Damon Hill

F1 World Champion 1996. Guitarist/Golfer/Surfer. Investor in @ZeroPetroleum and proud joint founder of @halowproject Photo Credit @ElPitWall

[Damon Hill @HillF1]

Bloody hell! What is that???? 😳

[WRCPAST @WRCPAST]

🇬🇧 Lotus 102C Isuzu V12 Test

In 1991, Team Lotus secretly tested an experimental V12 Formula One engine developed by Isuzu. This project, which remains a fascinating "what-if" in motorsport history, centered on the Isuzu P799WE engine. 

The Engine (P799WE):

A 75-degree, naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V12 designed by a small, four-person team at Isuzu. It was impressively powerful, producing between 640 and 765 bhp depending on the stage of development, which was competitive with the top engines of the era. 

The Chassis (Lotus 102C):

To test the engine, Lotus modified its 102B chassis to accommodate the V12, renaming the resulting car the Lotus 102C. 

The Test:

The car underwent system checks at the Hethel test track in late July and early August 1991. The primary on-track evaluation took place at Silverstone in early August 1991, with drivers Johnny Herbert and Mika Häkkinen conducting the tests. 

Performance:

During the Silverstone test, the car was reportedly around six seconds off the pace of Ayrton Senna’s McLaren-Honda.

Several factors contributed to this: the engine lacked an alternator (requiring heavy onboard batteries), the chassis was not optimized for the new V12, and the car was not running on specialized racing fuel or tires. 

Reliability: Despite the gap in lap times, the engine proved remarkably reliable during testing and was considered easy to work with by the Lotus mechanics.

Economic Collapse:

The project coincided with the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble. This economic instability, combined with Isuzu witnessing the struggles of other Japanese manufacturers (like Yamaha and Subaru) in F1, led them to cancel their entry into the sport. 

Isuzu eventually displayed the P799WE engine in a concept vehicle called the Isuzu Como F1, a radical mid-engine pickup truck unveiled at the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show. While the F1 program never materialized, the P799WE remains a symbol of Isuzu's ambitious engineering capabilities during that era. Today, one of the few surviving examples of the engine is kept at the Tamiya headquarters and the Isuzu Plaza museum.

🎥 @F1

#cars #japan #Isuzu #lotus

[Damon Hill @HillF1]

@USGA Legend

[Adam Cooper @adamcooperF1]

Adrian Newey has confirmed that the @AstonMartinF1 update package is coming for Hungary, the team having been vague up to now: "We plan to introduce our upgrade in Hungary on both cars. The main structural elements remain the same – the chassis and gearbox architecture don't fundamentally change – but we've taken weight out of both, which required re-homologating and crash testing the forward chassis.

"The front suspension is unchanged. The rear suspension is slightly revised. We've developed a new nose and substantially revised aerodynamic surfaces. So, while the core structure is similar, it's a big aerodynamic package coupled with significant weight reduction. The target is to get very close to the weight limit."

[Damon Hill @HillF1]

@popsyosh34 My kinda gal 💪🏻🥲 RIP

[🇬🇧 POPS-YOSH 34 🏁 ヨシムラ モリワキ @popsyosh34]

🇬🇧8️⃣6️⃣🏁
Penelope Keith 🙏 RIP

[Silverstone @SilverstoneUK]

OUR TURN 🙌

RACE WEEK HAS ARRIVED 🇬🇧

#BritishGP #F1

[Damon Hill @HillF1]

@frentzen_hh I hope its not too late now, but well done on that win! You may remember I suggested you should have been talking to McLaren and you looked surprised. Anyway, great win. 👏🏼👍🏻

[Autosport @autosport]

This is what Silverstone looked like when it hosted the first ever Formula One Grand Prix in 1950 🎥

[Formula 1 @F1]

IT'S RACE WEEK IN GREAT BRITAIN 🇬🇧🙌

Silverstone awaits! 🤩

#F1 #BritishGP

[Damon Hill @HillF1]

@FreemanLowell01 @NetoDemetriou Yes, but who took it?

[Damon Hill @HillF1]

@adamcooperF1 @alo_oficial And the evidence for that is ....? Please expand.

[Harry Kane @HKane]

Solid performance, clean sheet and top of the group. Onto the Round of 32 👊

Proud moment for me to become England’s all-time leading goalscorer at the @fifaworldcup, special milestone to achieve 🦁🦁🦁

[Damon Hill @HillF1]

@Scaramucci @GoalhangerHQ 😂👏🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⚽️

[Anthony Scaramucci @Scaramucci]

Carrying some @GoalhangerHQ England loyalties here in NY! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[Formula 1 @F1]

GEORGE RUSSELL IS ON POLE IN AUSTRIA!! 🥇👏

#F1 #AustrianGP

[Damon Hill @HillF1]

@F1 Pretty good pole there. Some hot competition for it. 👍🏻👏🏼

[Damon Hill @HillF1]

@TheTweetOfGod What ever happened to infinity?

[Damon Hill @HillF1]

@frentzen_hh No snails when you were racing 😉

[Damon Hill @HillF1]

@MrJamesMay Well said, neatly put, cleverly inverted. Like Aikido.

[Damon Hill @HillF1]

@johnnyherbertf1 You be careful in that thing!