Video: Brundle Drives the 1986 Lotus 98T

“Senna driving it and putting it on pole all the time. The whole package came as a successful, fantastic looking package out of the ‘80s where, maybe it was the most spectacular time ever in Formula One.” – Gerhard Berger

1.5 litres of pure, rauchus fury. The Renault engine in the Lotus 98T could put out 1200 horsepower in qualifying trim and made do with a more modest, reliable and efficient 800 in race trim. Sitting in the 98T in 1986, Ayrton Senna used it to claim eight pole positions, eight visits to the podium and two grand prix victories.

Martin Brundle uses it to entertain, educate and intrigue us in this video, which sees him taking the car for a test drive around Silverstone and commenting on all the little somethings that make it such an amazing machine. Gerhard Berger, who drove for Benetton in the 1986 season, and Damon Hill, then six years away from a full-time Formula One seat, provide some insider’s insight into the cars and sport of the time.

Image: TheCahierArchive©

Buy prints of these photographs from just $49