Editing Jacky Ickx (section)

===Lotus (1974–1975)===
[[File:Jacky Ickx 1974 Race of Champions 3.jpg|thumb|Ickx at the [[1974 Race of Champions]]]]
When Ickx signed with [[Team Lotus]] in 1974, a difficult period awaited. Lotus had problems replacing the successful but ageing [[Lotus 72]] (which debuted in 1970) with the troublesome [[Lotus 76]] and, during the opening races of the championship, Ickx only managed a solitary third place in [[1974 Brazilian Grand Prix|Brazil]]. Ickx demonstrated that he was still the Rain Master when he won the non-championship [[1974 Race of Champions|Race of Champions]] at Brands Hatch after having passed [[Niki Lauda]] on the outside at Paddock Bend. After the Brazilian Grand Prix his season deteriorated, the Lotus-Ford retiring in five consecutive races until an eleventh-place finish at [[1974 Dutch Grand Prix|Zandvoort]].<ref name="ReferenceB"/> However, in mid season Ickx recovered some form, rising through the field in the [[1974 British Grand Prix|British Grand Prix]] to finish a strong third. Even better was his drive in the German Grand Prix. For most of the race Ickx dueled for fourth place with his teammate [[Ronnie Peterson]] who was using a Lotus 76, which had been grafted to the back end of a Lotus 72, [[Mike Hailwood]] in a [[McLaren M23]] and [[Jochen Mass]] in a [[Surtees Racing Organisation|Surtees]] running on his home circuit on Firestone tyres well suited to the circuit. It was a classic duel on the daunting circuit, which still lacked armco around half the track in 1974. Two laps from the end Hailwood crashed badly ending his World Championship career.{{cn|date=December 2024}} On the last two laps Ickx was getting close to third place [[Carlos Reutemann]], but on the final lap, Ronnie Peterson slipstreamed past to claim 4th. In Austria, Ickx, this time in the Lotus 76, moved up the field but went off while attempting to take [[Patrick Depailler|Depailler]] for second. In the last races of the year, tyre issues with Goodyears unsuitable for the Lotus 72 and 76 meant Lotus were not competitive.

[[1975 Formula One season|1975]] was even more disastrous for Lotus and Ickx left the team halfway through the season, even though he managed a second place in the chaotic [[1975 Spanish Grand Prix|Spanish Grand Prix]] which was overshadowed by accidents and stopped before half distance. Ickx was generally qualifying about 0.8 seconds slower than teammate Peterson. Ickx was stood down after the 1975 French GP with the promise that Chapman might re-employ him when a competitive new Lotus was ready to race. Ickx did not compete in Formula One for the remainder of 1975.