The lightweight aluminium-bodied racer was agile and dynamic, taking the field – including a trio of entrants from Ferrari – by storm. The Lotus Type 18, which Lotus founder Colin Chapman believed was the marque’s first proper Formula 1 car, was perfectly suited to the tight, twisting streets of Monaco. Moss beat his nearest competitor, Bruce McLaren, by 52 seconds. In a real race of attrition, only the top three drivers completed all 100 laps of the course and just five racers were classified. He drove his new Lotus 18 relentlessly through the wet streets with supreme confidence to take the chequered flag.Īfter setting new lap records in practice then claiming the first-ever pole position for Lotus in qualifying, it was a near-flawless display. It was at Monaco in 1960 where Sir Stirling Moss cemented his reputation as a rain master. Lotus 18 features in new Heritage section on with other significant Lotus road and race carsĮxactly 60 years after it all began, Lotus is paying tribute to the beginning of its truly remarkable Formula 1 history, which has seen legendary drivers such as Mario Andretti, Jim Clark, Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Graham Hill, Ronnie Peterson and Ayrton Senna all claim wins for the Norfolk-based outfit.Īfter the first victory by Moss, Lotus race cars went on to take the chequered flag a further 80 times, delivering six Drivers’ Championships and seven Constructors’ Championships.New US LOT Sessions podcast celebrating the famous victory available now available.“It was a classic David vs Goliath story” says Clive Chapman, son of Lotus founder Colin Chapman.Rain-affected, three-hour epic race saw Moss’s Lotus 18 win by almost a minute – the first of 81 Grand Prix wins for Lotus race cars.Exactly 60 years since Sir Stirling Moss took the first Lotus victory in Formula 1.It was the first victory in a Formula 1 world championship race for Lotus. On, Sir Stirling Moss drove his Lotus for almost three hours of punishing racing, battling through the rain on the streets of Monte Carlo to win the Monaco Grand Prix.

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