The Lotus Type 72 set a new trend in Formula One.
Rindt claimed pole position but retired after 10 laps with engine trouble.
The next round was the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
In the second practice session, Rindt was running his car without wings and during a fast lap, the 72 left the circuit and crashed heavily, resulting in Rindt's death.
For the second time in three years, Lotus had lost their No. 1 driver, and it was little consolation that Rindt did become champion as Jacky Ickx couldn�t beat his points score.
1971 saw Emerson Fittipaldi become No. 1 driver. He was partnered by Swede Reine Wisell.
The 72D was introduced in time for the Monaco Grand Prix and Fittipaldi finished 5th, though he missed the following round recovering from a road accident.
Fittipaldi gained his second successive 3rd place and followed it up with 2nd in the Austrian Grand Prix two races later, where Wisell finished 4th to give Team Lotus their best finish of the year.
Only Fittipaldi entered the Italian Grand Prix, driving a 56B under the name "Worldwide Racing" to avoid legal complications following the death of Jochen Rindt 12 months previously.
Wisell scored 5th place in the Canadian Grand Prix to give Team Lotus 21 points, only 5th in the Constructors Championship.
1972 saw Lotus with a new Sponsor. John Player Special replaced Gold Leaf who had been with the team since 1968.
Fittipaldi stayed for his second full season with Team Lotus and was backed up by Dave Walker.
The season didn�t start as well as hoped with Fittipaldi retiring and Walker disqualified.
The next 5 races saw an impressive scorecard from Fittipaldi. 1st, 3rd, 1st, 2nd, 1st. Lotus was back to winning ways.
Only Fittipaldi scored points for Lotus in 1972, but his score of 61 was enough to give the team the Constructors Title.
Though Lotus had taken both titles in 1972, they really needed a good number 2 driver when things didn�t run so smoothly.
The 1973 season saw Team Lotus with a stronger driver line-up.
Chapman had signed the fast Swede Ronnie Peterson to partner Fittipaldi in his third season with Team Lotus.
This proved to be the start of a lucky streak for Peterson, while Fittipaldi failed to score vital points in the next 4 races, Peterson took two 2nd places, 3 poles and crucially, victory in the French Grand Prix.
Though a Lotus driver didn�t win the Drivers Championship (Fittipaldi 2nd, Peterson 3rd) Lotus did take the Constructors Championship (The first time they had failed to do the double).
1974 heralded a change in driver line-up for Lotus.
Fittipaldi left for McLaren and Belgian, Jacky Ickx joined to drive the second 72D.
The first race of the season saw Peterson claim pole position, and although he led the first two laps, he finished a lowly 13th, Ickx didn�t make the finish.
The only solution was to further modify the 72, now to E specification.
Lotus though slipped to 4th place in the Constructors Championship with Peterson 5th and Ickx equal 10th in the Driver Standings.
1975 proved to be an even more difficult season. The 72 soldiered on for its final year and were definitely showing its age.
Ickx did score 2nd in the Spanish Grand Prix, but only got half points due to a serious accident stopping the race.
The season ended with Lotus in 7th place in the Constructors Championship with a lowly 9 points, a new car couldn�t come soon enough.
The monocoque was made from lightweight magnesium alloy, while the body was radically different from what had gone before.
The radiators were moved into the sidepods for effective cooling
Torsion bar suspension and inboard brakes were fitted to reduce weight, while the rear gained a multi-foil rear wing to try to keep Lotus with the edge they had become accustomed to.
The 72 made its debut in the 1970 Spanish Grand Prix.
Rindt used a 49C for the next 2 Grand Prix, but the 72 returned at the Dutch round.
He won from Pole position and went on to win the next three races.
Although he claimed pole position for his home race, Rindt retired in Austria.
Rindt was leading the World Championship and could clinch the title that Sunday.
Unfortunately he never got that far.
Lotus also clinched another Constructors Title after Fittipaldi claimed victory in the US Grand Prix.
The 72 was modified to C configuration.
The first two races only gave 3 points, Wisell finishing 4th in the first round of the Championship.
Dave Charlton took his place but didn�t start the race.
The next round in France saw Fittipaldi back and Lotus back on the podium with 3rd place. Wisell also finished 6th.
Dave Walker drove the second 72D for the British Grand Prix, while Wisell drove the development 56B Gas Turbine car (a big mistake).
Fittipaldi finished 6th in the Drivers Championship with Wisell equal 9th, clearly changes needed to be made.
The new sponsorship meant that the cars were now painted a striking black with gold trim.
The second round in South Africa saw Dave Charlton driving a third 72D, he retired but Fittipaldi went on to finish 2nd with Walker 10th.
Fittipaldi retired from the German Grand Prix but won the next two to become the youngest World Champion to date at only 25.
The opening race of the season in Argentina gave Fittipaldi victory, as did round 2 on his home circuit, Interlagos; Peterson started on pole but retired.
Round 3 in South Africa gave Fittipaldi 4 more points with 3rd place. Peterson also got his first race finish with 11th place.
A third 72D was again entered for Dave Charlton in the South African Grand Prix, but like the 1972 race, he retired.
Round 4 in Spain gave Fittipaldi his 3rd win of the season.
Though it was Peterson who claimed pole, fastest lap and the lead for 56 laps before again retiring.
He also retired from pole in the Belgian Grand Prix, while Fittipaldi gained his second 3rd place of the year.
Round 6 in Monaco gave Team Lotus a double podium. Fittipaldi 2nd and Peterson 3rd.
Fittipaldi managed to claim 6th place in the German Grand Prix, and took two 2nd places and a 6th in the final 3 rounds.
The final 4 rounds for Peterson proved to be his highlight. With 3 poles and 3 wins, after a shaky start, his signing was vindicated.
Now in its 4th season of competition, the 72 was showing its age and a new car was waiting in the wings.
Round 2 in Brazil saw an upturn in Team Lotus fortunes. Both cars finished in the points with Ickx 3rd and Peterson 6th.
The third race of the season saw the launch of the technically advanced 76, but it proved to be a disaster, not only in being 100lbs heavier than the 72, but retiring in the 3 Grand Prix that it entered.
This seemed to be the right decision because Peterson won the following Monaco Grand Prix, as well as the French and Italian rounds later in the season.
Ickx scored three more points finishes with the 72E, though he drove the 76 in the Austrian and Italian races but failed to finish both times. Peterson fared better with the 76, finishing 4th in the German Grand Prix.
14 starts brought only 7 points for Peterson and a lowly 12th place in the Drivers Championship.
He then quit the team after the French Grand Prix, to be replaced by several drivers, including Brian Henton and John Watson, though neither made any great impact.
