Lola Mk4
Category | Formula One | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constructor | Lola Cars | ||||||||
Designer(s) | Eric Broadley | ||||||||
Technical specifications | |||||||||
Chassis | Steelspaceframe | ||||||||
Suspension (front) | Upper:transverse- andtrailing-arm; Lower:reversed singlewishboneand transverse-arm. Outboardspring/damperunits. | ||||||||
Suspension (rear) | Double reversedwishboneswith twin-torsion bars,outboard spring/damper. | ||||||||
Axle track | 51 in (1,300 mm)(F&R) | ||||||||
Wheelbase | 94 in (2,390 mm) | ||||||||
Engine | Coventry Climax FWMV1496ccV8,normally aspirated.Mid-engined,longitudinally mounted. | ||||||||
Transmission | ColottiType 32, 5-speedmanual | ||||||||
Weight | 1,060 lb (480.8 kg) dry | ||||||||
Competition history | |||||||||
Notable entrants | Bowmaker Racing Team Reg Parnell Racing | ||||||||
Notable drivers | John Surtees Roy Salvadori Bob Anderson Lucien Bianchi John Campbell-Jones Chris Amon Masten Gregory Mike Hailwood | ||||||||
Debut | 1962 Dutch Grand Prix, Zandvoort. | ||||||||
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n.b. Unless otherwise stated, all data refer to Formula One World Championship Grands Prix only. |
TheLola Mk4and the derivativeMk4AwereFormula Oneracing carsconstructed by theLolacompany in 1962. They were designed by Lola founder, owner and Chief DesignerEric Broadleyat the request ofReg Parnell,proprietor of theBowmaker Racing Team.The Mk4 was the first design that Lola produced for the top tier of motorsport.
History
[edit]Design of the car broadly followed Broadley's experience in theFormula Juniorcategory, with a steelspaceframechassis braced bybulkheadsin front and behind the driver. The engine was carried within the chassis, and cooling was by a radiator mounted at the front of the bodywork; two tubes of the spaceframe acting as coolant pipes to and from the engine. Following supply delays withCoventry Climax's new V8 engine, the cars were initially built up around the older, inline 4-cylinderFPFengine.
The Mk4 had its first outing in the non-Championship1962 Brussels Grand Prixwhere it qualified in the midfield but failed to finish. Its first World Championship race was the1962 Dutch Grand Prix.By now the cars were fitted with the more powerful ClimaxFWMVV8 engine; the meeting went somewhat better withJohn Surteesqualifying his car inpole position.Once again though, poor reliability let the race performance down, and neither car reached the finishing line. Surtees took the car's first victory in the2000 Guineasrace atMallory Parkin the middle of the season, but excess chassis flex impeded his Championship hopes.
A stopgap solution to the flexing problems was to weld extra tubes around the cockpit of the Mk4. When the revised Mk4A was introduced its most significant difference was in a number of body panels that were welded to the chassis in what Lola described as asemi-monocoquedesign. With the uprated designs results continued to trickle in, but a lack of development funding stunted the cars competitive growth, and by the end of the season both the Mk4 and 4A were completely outclassed. It was only inTasman Seriesracing, with the addition of the 2,750 cc (168 cu in) version of theFPFstraight-four, that the car showed some promise. Two such-equipped Mk4 cars were shipped to New Zealand and Australia for their respective Grands Prix in early 1963, where regular driver Surtees was partnered by up-and-coming South AfricanTony Maggs.In his last two races for the Bowmaker team, before signing withFerrari,Surtees won theNew Zealand Grand Prixand finished second in theAustralian Grand Prix,a month later. Maggs failed to finish on either occasion.
With the withdrawal of Bowmaker, Reg Parnell Racing continued with the Mk4/4A cars into the1963 World Championship season,but only as second-string cars behind newCoopers.One Mk4 was sold toprivateerBob Andersonwho entered the car into many Championship and non-Championship races, winning the1963 Rome Grand Prix.
Complete Formula One results
[edit](key) (results in bold indicate pole position)
World Championship
[edit]Year | Entrant | Engine | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Points | WCC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1962 | Bowmaker Racing Team | ClimaxV8 | NED | MON | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA | USA | RSA | 19 | 4th | ||
John Surtees | Ret | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | Ret† | Ret | Ret | ||||||
Roy Salvadori | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | ||||||||
1963 | Reg Parnell Racing | ClimaxV8 | MON | BEL | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA | USA | MEX | RSA | 0 | 13th | |
Maurice Trintignant | Ret† | ||||||||||||||
Lucien Bianchi | Ret | ||||||||||||||
Chris Amon | PO† | Ret† | Ret† | 7† | 7† | Ret† | PO† | ||||||||
John Campbell-Jones | 13 | ||||||||||||||
Mike Hailwood | Ret | ||||||||||||||
Masten Gregory | Ret† | Ret† | |||||||||||||
DW Racing Enterprises | ClimaxV8 | Bob Anderson | 12 | 12 |
†Mk4Achassis.
Non-Championship
[edit](key)
Year | Entrant | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1962 | Bowmaker Racing Team | CAP | NZL | BRX | LOM | LAV | GLV | PAU | AIN | INT | NAP | MAL | CLP | RMS | SOL | KAN | MED | DAN | OUL | MEX | AUS | RAN | NAT | |
Surtees | Ret‡ | Ret‡ | Ret‡ | Ret | Ret | 3 | 1 | Ret | DNA | Ret† | Ret† | Ret | Ret | 3 | ||||||||||
Salvadori | 2‡ | 4‡ | Ret‡ | Ret | 2 | 6 | 2 | Ret | Ret | |||||||||||||||
1963 | Bowmaker Racing Team | NZL | AUS | LOM | GLV | PAU | IMO | SYR | AIN | INT | ROM | SOL | KAN | MED | AUT | OUL | RAN | |||||||
Surtees | 1‡ | 2‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Maggs | Ret‡ | Ret‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Reg Parnell Racing | Amon | 5† | 6† | Ret† | Ret† | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
Hailwood | 16 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DW Racing Enterprises | Anderson | Ret | Ret | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 6 | Ret |
†Mk4Achassis.
‡Car ran with 4-cylinderFPFengine. On all other occasions the cars were fitted with the V8FWMVengine.
References
[edit]- "Lola Mk4 (1962-63)".Lola Heritage.Archived fromthe originalon 30 October 2013.Retrieved27 November2007.
- "Lola Mk4A (1962-63)".Lola Heritage.Archived fromthe originalon 30 October 2013.Retrieved27 November2007.
- "Project 009900: F1-nicht-WM Rennen 1946 - 1985".F1-images.de.Archived fromthe originalon 28 January 2008.Retrieved27 November2007.(German; race results)