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Monday, 28 February 2005, 08:59 GMT

The changing face of F1

1968 Lotus 49
Lotus 49

1968 Lotus 49 These ludicrous-looking rear wings on stilts - again pioneered by Lotus - were the start of the age of aerodynamics in Formula One.

They worked like an aeroplane wing in reverse - pushing the car down onto the track, creating greater grip and allowing it to corner faster.

In their first iteration, the wings were too fragile, and often broke, leading to a number of terrifying accidents.

The high wings were soon banned, but wings in general were here to stay.

The Lotus 49 had another revolutionary feature, introduced a year earlier before the wings.

The legendary Ford Cosworth DFV V8 was the first engine to be used as a fully-stressed part of the chassis, creating a much stiffer - and therefore more stable - car.

The DFV set new standards for reliability, flexibility and performance, and went on to win 155 Grands Prix between 1967 and 1983.




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