Ex - Emerson Fittipaldi,
The Most Successful Lotus F2 Ever with 9x Victories
1971 Lotus 69 Formula 2
Emerson Fittipaldi’s works Lotus Formula 2 car for 1971 and 1972, the year he first became Formula 1 World Champion for Lotus with the 72, with Fittipaldi taking the most F2 wins of any driver across the two seasons.
The most successful individual Lotus Formula 2 car ever, with Fittipaldi taking 9 wins across two seasons of Formula 2, finishing no lower than 2nd.
Upgraded with full width nose and refinished in Chapman’s Moonraker Yachts livery for1972 when it received one of the four works Cosworth 1927cc BDF engines, making it the class of the field.
Sold to privateer Johnny Blades for 1973 and 7169-5F2 went on to continue its winning streak in British Formula Libre for a further five years.
Remaining unmolested throughout its life, 7169-5F2 has passed through various noteworthy collections and was restored to 1971 Team Bardahl livery by Simon Hadfield Motorsport. Accompanied today by the original wide nose and rear wing, both still in Moonraker Yachts livery.
The most outstanding example of Lotus’ ultimate Formula 2 design and the most decorated of all they built thanks to Fittipaldi’s world beating form at the peak of his career.
Price: £POA
Chassis Number: 7169-5F2
Colin Chapman’s Lotus and Formula 2
By the time Formula 2 became a European series again in 1964, Colin Chapman’s Lotus equipe had already claimed Formula 1 World Championships. The first came with Jim Clark in the pioneering monocoque Lotus 25 in 1962.
The regulations for Formula 2 limited engine capacity to 1000cc, and the main protagonists became Cosworth, former colleagues of Chapman. Their SCA engine used the production Ford MAE cylinder block and featured a bespoke aluminium cylinder head with a single overhead camshaft, driven by gears - a design which would pave Cosworth’s path to becoming Formula 1 World Champions.
Chapman produced a series of monocoque Formula 2 cars for 1964, the 32. With a relatively high minimum weight limit of 420kgs the use of steel in the chassis was afforded. The 32 shared the design ethos of the Formula 1 25 and the Formula Junior 27 designs that had come before. In the hands of the works Ron Harris Team Lotus drivers, the Cosworth SCA powered 32s were very competitive and Jim Clark led the way,
The 32 was revised into the 35 of 1965, and with this Clark was even more successful, taking five wins through the year. 1966 saw the Lotus 44 evolve the design further but victories eluded the Lotus entries due to the ultra-fast Brabham-Hondas proving unbeatable.
Formula 1 entered the new 3-litre era in 1966, and with it came the legendary Cosworth DFV V8 engine. Formula 2 followed suit, with the regulations changing to allow a maximum capacity of 1600cc in 1967. Cosworth were well prepared for this transition, with the development for the DFV having been pioneered with the four cylinder FVA engine.
The chassis Colin Chapman’s Lotus designed for the new Formula 1 DFV, the 49, featured an enclosed monocoque that used the purpose built DFV as a stressed member to which the rear suspensions was mounted directly. The requirement for Formula 2 engines to utilise a production engine block removed the possibility for Lotus to employ the same stressed engine feature in the 1967 Formula 2 car, however it did used a similarly styled enclosed monocoque with a simple framework to support the engine and rear suspension.
The result was perhaps the most beautiful Formula 2 car ever, the Lotus 48. Something of a miniature Lotus 49, the 48 was run exclusively by the works Lotus team for Formula 1 stars Jim Clark and Graham Hill, with a young Jackie Oliver joining the fray later. The 48 signalled the peak of Clark’s career, bearing European Formula 2 victories alongside the World Championship Formula 1 successes of the 49.
Ultimately, the great Jim Clark would lose his life in one of the three 48s at Hockenheim in 1968, a tragedy that was felt across the whole of the motorsport community and the wider world.
The baton left by Clark was initially picked up by team-mate Graham Hill but it was Jochen Rindt who really took it on and returned Lotus to the forefront.
1969 saw a new Formula 2 car launched by Lotus, the 59B. Using a space-frame chassis, the FVA engine was fitted to a Hewland FT200 gearbox and simple outboard suspension. Once again, just a handful of cars were built and the works Formula 2 operation was handled by Roy Winkelmann Racing, for whom Rindt drove.
Though the 1969 season, it became apparent that Rindt was a star. With his 59B he took four victories with four pole positions and impressed in the parallel Team Lotus Formula 1 commitments with the Lotus 49, winning the United States Grand Prix.
For 1970, Rindt took on the operation of the Lotus Formula 2 effort with his manager Bernie Ecclestone. The two Winkelmann run 59Bs of 1969 were returned to Lotus and upgraded with a monocoque centre section to become the Lotus 69s of 1970.
Running under the Jochen Rindt Racing banner, the 69 was directed to four victories with Rindt through 1970 until that fateful day at Monza.
With tragedy having struck Team Lotus once more, the man to pick up the baton and the team was young Brazilian driver, Emerson Fittipaldi. Having only moved to Europe in 1969, Fittipaldi progressed quickly and impressed with his performances in Formula Ford and Formula 3.
Fittipaldi was called upon by Chapman following the death of Jochen Rindt, and a works Lotus Formula 1 drive rewarded Fittipaldi’s early successes. Chapman’s belief in Fittipaldi was well placed, demonstrated as such when he stepped straight into his first Grand Prix in a Gold Leaf Lotus 72 and proceeded to win it, doing great things for the morale amongst the mourning team. Fittipaldi’s Grand Prix success also prevented others from taking the maximum points score, and helped Rindt become World Champion posthumously.
The future for Fittipaldi looked bright, and 1971 shaped up to be a memorable season. Chapman placed Fittipaldi in the works Formula 1 team and supplied a works example of the new-for-1971 Lotus 69 design which had been reworked by Dave Baldwin, this car.
This car, 7169-5F2
Following on from the success of the Lotus 69 Formula 2 in 1970, Lotus produced further chassis for 1971. The model number was kept the same, however the new 69 was a revised design with the suspension having been reworked by Dave Baldwin.
The 1971 season would see Emerson Fittipaldi’s Team Bardahl be the works Lotus squad, with his brother Wilson driving Rindt’s old 59B/69 and Emerson getting a brand new car from Lotus, chassis number 7169-5F2, this car.
Finished in yellow with a green stripe up the nose, 7169-5F2 first appeared at Pau in April 1971. With some initial teething issues, and no chance to refine the car before the first race, Fittipaldi retired from 8th position just after half distance.
Ahead of the next race at the Nurburgring the following week, Fittipaldi and his team were able to test on the Sudschleife to set up and sort the car. The testing paid off, and in qualifying on the Nordschleife he was second only to Ronnie Peterson. In the race itself, Fittipaldi ran in fourth but improved to second place behind Francois Cevert by the finish.
Jarama would be the scene of 7169-5F2’s first win two weeks after the Nurburgring. Despite qualifying sixth, Fittipaldi raced past Dieter Quester in his pursuit of the leaders who then encountered trouble, resulting in victory for Fittipaldi.
At Crystal Palace, Fittipaldi won his heat and started the final from pole position. With Peterson in hot pursuit, Fittipaldi led the final and won it to claim a second victory with 7169-5F2. With Formula 1 duties taking Fittipaldi’s time and attention, the 69 overheated at Imola and suffered engine failure at the non-championship Kinnekullering race.
Before the upcoming European Formula 2 race at Brands Hatch, 7169-5F2 was rebuilt with a new monocoque. Starting third at Brands Hatch, Fittipaldi climbed to second before settling in to third place behind Peterson and Hill, only for the engine to fail again.
The third victory for Fittipaldi and 7169-5F2 came at Albi for the ninth round of the European Championship. Having started seventh, Fittipaldi climbed the ranks, getting into second place and then taking the lead after Peterson pitted, which he would maintain convincingly to take the win.
The conclusion of the 1971 European F2 season came with a back to back double header at Vallelunga. The first was named the Rome GP, and Fittipaldi won the first heat convincingly from Peterson. Fittipaldi was set to repeat the victory in the second heat, only for the throttle cable to snap as he overtook Peterson.
By the following week’s rematch, 7169-5F2 sported a full width nose and an airbox, pointing to the shape of things to come. The new developments didn’t get much chance to show themselves however, as the engine failed on the second lap.
With the European races now concluded, the Formula 2 teams travelled to Brazil for the four race F2 Torneiro series. Fittipaldi and Peterson were heralded as favourites, and Wilson Fittipaldi joined the mix by taking pole position at the first race at Interlagos. Emerson took third place in the first heat contest, before securing victory in the second and winning on aggregate by just 0.3 seconds over Peterson.
At the second round, also at Interlagos, Emerson won the first heat with 7169-5F2 and also the second, taking another aggregate win. The third contest was held at Porte Allegra and Emerson won the second heat, placing second on aggregate. The final race of the Torneiro was held at Cordoba a week later and Emerson led only for the engine to fail and force retirement. Despite that, Emerson and 7169-5F2 won the 1971 Formula 2 Torneiro series.
1972, Emerson’s First F1 World Championship Year
1972 brought the promise of a new Lotus Formula 2, the 73. However, the car never materialised and instead Fittipaldi’s one year old 69, 7169-5F2, was pressed into service for another season. Formula 1 was again the main focus for Fittipaldi, and with the 72 he took commanding victories in the first three Grand Prix of the season, setting himself up as favourite for the 1972 Formula 1 World Championship.
1972 also signalled the increase in allowed engine capacity within Formula 2, with up to 2,000cc engines now permitted. Cosworth were busy developing a new version of the BDA engine, while other independent engine builders created their own versions which were typically 1600cc BDAs bored out to 1800cc.
As the beginning of the season approached, four 1927cc BDF engines had been made by Cosworth. These four engines were divided amongst prominent manufacturers, with one going to Lotus, one to McLaren, one to Brabham and one to March.
The BDF assigned to Lotus was fitted into 7169-5F2 for Fittipaldi, as they would be the only works Lotus entry that year. Colin Chapman’s Moonraker Yachts venture would be the main sponsor of the F2 effort, and 7169-5F2 was painted white with the black livery of Moonraker Yachts displayed over the car.
For Pau in May, the first race of the year, 7169-5F2 retained the standard 69 bodywork and despite the promise of the new Cosworth engine, it didn’t deliver due to electrical issues. By the time the Rhien-Pokalrennen at Hockenheim came around in June, 7169-5F2 had undergone significant development.
Fitted with the full width nose as seen at the end of 1971, it also gained a new rear wing and inboard rear brakes. The Cosworth BDF was by this point the only surviving example of the four and at last Fittipaldi got a chance to show the potential. Qualifying second on the grid, after a dodgy lap time by Lauda was allowed, Fittipaldi gave the rest of the grid no chance to do anything about the Lotus, taking victory in both heats and winning on aggregate by a huge margin of one minute and thirty seconds.
At Rouen, Fittipaldi and 7169-5F2 maintained similar form. Pole, heat win and final win followed despite having been challenged by Jody Scheckter By the Österreichring in July, the BDF had been enlarged to 1960cc. Fastest time of practice followed giving Fittipaldi pole position and he converted that into a dominant win with 7169-5F2.
After the race in Austria, the BDF was found to have a cracked block and at that point there were no spares available. Lotus decided to focus on the Formula 1 effort, and it wasn’t until Cosworth had manufactured another batch of blocks that 7169-5F2 and Fittipaldi returned to F2.
The time taken to complete the engine meant that it was until October that the car raced again. At Hockenheim, Fittipaldi swiftly claimed pole position and was leading the race until the new engine lost oil pressure and it was retired.
Fittipaldi performed as hoped in Formula 1 and won the World Championship for Lotus with the 72 in 1972. With the European season completed, the teams once again travelled out to Brazil for the F2 Torneiro series. For 1972, the whole series was held at Interlagos and Fittipaldi contested it with 7169-5F2. The pairing won the first race and set pole for the second, but took the runner-up spot in that contest. The third and final race featured a three-way battle for victory, but Fittipaldi was ruled out when the jackshaft broke in the engine.
Remarkably, Fittipaldi took a total of 9 overall victories with 7169-5F2, making it the most successful individual Lotus F2 chassis ever. Furthermore, the worst result they achieved over those two seasons was second place. No further Formula 2 models were produced by Lotus, leaving 7169-5F2 as the ultimate development.
Life after Lotus
Thanks to the research of Oldracingcars.com, whose dossier on 7169-5F2 accompanies the car, the full history is well documented.
Having returned to the UK from Brazil, Lotus sold 7169-5F2 to serial Lotus F2 owner Johnny Blades. Blades would use 7169-5F2 to compete in British Formula Libre through 1973. The car came with both 1800cc BDE and 1960cc BDF engine options, and Blades took it to a further four victories.
From Blades, 7169-5F2 moved to Andy Barton for 1974 and the wins continued. Also racing in Formula Libre, Barton won three races that year and three in 1975. 1976 saw 7169-5F2 driven in the main by Barton’s customer David Muter, but Barton did do one race with the car, taking victory. That victory marked six consecutive seasons in which 7169-5F2 had won races.
Muter took ownership of the car for 1977 and continued racing it in Libre events. A further victory was taken, making it seven seasons on the trot for 7169-5F2.
In 1980, Muter advertised 7169-5F2 for sale in Autosport and by 1983 it was still for sale. Muter would eventually sell it in the mid '80s to Vincent Hayden in Salisbury, who restored the car with some finishing details by Simon Hadfield.
7169-5F2 moved Stateside in the late ‘80s when bought by Jim Bennett in Colorado who kept the car for four or five years until selling it to Mike Taradash in California. 7169-5F2 then went backward and forward between Taradash and John Delane, also of California. Delane eventually sold 7169-5F2 to Frank Sytner in 2007.
Sytner returned the car to the UK and tasked Simon Hadfield with restoring it. The decision was made to revert 7169-5F2 to its 1971 livery and 1600cc injected BDA configuration, perfect for Historic Formula 2 racing which at the time was capped at 1600cc.
Having only raced 7169-5F2 once after restoration, Sytner sold the car to its current owner in 2008. Since then, it has been cared for with immense passion and care by the current owner. With some service work by Retro Track and Air, 7169-5F2 remains in excellent cosmetic condition, as well as mechanically, and still sports the unique details that are specific to this car.
With the 1600cc engine having been maintained by Geoff Richardson, 7169-5F2 has current FIA HTPs valid to December 2026. The original Moonraker nose and rear wing accompany the car today along with two sets of spare wheels and various small running spares.
It is rare to find such a hard-used racing car with such impeccable purity and provenance as this, let alone the race record in the hands of the Formula 1 World Champion of the same season at the top of his game, which stands 7169-5F2 apart from all others as the pinnacle of Lotus in Formula 2.
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