ZitatLotus launches its new E21 Formula 1 car Monday, January 28th 2013, 19:27 GMT
Lotus E21Lotus has become the first Formula 1 team to unveil its 2013 contender as it took the wraps off the E21.
The car was revealed to the world via a live broadcast on the squad's YouTube channel.
The unveiling was moved inside the Lotus factory after the team's outdoor marquee was disrupted by strong winds.
Technical director James Allison said that while the E21 looked outwardly similar to its predecessor, it had undergone plenty of changes.
"There is a lot gone into it and it is going to be an exciting car," he said.
"The rules for 2013 are very, very similar to 2012 so you can expect a lot of family resemblance from the 2012 car, but the devil is in the detail and it adds up to a significant amount of performance.
"There are lots of new ideas and same concepts we have been pushing on with for a few years."
Lotus E21The Enstone team returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since its Renault era when Kimi Raikkonen won last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ending a victory drought dating back to Fernando Alonso's Japan 2008 triumph.
In a season of resurgence for Lotus, Raikkonen was a title contender for much of the year and finished third in the world championship in his first F1 campaign since 2009.
Raikkonen stays on for 2013, with team-mate Romain Grosjean retained despite an often erratic campaign in which impressive performances were punctuated by collisions, including a Belgian GP startline pile-up that earned him a race ban for the following event in Italy.
ZitatRexona F1 ā€¸@RexonaF1 So the @Lotus_F1Team #E21 has a brand new improved steering wheel. Never seen before, it's the way of the future. pic.twitter.com/z8vNPw14
ZitatLotus E21 launch: Passive double DRS stays on new car
Lotus will run the passive DRS system that it trialled last season on the newly-launched E31.
The Enstone team tried the design for the first time in free practice for last year's German Grand Prix but despite further tests in subsequent races never raced it.
This year, systems based on exposing holes in the rear wing endplates when the DRS is deployed are outlawed, but passive versions, which rely on the car hitting a certain speed to divert airflow to stall the rear wing, are still permissible.
Despite Lotus struggling to set the 'aero switch' up to deactivate at the same speed at which it activates, technical director James Allison is confident that the concept will earn its place on the car during pre-season testing. It was not present on the launch car.
"This is an area we continue to work on and the passive nature of the switching of our device means it is not outlawed by the latest regulations," said technical director James Allison.
"It is not something which will be a silver bullet to transform our car, but it is something which could add performance as part of the overall design."
Allison also confirmed that the team has no plans to run the optional 'vanity panel' which has been introduced this year to allow teams to cover up the step in the nose.
As this part has no performance advantage and adds weight, he believes there is no benefit in fitting it.
"There is one rule which opens the possibility for a change as we will now be permitted to fit a non-structural 'vanity panel' on the upper surface of the nose as a means of avoiding the duck-bill style designs that we saw in 2012.
"However, such a panel will add a few grammes of weight and so is only likely to run on the car if a team can find a performance benefit for doing so."
ZitatLotus E21 launch: Kimi Raikkonen sure team capable of F1 titles
Kimi Raikkonen believes there is no reason why the current Lotus team line-up cannot repeat the Formula 1 title glory the squad achieved as Benetton and Renault.
The Enstone team's Abu Dhabi victory with Raikkonen last year was the first since it won the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix under the Renault banner with Fernando Alonso. It launched its 2013 car in an online event on Monday night.
Raikkonen said the outfit's title-winning pedigree was clearly evident as he settled in with Lotus last year.
"It's clear from working with them that they are racers, and you can see in their history that they've won championships," he said.
"Nothing I saw last year made me think that another championship was impossible in the future.
"Of course, there is some pretty tough competition out there and everyone wants to win.
"The team have beaten everyone before and there's nothing to say they can't do it again."
Grosjean promises to prove himself
Raikkonen's team-mate Romain Grosjean is certain he can drove his critics wrong and put his 2012 calamities behind him in his second full F1 season.
The Frenchman has been kept on for 2013 despite a series of first-lap incidents last year, including the dramatic Belgian Grand Prix crash that resulted in him being banned from the Italian round.
"I think everyone is waiting to see if I'm able to be consistent, which is where I was lacking a little bit last year," Grosjean admitted as Lotus launched its new E21.
"I know it and I'll do everything I can to prove to people that I'm able to achieve this goal."
Grosjean said he wanted to get to the end of 2013 knowing he had not squandered any chances.
"I really want to jump out of the car as many times as possible thinking that I did a good job," he explained.
"Knowing that everything I could do, I did, and feeling proud of my race or session.
"I hope to feel that way as many times as possible this year."
ZitatQ&A with Eric Bouiller By Editor on Monday, January 28, 2013
Conducted by Lotus F1 Team
How are you looking forward to 2013 and what do you hope can be achieved?
EB: I think it is fair to say that great things are possible. The leap we made from 2011 to 2012 showed what we are capable of. Add to this the continuity and potential of our driver line-up and we have a very powerful cocktail for the season ahead. Our ambitious plan to turn ourselves into one of the top teams in Formula 1 is coming to fruition and now we need to harness this with strong and regular podium results.
What advantages does the team have compared to its championship rivals?
EB: We are lean and hungry. Enstone knows how to win championships, but it is a while since we have won so we are very eager to taste glory again. We have a fantastic facility at Enstone and one which has benefitted from significant and strategic investment over the past couple of years. We have a highly accomplished technical and design team who last year produced a fantastic car, the E20. The E21 builds on this. We have a superb driver line-up with the 2007 champion, Kimi, and a hungry young gun in Romain. We have further strength in our partners and we are certainly primed and ready for action.
How do you see the driver dynamic evolving through the course of the season?
EB: We know that both drivers work well together and their skills and talents complement each other. Kimi has such a wide range of experience and he knows how to react to any situation or circumstance. Heā€™s also a superb resource technically. Romain has superb raw speed which we are confident will be harnessed in a more effective manner during races in 2013. Both are competitive individuals ā€“ as racing drivers are ā€“ and this pushes each one of them and the team to better things. It was clear how much we benefitted from having two very talented drivers in 2012 and I can only see this getting even better in 2013.
Where does the teamā€™s focus lie in 2013?
EB: It is certainly an interesting year. On the one hand, we have the season ahead and the very strong desire to achieve great things. On the other hand, we have significant technical changes around the corner in 2014 and an element of resource will naturally be focused on this area. On the track we want to achieve the very best results possible and this is true off track too. In every element of our operations we want to be the best.
Are there formal targets for 2013 and what are they?
EB: We want to do better than we did last year. 2012 was a good season for us ā€“ certainly in the context of the previous season ā€“ but we, like every team in this highly competitive sport, want to win. We want to make regular appearances on the podium, and add to our tally of appearances on the top step.
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