14 replies to this topic

[Gary C]

An absolute Lotus stalwart, from the very, very beginning.
https://media.lotusc...xejYMlj2bYLfQcA

[john winfield]

Very sad news. Thanks for posting Gary.

[Tim Murray]

I’m very sorry to read this. As Lotus MD Matt Windle says in Gary’s link above: ‘Without Hazel Chapman there would be no Lotus‘.

RIP Hazel, and thank you.

[Richard Jenkins]

What a tremendous shame, just shy of the anniversary of Colin's passing.
A remarkable woman. That obituary rightly covers a number of things that she contributed but she was one of those incredible ladies who gave their husbands the means to carry on and become legends.

If Frank Williams' death was the end of an era, so too is Hazel's. Laura Ferrari, Patty McLaren, Ginny Williams, Bette Hill, Norah Tyrrell.. all gone now

[sstiel]

  What on earth is going on. 

 

Classic Team Lotus were offering a Gold Team Lotus cap for giving a nickname to a 1967 Lotus 47 GT recently. I suggested Hazel. Hope another can be given that. 

Edited by sstiel, 14 December 2021 - 17:08.

[Myhinpaa]

Very sad news, may her soul rest in peace.

 

A very nice photo from the Lotus obituary Gary C linked to.

 

Edited by Myhinpaa, 14 December 2021 - 17:13.

[cpbell]

She will be missed around these parts as she was occasionally, until recently, to be found patronising local shops.  R.I.P/.

Edited by cpbell, 14 December 2021 - 22:05.

[blackmme]

Terribly sad news, and utmost condolences to the Chapman family. 

 

Her importance and influence on Lotus is rather understated I think.  

I'm sure many will have first hand stories of Hazel mine sadly are only second hand but my favourite is from when Peter Warr was planning to protest Nigel Mansell's Williams for overtaking Senna under a yellow flag on his way to his first Grand Prix Win at Brands in 85.  Apparently Hazel told Peter in no uncertain terms that 'We will not be protesting Nigel!'

 

RIP Hazel and thank you for playing a big part in an important story.  As cpbell mentioned we proudly claim as her as a Norfolk Girl.

 

Regards Mike 

[RogerFrench]

Very sad. I can even remember her driving at Silverstone, though not the event. Condolences to the family.

[JacnGille]

Sad news

[Doug Nye]

Oh my.

 

How terribly sad for the family - even more so at this time of this already horrible year. My sincerest condolences to son Clive, his sister Jane - poor Sarah having passed way some years ago, a tragic event which unforgivably slipped my mind in my original well-meaning knee-jerk post here - and their families...

DCN

[cooper997]

 

My condolences to the Chapman family and friends.

 

 

Stephen

[mariner]

So sad but a wonderful life living until  94 . As everybody has said she was so fundamental to the whole Lotus story in her support and, I suspect, counsel to Colin Chapman.

 

It's easy to forget that she remained the Team Principal of Team Lotus for several years after Colin's death, and without being a records expert I imagine she could count more  GP wins as a Team  Principal than many of the mega bucks teams strutting around F1 today .

 

I actually had the pleasure of meeting her in 2015 when she was guest of honour at the unveiling of plaque at the Monster Gym at Cheshunt to Jim Clark's 1965 Indy win. She came across as  such a lively and interesting person , During the general chat she sat with my son and his partner and discussed at great depth her love for the magnificent  garden she created a East Carlton Manor , all done from a one time pig farm. 

 

My other memory is of her sitting on one of the huge workout machines in the Gym posing for "workout" pic at 89 - still a sense a of fun.

 

The local Norwich paper , the EDP, has this very nice and long obituary for her 

 

https://www.edp24.co...tribute-8565658

[cooper997]

Early Lotus fanciers should have the April 1995 Thoroughbred & Classic Cars issue for the Lotus content, including this Liz Turner feature on Hazel.

 

 

 

 

Stephen

[cpbell]

So sad but a wonderful life living until  94 . As everybody has said she was so fundamental to the whole Lotus story in her support and, I suspect, counsel to Colin Chapman.

 

It's easy to forget that she remained the Team Principal of Team Lotus for several years after Colin's death, and without being a records expert I imagine she could count more  GP wins as a Team  Principal than many of the mega bucks teams strutting around F1 today .

 

I actually had the pleasure of meeting her in 2015 when she was guest of honour at the unveiling of plaque at the Monster Gym at Cheshunt to Jim Clark's 1965 Indy win. She came across as  such a lively and interesting person , During the general chat she sat with my son and his partner and discussed at great depth her love for the magnificent  garden she created a East Carlton Manor , all done from a one time pig farm. 

 

My other memory is of her sitting on one of the huge workout machines in the Gym posing for "workout" pic at 89 - still a sense a of fun.

 

The local Norwich paper , the EDP, has this very nice and long obituary for her 

 

https://www.edp24.co...tribute-8565658

Great stuff!