Lola T97/30

The Lola T97/30 was the car with which the MasterCard Lola Formula One team attempted to compete in the 1997 Formula One season. It was driven by Vincenzo Sospiri, the 1995 Formula 3000 champion, and Ricardo Rosset, who moved from Footwork. However, the team's tenure in F1 was brief. The first Lola chassis to compete in the sport since 1993 was originally planned for the 1998 season. However, due to pressure from main sponsor MasterCard, the car was rushed into service a year before the initial plan.

Lola T97/30
CategoryFormula One
ConstructorLola
Designer(s)Eric Broadley
PredecessorLola T93/30 / Lola T95/30
Technical specifications[1]
ChassisCarbon fibre/aluminium honeycomb monocoque
Suspension (front)Inboard pushrod/bellcrank-actuated double wishbones
Suspension (rear)As front
LengthUnknown
WidthUnknown
HeightUnknown
Axle trackUnknown
WheelbaseUnknown
EngineFord ECA Zetec-R V8
TransmissionLola 6-speed sequential
Weight520 kilograms (1,150 lb)
FuelShell
TyresBridgestone
Competition history
Notable entrantsMasterCard Lola F1 Team
Notable drivers24. Vincenzo Sospiri
25. Ricardo Rosset
Debut1997 Australian Grand Prix
RacesWinsPolesF.Laps
2 (0 starts)000
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0

Competition history

Lola was the second new team for the 1997 season, the other being Stewart Grand Prix. Because of sponsor MasterCard's eagerness to get the team running a year earlier than planned, the team hastily built the T97/30 just weeks before the season began. Whilst Stewart (who had announced their entry even before the start of the 1996 season) had completed weeks of testing, Lola had barely covered any mileage before the season opener.

At Melbourne, the first brief tests showed that both cars were slow in a straight line and also in the corners; the aerodynamics producing too much drag and not enough downforce. This also meant the cars could not get the tyres up to the right temperature. Neither driver could get near a good enough time to qualify, as they struggled in the difficult-handling cars. In the end both Sospiri and Rosset failed to qualify, 11.6 and 12.7 seconds respectively off the pace.

The cars were transported to Brazil for the race at Interlagos, but MasterCard withdrew their support (with all other sponsors later following MasterCard's suit at the last minute) and they remained in the garage for the rest of the weekend, subsequently withdrawing from the championship.

The team were unclassified in the Constructors' Championship, with no race finishes, nor points.

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

Year Entrant Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Points WCC
1997 MasterCard Lola Ford Zetec R ECA 3.0 V8 B AUS BRA ARG SMR MON ESP CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA AUT LUX JPN EUR 0 NC
Vincenzo Sospiri DNQ
Ricardo Rosset DNQ

Locations

The locations of the four T97/30 chassis (as of 2007) are as follows:[2]

  • T97/30-1 (Sospiri): Canadian racing school.
  • T97/30-2 (Rosset): Canadian racing school.
  • T97/30-3 (spare car): owned by Martin Birrane, the current owner of Lola. On display at the Mondello Park circuit museum.[3]
  • T97/30-4 (unfinished): Lola factory, Huntingdon.

References
  • AUTOCOURSE 1997–98, Henry, Alan (ed.), Hazleton Publishing Ltd. (1997) ISBN 1-874557-47-0
  1. Collins, Sam (2007). "Lola". Unraced...Formula One's lost cars. Veloce Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-84584-084-6.
  2. Collins, Sam (2007). "Chassis list". Unraced...Formula One's lost cars. Veloce Publishing. p. 122. ISBN 978-1-84584-084-6.
  3. Collins, Sam (2007). "Lola". Unraced...Formula One's lost cars. Veloce Publishing. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-84584-084-6.
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