1966’s close season was a very important time for Team Lotus.
The 49 was to be fitted with a new Cosworth designed engine.
Jim Clark also had a new teammate for 1967, the 1962 World Champion, Graham Hill who returned to Lotus after several seasons with BRM.
The 49 and Ford DFV made their debut at the third round of the championship, the Dutch Grand Prix.
There may not have been a World Championship for Lotus in 1967, but there was clearly something to build on for the future.
1968 was full of optimism for Team Lotus and winning ways started on New Years Day. The South African Grand Prix was a dream start.
On 7th April 1968, he was killed in a Formula 2 race at Hockenheim, which sent the whole sport into deep shock and devastated Colin Chapman, who had become very close to Clark.
1969 saw Graham Hill joined by the young Austrian Jochen Rindt.
The season started well for Hill with a 2nd place in the South African Grand Prix.
Rindt was the best placed Lotus driver with 4th in the Championship, while the team slipped to third in the Constructors Championship behind Matra and Brabham.
1970 saw the 49 modified to "C" specification before the new Type 72 was ready.
The Type 49 proved to be a very influential car for both Grand Prix racing and Team Lotus and its significance shouldn’t be underestimated.
A new car was under development for the 1967 season.
The Type 49 was a further step forward. The engine and gearbox were bolted to the chassis and formed a stressed member to which the suspension was fitted.
Financed by Ford, the DFV V8 was designed specifically for the 3 litre Formula, and would be exclusive to Team Lotus, though it would later be available to anyone, becoming the most successful engine in Grand Prix racing with 155 victories.
Graham Hill claimed Pole Position and led for 10 laps before he retired with transmission problems.
But Clark fought through to lead the race, set the fastest lap and give the Lotus 49 victory on its first outing.
He claimed a further 3 victories during the 1967 season to finish 3rd in the World Championship, with Hill equal 6th.
Lotus attained 2nd place in the Constructors Championship.
1st and 2nd on the grid resulted in 1st and 2nd in the race, Clark leading Hill home.
This would be the last time that Jim Clark would be seen at a Grand Prix.
The responsibility for keeping Team Lotus, if not Grand Prix racing together was laid on the shoulders of Graham Hill.
He responded with victory in the following Spanish Grand Prix and took his 4th Monaco win in round 3 in a revised 49B.
He also won the final race of the 1968 season in Mexico to take his second World Championship, as well as claiming the Constructors Title for Lotus.
A Lotus 49 also won the 1968 British Grand Prix, a Rob Walker run car driven by Jo Siffert.
The second race in Spain saw both Lotuses’ retire when their wings failed at the same part of the circuit. This led to the downfall of upright wings in Formula One.
Monaco saw Graham Hill take his 5th and last win in the principality, with Jo Siffert 3rd in his Rob Walker Lotus 49 and Richard Attwood 4th, standing in for Rindt who was recovering from his Spanish crash.
Rindt returned at the Dutch Grand Prix and claimed Pole Position, but unfortunately retired. Siffert though claimed 2nd place.
Rindt won his first Grand Prix at the penultimate race of 1969 at Watkins Glen in the USA. That race also saw Graham Hill crash and break both his legs, though he would return in 1970.
Graham Hill, whose return to fitness had become national news finished 6th in the opening round of the Championship (the first of 3 consecutive points finishes).
John Miles also finished 5th in a Lotus 49.
Graham Hill drove the majority of the season in the 49C, while Rindt and Miles debuted the Type 72 at the Spanish Grand Prix, though Rindt reverted to the 49C to win the Monaco Grand Prix.
Mid season Team Lotus signing Emerson Fittipaldi drove three races in the 49C, scoring 3 points in the German Grand Prix.
Though the 72 had become the first choice car. The Austrian Grand Prix became the last race to feature a Lotus 49, where Fittipaldi finished in 15th place.
