chapman dies aged 94

Hazel Chapman, co-founder of Lotus with husband Colin, has died aged 94.
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Hazel Chapman, co-founder of Lotus with husband Colin, has died aged 94.​



Co-founder of Lotus Hazel Chapman dies aged 94



Born Hazel Williams, she met Chapman at a dance in 1944 and Chapman's first car, what became known as the Lotus Mark 1, was built around an Austin 7 chassis in a lock-up garage at the rear of her parents' house in Hornsey, North London, in 1948.
She took over the development of the trials car and its Ford-powered successor, the Mark 2, after Colin was briefly commissioned into the Royal Air Force.
Their successes as drivers with these cars and the Mk3 Formula 750 car, the first true Lotus, that followed resulted commissions for further cars.
The first Lotus business was formed on 1 January, 1952 and a limited company set up the following year with a payment of £25 from Hazel.
She married Chapman in 1954 and as the Lotus organisation grew she took a seat on the boards of a number of its companies, including the Team Lotus Formula 1 squad, the Lotus Cars sportscar marque and Lotus Components, which manufactured cars for the junior racing categories.
Hazel play a matriarchal role in the success of the F1 team, which claimed six world drivers' championships and seven constructors' crowns through the 1960s and '70s.
She prided herself on working with almost every Lotus grand prix driver throughout the team's history.
They included its world champions — Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti — as well as Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna.
Elio de Angelis and Ayrton Senna, with Hazel Chapman

Elio de Angelis and Ayrton Senna, with Hazel Chapman
Photo by: Ercole Colombo
When Colin Chapman died in 1982, Hazel recognised that Lotus Cars needed new investment to secure its future and played a key role in the sale of equity to a group led by British Car Auctions.

The F1 team remained in family ownership until the end of the 1990 season, and after its demise in 1994, Hazel became a director of Classic Team Lotus, the family business that preserves the cars and the legacy of the brand's racing successes to this day under the management of son Clive.

Hazel maintained a key interest in all things Lotus and as recently as 2018 signed off the 100,000th road car produced by the marque.

Tradition dictated that she was shown every new road car prior to it being unveiled to the public.

Matt Windle, managing director of Lotus Cars, said: "This is a very sad day for everyone around the world associated with Lotus.

"Without Hazel Chapman there would be no Lotus."

Hazel was also one of the founders of the Dog House women's motor racing charity along with Bette Hill, wife of Graham.

Colin Chapman, Lotus, with his wife Hazel

Colin Chapman, Lotus, with his wife Hazel

Photo by: Motorsport Images
 
upup said:
I believe that the drivers are testing at the moment, what are they testing?
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Two things:

1. Young Driver Programme - so young drivers, F2 mostly, are testing this year's cars and getting laps in.
2. Current drivers driving older F1 cars (2019-2020) with the new 18" wheels, tyres, brakes and some changes to suspension.

Essentially Pirelli is running the test programme for the new tyres, so drivers and teams don't have a choice about what tyres, how many laps etc.
 
upup said:
I believe that the drivers are testing at the moment, what are they testing?
Click to expand...
Young drivers are getting exposure to F1 cars, driving in this year's models. Older drivers are testing the new 18" tyres using modified cars from previous years.
 
Naks said:
oh no, looks like wheel covers could be making a comeback

ekp9t3xnpn581.png
Click to expand...

Yep, all cars will have wheel caps. However, I think they'll be free to paint on them so we may see sponsors or interesting graphics. Let's hope.
 
das Toktokken said:
So is Oscar Piastri the next big thing in F1?
He's been quite something from Formula Renault 2019 champ to F3 2020 champ to F2 2021 champ. Don't recall if there's been anyone that successful in recent times?
Click to expand...
Yes, he's very highly rated. Pourchaire is also seen as a very goo future F1 talent.

George won F3 and F2 in consecutive years before getting the Williams seat
 
JohnMao said:
Yeah, thanks. The minute I read 2009 I remembered what Jensen Button's car looked like and it all fell into place.
Click to expand...

Same. The Brawn and its dayglo yellow wheel covers are the exact car that comes to mind when I think about wheel covers.

Not a fan of them either.
 
Ferrari: first 2022 chassis ready and crash tests started: https://it.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...-telaio-2022-e-iniziati-i-crash-test/6885266/

"The Scuderia, after having hit the seasonal target with third place in the Constructors' World Championship, is quite advanced in the construction and development of the ground-effect Red that will have to relaunch the Cavallino in 2022. The first body has been built and tests have begun for the 'approval. Binotto explains: "We are still working on aerodynamics, while the frame is being produced and the gearbox is in the process of being approved for reliability". ..."
 
www.iol.co.za

Abu Dhabi race controversy is tarnishing F1's image, says FIA

Argument over the controversial ending to the Formula One season and the title won in Abu Dhabi by Red Bull's Max Verstappen is tarnishing the sport's image, the governing FIA said.
www.iol.co.za www.iol.co.za

Abu Dhabi race controversy is tarnishing F1's image, says FIA​

London - Argument over the controversial ending to the Formula One season and the title won in Abu Dhabi by Red Bull's Max Verstappen is tarnishing the sport's image, the governing FIA said on Wednesday.
The International Automobile Federation said in a statement "a detailed analysis and clarification exercise for the future" would be carried out.
"This matter will be discussed and addressed with all the teams and drivers to draw any lessons from this situation," it added.
Formula One race director Michael Masi, an FIA official, sparked uproar for the way in which he ended a late safety car period in Sunday's race and handed an advantage to Verstappen, who had pitted for fresh tyres.

The usual protocol is for all lapped cars to pass the safety car before racing resumes, but in this case only the cars between Verstappen and Mercedes's race leader Lewis Hamilton, on older tyres, were cleared.

Verstappen then had a clear run to overtake seven-times world champion Hamilton on the last lap of their winner-takes-all battle.

Hamilton, the sport's most successful driver, said over the radio he felt the race had been manipulated.
His fans have declared the driver robbed while others have expressed concern that Formula One put entertainment and excitement over sporting integrity.
Mercedes are still considering an appeal, with the deadline shortly before Verstappen is due to be handed the champion's trophy in Paris on Thursday night.

The FIA said there had been "significant misunderstanding" and the argument was "tarnishing the image of the championship" and the "due celebration" of Verstappen's first title and Mercedes's eighth successive constructors' crown.
It added it wanted to provide clarity to the participants, media and fans about the regulations "to preserve the competitive nature of our sport while ensuring the safety of the drivers and officials.
"It is not only Formula One that may benefit from this analysis, but also more generally all the other FIA circuit championships," it added.
The FIA aimed for feedback and conclusions before the start of next season.
Masi, an Australian, was not mentioned in the statement.
 
das Toktokken said:
www.iol.co.za

Abu Dhabi race controversy is tarnishing F1's image, says FIA

Argument over the controversial ending to the Formula One season and the title won in Abu Dhabi by Red Bull's Max Verstappen is tarnishing the sport's image, the governing FIA said.
www.iol.co.za www.iol.co.za

Abu Dhabi race controversy is tarnishing F1's image, says FIA​

London - Argument over the controversial ending to the Formula One season and the title won in Abu Dhabi by Red Bull's Max Verstappen is tarnishing the sport's image, the governing FIA said on Wednesday.
The International Automobile Federation said in a statement "a detailed analysis and clarification exercise for the future" would be carried out.
"This matter will be discussed and addressed with all the teams and drivers to draw any lessons from this situation," it added.
Formula One race director Michael Masi, an FIA official, sparked uproar for the way in which he ended a late safety car period in Sunday's race and handed an advantage to Verstappen, who had pitted for fresh tyres.

The usual protocol is for all lapped cars to pass the safety car before racing resumes, but in this case only the cars between Verstappen and Mercedes's race leader Lewis Hamilton, on older tyres, were cleared.

Verstappen then had a clear run to overtake seven-times world champion Hamilton on the last lap of their winner-takes-all battle.

Hamilton, the sport's most successful driver, said over the radio he felt the race had been manipulated.
His fans have declared the driver robbed while others have expressed concern that Formula One put entertainment and excitement over sporting integrity.
Mercedes are still considering an appeal, with the deadline shortly before Verstappen is due to be handed the champion's trophy in Paris on Thursday night.

The FIA said there had been "significant misunderstanding" and the argument was "tarnishing the image of the championship" and the "due celebration" of Verstappen's first title and Mercedes's eighth successive constructors' crown.
It added it wanted to provide clarity to the participants, media and fans about the regulations "to preserve the competitive nature of our sport while ensuring the safety of the drivers and officials.
"It is not only Formula One that may benefit from this analysis, but also more generally all the other FIA circuit championships," it added.
The FIA aimed for feedback and conclusions before the start of next season.
Masi, an Australian, was not mentioned in the statement.
Click to expand...
You do realise you can just post the link?
 
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