The founder of Lotus, Chapman was an extraordinary man. He is remembered as arguably the greatest and most original racing car designer of all time, who, when he wasn’t designing, found the money and ran the team. Before committing his future to the running of Lotus he had shown considerable flair as a driver, and it was probably only his concentration on the development of his team that prevented him becoming a successful Formula One driver. Chapman was also the man who brought commercial sponsorship to Formula One. He died from a heart attack in 1982 when he was only 54. With his lightning-quick mind, Chapman often left those around him bewildered and his impatience with lesser intellects occasionally boiled over. He could be utterly charming, but his track record also revealed him to be absolutely ruthless when necessary.
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