Peter Wright (born 26 May 1946)
is a retired British engineer, best known for his work in
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
motor racing between the 1960s and 1990s. He had a very significant influence on the application of
aerodynamics
Aerodynamics, from grc, ἀήρ ''aero'' (air) + grc, δυναμική (dynamics), is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dyn ...
within the sport, particularly in the development of
ground effect theory in the late 1970s while working with
Team Lotus
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport categories including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar, and sports car racing. More ...
, during which time the team produced the 1978 championship-winning
Lotus 79
The Lotus 79 is a Formula One car designed in late 1977 by Colin Chapman, Geoff Aldridge, Martin Ogilvie, Tony Rudd, Tony Southgate and Peter Wright of Lotus. The Lotus 79 was the first F1 car to take full advantage of ground effects aerod ...
.
After retiring from the sport in 1994, Wright was employed as a technical consultant to its governing body, the
FIA, and was head of their Safety Commission for a number of years.
References
1946 births
Living people
British engineers
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