• Lotus news

Lotus unveils E21

ESPN Staff
January 28, 2013 « Wolff continues in Williams role | Raikkonen confident of title challenge »
The new Lotus E21 features a stepped nose like last year's car © Lotus F1 Team
Enlarge

Lotus has become the first team to unveil its 2013 car as it launhced the E21 at its factory in Enstone.

The team launched the car via its YouTube channel, with the new car still featuring the stepped nose and also featuring the Coanda-effect exhausts it introduced towards the end of 2012. Technical director James Allison said that the car may look similar to its predecessor but that a number of features beneath the bodywork are different to the E20.

"I can assure you we've done a lot," Allison told Sky Sports. "The whole team here has been working heart and soul on this thing for a long time. But first to launch is nice … there's a lot that's go in to it and it's going to be an exciting car.

"The rules in 2013 are very, very similar to those in 2012 so you can expect a lot of family resemblance from 2012. But as always in Formula One the devil is in the detail and it adds up to a significant amount of performance. There are lots of new ideas and some concepts which we've been pushing on with for a few years.""

Lotus finished fourth in the constructors' championship last season and team principal Eric Boullier confirmed the aim this year remained improving on that result.

"We will try [to challenge for wins] definitely," Boullier said. "Third place is at least an achievement we will have for next year. We would like to build on the momentum from 2012 … everyone here at Enstone is really, really keen to improve on 2012."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
ESPN Staff Close