This was Lotus’s great innovation of the era and all rivals either sought to emulate, or outlaw it. Pairing enormous side pods, sprawling venturis and sliding skirts, the 79 weaponized the air that passed through and underneath it as it raced, with downforce only increasing as the speed grew. Those looks are what delivered the 79 its performance, with the car’s bodywork and dimensions dictated by the pursuit of ground effect aerodynamics.

The car of course owes its ‘Black Beauty’ nickname to its distinctive looks and unmistakable black and gold John Player Special racing livery. Find high-quality stock photos that you wont. All in it racked up an incredible four one-two finishes, its absolutely prodigious performance earning it the title of most dominant F1 car since Mercedes' ‘Silver Arrows’ of the mid-1950s. Get Mario Andretti practicing for the 1978 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch photos and images from Picfair. It also scored five fastest laps, of which two were set by Andretti. Most of this cars downforce is produced by ground effect aerodynamics under the car.

Known better and more affectionately by its nickname ‘Black Beauty’, the car surely was a beauty to drive, with six wins and five podium places at the 11 grands prix it started. Onboard hotlap of F1 from 1978-79, Lotus 79.

Download mario andretti f1 1978