Adapted from GMM
Team Lotus on Monday revealed its 2011 car, it is actually called T128, not TL11 as was previously announced.
"Why the change of name? Because we are continuing with history. We are a new dynasty but tradition continues," wrote team boss Tony Fernandes on Twitter.
Last year, the team - then called Lotus Racing under official license from the Proton-owned carmaker Group Lotus - raced its 2010 car with the T127 designation.
T127 was the continuation of the original Lotus team's traditional vehicle designation system, and it was thought that the reversion to TL11 for this year was to avoid yet another clash with Group Lotus amid the naming dispute.
Indicating that the designation of the 2011 car was an issue right until the T128's reveal very early on Monday morning, the launch magazine made no mention of the two variations.
In an edition of its online magazine Team Lotus Notes, the team published the first photographs of the new green and gold T128 featuring a Mercedes-style unconventional airbox shape.
The new livery features more yellow and prominent Renault signage, reflecting its new engine partnership with the French marque. The car itself, with a rear end supplied by Red Bull, has a high and straight nose similar to the other designs seen so far including the Ferrari and Mercedes.
"It is a much more contemporary design. The car really will be a midfield runner. It's a modern F1 car. There's been almost no carry-over of parts for the 2011 car -- it looks substantially different from last year's car. It's the basis of our cars for the future," technical boss Mike Gascoyne is quoted as saying.
Team Lotus has confirmed reports that the T128 does not feature a KERS system.
"The decision made the design job slightly easier, because packaging it in the car is always a bit more of a headache," chief designer Lewis Butler said in the Team Lotus Notes magazine.
Confirmed head of aerodynamics Marianne Hinson: "It's the same for us in aerodynamics -- no KERS is actually easier because packaging all the bits you need for it is actually quite limiting for some of the aero shapes you need in some areas."
Lotus is not ruling out installing KERS at a later date, but chief operating officer Keith Saunt suggested it is not necessary for the team to take its next step.
"If KERS was going to get us from eighth to sixth then we'd have it. But when you look at the weight of it and some of the engineering challenges, I think it's a good decision not to start with it," he said.
"We might end up with it, who knows? But if we did we've got a lot of experienced people who could turn their hands to it," added Keith Saunt.
Team Lotus on Monday revealed its 2011 car, it is actually called T128, not TL11 as was previously announced.
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"Why the change of name? Because we are continuing with history. We are a new dynasty but tradition continues," wrote team boss Tony Fernandes on Twitter.
Last year, the team - then called Lotus Racing under official license from the Proton-owned carmaker Group Lotus - raced its 2010 car with the T127 designation.
T127 was the continuation of the original Lotus team's traditional vehicle designation system, and it was thought that the reversion to TL11 for this year was to avoid yet another clash with Group Lotus amid the naming dispute.
Indicating that the designation of the 2011 car was an issue right until the T128's reveal very early on Monday morning, the launch magazine made no mention of the two variations.
In an edition of its online magazine Team Lotus Notes, the team published the first photographs of the new green and gold T128 featuring a Mercedes-style unconventional airbox shape.
 |
The new livery features more yellow and prominent Renault signage, reflecting its new engine partnership with the French marque. The car itself, with a rear end supplied by Red Bull, has a high and straight nose similar to the other designs seen so far including the Ferrari and Mercedes.
"It is a much more contemporary design. The car really will be a midfield runner. It's a modern F1 car. There's been almost no carry-over of parts for the 2011 car -- it looks substantially different from last year's car. It's the basis of our cars for the future," technical boss Mike Gascoyne is quoted as saying.
 |
Team Lotus has confirmed reports that the T128 does not feature a KERS system.
"The decision made the design job slightly easier, because packaging it in the car is always a bit more of a headache," chief designer Lewis Butler said in the Team Lotus Notes magazine.
Confirmed head of aerodynamics Marianne Hinson: "It's the same for us in aerodynamics -- no KERS is actually easier because packaging all the bits you need for it is actually quite limiting for some of the aero shapes you need in some areas."
Lotus is not ruling out installing KERS at a later date, but chief operating officer Keith Saunt suggested it is not necessary for the team to take its next step.
"If KERS was going to get us from eighth to sixth then we'd have it. But when you look at the weight of it and some of the engineering challenges, I think it's a good decision not to start with it," he said.
"We might end up with it, who knows? But if we did we've got a lot of experienced people who could turn their hands to it," added Keith Saunt.