Lotus E21 launch: First pictures and video

2013 F1 cars

28th January 2013, 19:235th September 2023, 23:55 | Written by Keith Collantine

The Lotus E21 has become the first new F1 car of the 2013 to break cover after it was revealed by the team at its factory.

Team principal Eric Boullier said the squad are aiming for the top three in the constructors’ championship with their new car.

The E21 features a step in its nose despite teams being allowed to use a ‘vanity panel’ to cover them if they choose. Technical director James Allison said: “we have not done it yet because the cosmetic panel would weigh a few grams and with a Formula One car putting a few grams on that you don’t need to is anathema to us.

“However if we find a cosmetic panel that looks nice but, much more importantly and crucially, develops a bit of downforce, then we’ll pop it on quick as you like.”

The team have retained Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean for their 2013 campaign and the pair will start their second year together as team mates.

Also unchanged is the team’s engine supplier, Renault. This is the second car the team has produced since changing its name to Lotus.

It carries on the model designation introduced last year: the E21 is the 21st car produced by this team in its four different identities: Toleman, Benetton, Renault and Lotus.

Video: Lotus E21 laser display

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Image © Lotus/LAT

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Keith Collantine

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120 comments on “Lotus E21 launch: First pictures and video”

Nick Jarvis (@)
28th January 2013, 19:26

insanely beautiful. it looks like it’s from many years in the future, and the curves and colours are amazing.
1. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
  28th January 2013, 20:14
  
  Really? It looks like the 2012 car, but with more red.
  1. Mark Thomson (@melthom)
    28th January 2013, 20:16
    
    +1
  2. Nick Jarvis (@)
    28th January 2013, 20:37
    
    @prisoner_monkeys it’s got a much more radical look about it, it’s like one of those insane ricer pc cases you can buy for about £500 which do nothing extra. Just a bit out of the ordinary. Saying that, it’s probably got bodywork on which isn’t fully representative of the final car, such as the rear wing in the video, and the front wing looks useless.
    1. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
      28th January 2013, 23:24
      
      it’s got a much more radical look about it
      
      Compared to the launch version of the E20, sure. But this just looks like an evolution of what raced in Brazil with a little less gold paint and a little bit more red. I just don’t see what all the fuss is about; so many people are raving as if the E21 is a revolutionary design that threatens to be the class act of 2013.
  3. JCost (@jcost)
    29th January 2013, 6:22
    
    +1
2. Jayfreese (@)
  29th January 2013, 13:44
  
  Guys look closely to the steering buttons!
  1. SteveR
    29th January 2013, 16:32
    
    I especially like the ‘finish position’ selector!!
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
28th January 2013, 19:28

Unspectacular livery ruined even more. Not even in those flashy, highly photoshoped pictures the car looks good.

It’s not bad… not good either.
1. ScuderiaVincero (@scuderiavincero)
  28th January 2013, 22:45
  
  +1 on that. For one, I hoped they’d ditch the red, and another, I thought they’d get rid of the stepped nose?
2. matt90 (@matt90)
  28th January 2013, 23:33
  
  This was my take on it in the forum;
  
  I like the red actually. Because having only red endplates always looked silly to me. Introducing more red to the car makes it seem a little less like an afterthought. It also makes it look less like a cheap rip-off and more like they’re actually trying to do their own thing.
  
  I always thought this team using the JPS livery was a bit wrong, so I’d prefer they alter it like this.
Cryptowillem (@cryptowillem)
28th January 2013, 19:29

I see they decided against using a modesty panel to cover the “Owen Wilson” nose.
Cyclops_PL (@cyclops_pl)
28th January 2013, 19:31

Why the renders always make the red look pinkish? The same thing was last year. The car itself – unspectacular, nihil novi.
1. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
  29th January 2013, 3:17
  
  @cyclops_pl – It has to do with the properties of light. The colour red exists on the extreme end of the visible spectrum of light, and operates on a very short wavelength; any shorter, and it would be invisible to the naked eye (that’s why the first wavelengths outside the spectrum of light are called infra-red). Because of this short wavelength, something gets lost when the colour is photographed or filmed. If you’ve ever been to a race, you’ll notice that the Ferraris are actually a very dark red; considerably darker than they appear on television. This is because Ferrari know that there is a bigger audience watching the broadcast than there is attending the race, and so have adjusted the colour of their cars so that they appear to be the correct colour on television. It is not a problem for other colours, because as we advance up through the colour spectrum to orange, yellow, green and all the way through to violet, the wavelengths become longer and longer.
  1. DavidS (@davids)
    29th January 2013, 7:39
    
    Actually…
    The pink is a result of reflections on the panels from the studio (which is white) and also from the lights (which are also white). White + red = pink. Normally a white highlight on a red car just makes the red a little desaturated, but the image editor has bumped up the saturation on the images, which gives us magenta.
    
    Also, digital cameras (and computer screens) use three colours to create colour – Red, Green and Blue (RGB). Wavelengths around the red part of the spectrum are fairly easily rendered. Most cameras are also able to capture a little bit of IR and UV, but manufacturers put high-pass and low-pass filters on the sensors to block out those wavelengths, which will affect the overall colour of the image. You can try taking a photo of the business end of a remote control and see light.
    The amount of filtering is dependent on the manufacturer, and most let at least a little IR light through.
    
    It should be noted that in digital imaging – and for that matter, even printing – that the colour space (essentially a map of every colour) is not linear (like wavelengths), but spread out between three points (each point being Red, Green and Blue). Because of this fundamental difference in describing a particular colour, images are basically an approximation of colour.
  2. Bradley Cornish
    29th January 2013, 7:48
    
    Sorry to nit-pick, but the wavelength is longest at red and becomes shorter as you go through the visible spectrum. It is the frequency that becomes shorter as you go from red to violet (they are inversely proportional). c=λf; c is constant. As frequency increases, wavelength decreases.
    
    As frequency increases the energy also increases (E=hc/λ=hcf). It is for this reason that red is lost before other colours; it has less energy. This also occurs as you travel through water. At 50m depth you can barely see red, let alone orange and yellow.
Aimal (@aimalkhan)
28th January 2013, 19:34

I thought step noses were banned for 2013.. or is that next year ?
1. Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
  28th January 2013, 19:55
  
  Stepped noses were never “banned” – teams were given the option of using ‘vanity’ panels but as said above Lotus aren’t:
  
  FIA publishes new F1 rules for 2013 and 2014
2. Jeanrien (@jeanrien)
  28th January 2013, 19:56
  
  @aimalkhan It’s not ban, they were allowed to hide them with modesty panel as they call it. Those panels wouldn’t count in the measured height of the nose apparently. From James Alliston comment, we could also deduced they could introduce it if they can get some downforce from it (already tweaking a bit the thing)
3. Giuseppe (@giuseppe)
  28th January 2013, 21:06
  
  I’m glad to see the aesthetic freak show that the stepped nose brought last season will survive at least a while longer. Oh joy.
4. troutcor
  28th January 2013, 21:19
  
  Lotus guys said at the unveiling that covering the nose would cost them a few grams.
  Never a good idea to add weight, no matter how small.
5. BasCB (@bascb)
  28th January 2013, 22:08
  
  As Allison righthly says
  
  “However if we find a cosmetic panel that looks nice but, much more importantly and crucially, develops a bit of downforce, then we’ll pop it on quick as you like.”
  
  its function over beauty here.
  1. JimmyTheIllustratedBlindSolidSilverBeachStackapopolis III
    28th January 2013, 23:34
    
    I can save them a few grams…by giving it a wash looks like they got the diffuser fresh out of a saw mill.
    
    jokes aside i like it, it looks better than last years car.
Craig Woollard (@craig-o)
28th January 2013, 19:35

It looks like a black McLaren…
1. Rally Man (@rally-man)
  28th January 2013, 21:01
  
  Not with that hideous nose.
  1. Giuseppe (@giuseppe)
    28th January 2013, 21:07
    
    My thought exactly.
2. Serby
  28th January 2013, 21:48
  
  Don’t ever say that again >:>
  1. Shashank (@shashankferdoal)
    3rd February 2013, 6:01
    
    Mc Laren’s are far more Edgy ..u hav lost it i reckon
JamieFranklinF1 (@jamiefranklinf1)
28th January 2013, 19:35

I think it’s looks pretty good, even with the stepped-nose, which I’m kind of used to now anyway. It was a fair comment of them to say that adding a modesty panel on would be pointless, as it would be unnecessary weight. I can see maybe a couple of teams doing adding them on, but definitely not all. The likes of Red Bull and possibly Sauber come to mind.
electrolite (@electrolite)
28th January 2013, 19:37

We’ll have to see what the others come out with – but on first impressions that looks very tidy indeed. Yes, there’s more red… (in a McLaren-esque way, actually) but at least the splash of red on the wing is a lot more tasteful than the way it was done last year. The wing on this render is different the one at the launch, though, and I have a feeling the one above is purely to make it look pretty!
petebaldwin (@)
28th January 2013, 19:37

I really like the livery.. It’s a bit odd but the red used to ruin the livery – now there’s more of it, it makes much more sense and looks miles better.

I wonder if anyone’s going to go for the modesty panel? Surely someone will manage to find a way of benefiting from it and then everyone will jump in. Perhaps some teams have – I wouldn’t expect them to launch their cars with it on though if they have.
1. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
  29th January 2013, 3:11
  
  @petebaldwin
  
  I wonder if anyone’s going to go for the modesty panel?
  
  McLaren almost certainly won’t, but then, they don’t need it – their design philosophy over the past few years has centred on lower noses, and with that being the direction the regulations will go in for 2014, they won’t need a step nose.
  
  Williams have confirmed that they will not use a stepped nose; Valtteri Bottas confirmed it in an interview with a South African motoring magazine.
  
  I suspect Ferrari will use a modesty plate, since Luca di Montezemolo was one of the biggest critics of the nose shape when they first broke cover last year, and Luca tends to get what he wants.
  
  I’m guessing Red Bull won’t use the modesty plate. That vent in the stepped nose on the RB8 was there for a reason, and since it hasn’t been banned, I don’t see why they would give up on it unless it did not perform as expected.
  
  It’s a bit harder to tell with everyone else.
  1. vjanik
    29th January 2013, 15:58
    
    i think Newey will think of a way to get something out of the modesty panel.
2. JCost (@jcost)
  29th January 2013, 6:28
  
  I like the way they higlight driver’s name.
  1. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
    29th January 2013, 9:26
    
    Really? It took me a good five minutes to figure out that it says “Kimi” and not “Himl”.
    1. firstLapNutcaseGrosjean (@)
      29th January 2013, 14:12
      
      @prisoner-monkeys Man, you are so anti-Raikkonen, in all you’re comments. I wonder who you like most. Vettel?? Man…
      1. Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
        29th January 2013, 21:00
        
        @sorin – If you look at his profile you can easily find which driver he supports.
    2. Kohem (@kohem)
      29th January 2013, 22:23
      
      It is a shame that you took more than five minutes to understand that. That was the first thing I saw. But yes, nice looking.. looks like a winner car, who knows..
Phil Wright (@05mpwright)
28th January 2013, 19:38

Despite some negative comments I actually really like it. I quite like the additional red too, and the stepped-nose doesn’t really bother me, I got used to them last year! Can’t wait to see the other cars now!
IrishF1 (@)
28th January 2013, 19:39

First they change the gold to beige. Now they add some unnecessary red. It’s not a dreadful livery but not as good as last year’s or the one they had in the first half of 2011. Anyway who really cares about looks I hope they pick up at least two or three wins with this one!
Eddie (@wackyracer)
28th January 2013, 19:41

So we gonna see stepped noses again? Q_Q
William Brierty
28th January 2013, 19:43

Thank God I’m not the only one somewhat underwhelmed. Okay it has a rather nice RBRish exhaust exit, but the front is identical, including the “platypus nose”, and for some the livery has been unnecessarily changed. Actually I hate the red. However as my deity Martin Brundle says, some cars, like the MP4-27 and the F2008, just look fast; and E21 looks very fast.
Estesark (@estesark)
28th January 2013, 19:43

Not awful, but I preferred last year’s design. Three colours is more difficult to pull off than two colours, definitely.
Atticus (@atticus-2)
28th January 2013, 19:47

The renders smartly leave out the front suspension rod. One would not know it is a conventional push-rod suspension, if he or she had not seen the launch.

I’m also impressed to see the emphaisis the McLaren-esque vertical fins got on the front wing instead of the small additional winglets. On the other hand, I expected more vertices on the wing. Mind you, the whole construction will likely be totally different for Melbourne, we cannot know what specification this is.

I’m also surprised by the lack of a passive DRS device, but then again, it might pop up during the tests some time.
1. andae23 (@andae23)
  28th January 2013, 19:51
  
  @atticus-2 if you look closely, you see that the car they launched is different from the car in the images above. The rendered car features additional inlet ducts above the driver’s head, which was part of Lotus’ ‘device’ last year. So, I’m guessing that they will retain the passive DRS device.
2. Jeanrien (@jeanrien)
  28th January 2013, 23:53
  
  @atticus-2 @andae23 I have payed attention to this as well … and as andae mention, you clearly have 2 sets of pics and what’s interesting is also that you can’t see the duct going from the intake to the rear wing. no pics featuring the car with intake allow us to see that part and on the one without intake it’s vacant without any surprise.
  So I’m pretty sure they kept the so called “Device” from last year …
Marco Rizzi
28th January 2013, 19:47

Congratulations to F1 fanantic, for putting this story out before many other F1 blogs.
Fast work. You are the first of the launch coverers.

The car? Could have put on a nose cover just for the launch.
Still no sign of any sponsor spelling “H. O. N. E. Y. W. E. …..etc”
1. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
  28th January 2013, 23:43
  
  Apparently that deal is still a long way from being completed.
andae23 (@andae23)
28th January 2013, 19:48

Regarding the livery: apart from the fact it looks like a dark 2011 HRT, I’m actually starting to like the livery. There’s more black on the car, which I find very, very nice on an F1 car (like the old Shadows, DN11 to name one), especially the front and rear wing look a lot nicer. The red is a bit to prominent for my taste though. I find it a shame that they haven’t decided to stick with the classic black and gold JPS livery.

About the actual car: they clearly focussed on the sidepods and the exhaust for this year’s car. Funny is that the images above are significantly different from the car that was launched half an hour ago. The exhaust in both images feature a ramp and a tunnel, like Red Bull had last year. But the most significant thing is their ‘Device’: the launched car didn’t feature it, but the images clearly show the inlets around the main air inlet above the driver’s head, similar to the old car. So my guess is that the car will have something like that at the first test. Also liked the integration of the Sauber wings with the eyebrow fins on top of the sidepods.

Then moving on to the launch: fantastic that they launched it online, it’s fantastic for us fans to witness the actual moment! I have some remarks though: I was a bit disappointed that the technical analysis didn’t go any deeper than “the details add up” and “still a stepped nose?”. And I found it a real shame that images of the E21 were leaked before the actual launch. But all in all, I’m very excited! 2013 is go, go, go!!!
1. andae23 (@andae23)
  28th January 2013, 20:16
  
  Regarding the device: what do you know, Allison has just confirmed to Autosport that they will run the device.
  http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105312
2. heX
  29th January 2013, 9:20
  
  They should put the red in subtler, red stripes (like at the front wing, looks great!)
  
  The way they just blatantly splashed red on the sidepods and air intake just blatantly looks out of place really.
--- (@brazil2007)
28th January 2013, 19:49

The change in the amount of red over the last couple of years can be used to conclusively prove that Ferraris evolve from Renaults.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
28th January 2013, 19:51

First of many cars that just evolve last year’s one a bit, I guess.
No need to cover that stepped nose up – once again the black and gold hides it well – and the step makes the number show up better.

I’m sure the red will grow on me. It’ll look good with super softs on!

Always good to see the driver’s name in big letters – the numbers keep changing so they’re meaningless these days anyway. Shame they couldn’t use a readable font though! That could say ‘Himl’, another new sponsor to go with ‘Bum’.
1. N
  28th January 2013, 20:05
  
  “Always good to see the driver’s name in big letters – the numbers keep changing so they’re meaningless these days anyway. Shame they couldn’t use a readable font though! That could say ‘Himl’, another new sponsor to go with ‘Bum’.”
  
  I’m sure the driver names are just place-holders, i’d expect there to be sponsors names/logos there come the first race.
2. Duchess (@duchess)
  29th January 2013, 3:22
  
  I personally wish F1 teams would go back to using more visible car numbers like Williams did in 2011. Sure, the numbers may change each season but it still helps loads when you’re trying to keep a grip on the race action. Of course, it is a bit more handy when watching F1 in person compared to on tv, but I do appreciate it! :\
SD (@sd)
28th January 2013, 19:51

This car looks like a 2012 HRT near the sidepods. Hope the similarities end there.
photozen (@photozen)
28th January 2013, 19:51

I feel the livery is ok, not a great graphics achievement but fairly clean. Seems like 2 shades of gold the red for some reason doesn’t look at bad as last year. I noticed all images avoid a close look at the side pods, and a lot of it seems a bit McLarenesque, but overall a pretty sleek new Lotus F1 car and we will see what Kimi and Romain can do with it soon. The announcer for the launch seemed a bit off, but all in all a good launch and again, a pretty sleek new Lotus.
Rick Lopez (@viscountviktor)
28th January 2013, 19:54

Are these graphics fake, the exhaust dosen’t look real?
1. andae23 (@andae23)
  28th January 2013, 20:18
  
  Yes, it’s a render
Russell Gould (@russellgould)
28th January 2013, 19:55

Not all the photos have front suspension pieces obscured. It looks to be very tidy, in an aero sense. And look at those crazy turning vanes extending down from the front hubs. Nice wings on front suspension components should give some additional bite.

As a contender, it looks to have all the right pieces, including drivers.
Slr (@slr)
28th January 2013, 20:04

I’m disappointed to see the stepped-nose, but whatever works for them.

When I saw the livery, initially I was like “what on earth is this”, but now I think it looks great. Black and red has always gone well together I believe.
1. N
  28th January 2013, 20:07
  
  I’ve always liked the black/red.
  
  I’ve read on another site that potential reason for stepped nose still is that they’ve found some performance gain from the ‘modesty’ panel and dont wanna give it away yet.
Antony Butler (@butler_f1)
28th January 2013, 20:05

Get rid of the red on the side and it would be properly pretty, last years car was the best shapes and i like the new gold bits, much more subtle, just the red sidepods…

So, i fixed it https://twitter.com/Butler_F1/status/295982437740195840/photo/1

Unfortunately im not quick enough to photoshop the live stream video so it’ll be red during the races.
Kyle Nicolas (@ra168e)
28th January 2013, 20:11

“It’s ok..” – Kimi Raikkonen
1. nidzovski (@nidzovski)
  28th January 2013, 22:36
  
  :)))
Master
28th January 2013, 20:12

It’s a E20 Hybrid, not true E21 yet. (Like Lotus did in 2012 Launch pretending R31 Hybrid was a new E20) Let’s wait til Lotus put its new real car on track.
1. robfff
  28th January 2013, 22:58
  
  It goes without saying…
  
  All the cars released will be PR versions and not really what we will see at the track.
Fisha695 (@fisha695)
28th January 2013, 20:13

My thoughts on the extra Red is that it is there because the team now has sponsorship from Coca-Cola via their “Burn” energy drink.
1. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
  29th January 2013, 3:58
  
  @fisha695 – If that were the case, the red would be centred on the Burn logos. Looking at the car, the increased red in the livery couldn’t be further away from those logos.
  
  Besides, this is what a can of Burn looks like. Their colours are black, gold and orange. No red.
  1. Fisha695 (@fisha695)
    29th January 2013, 9:55
    
    Yes but Burn is a Coca-Cola product that is only sold in a few countries, the extended red will have the defacto “hey that’s the Coke car” response from people pretty much universally across the globe. Putting the red around the Burn logos wouldn’t work because as you said their logo (specifically the upper part of the flame) contains orange which would get lost in the red.
melkurion (@melkurion)
28th January 2013, 20:15

Last year I said the E20 looked ot innovatice and that it would probably be uncompettative. I was made to eat those words, which is a good thing, bcs I really support his team!

This one looks underwhelmong too… but! I like the livery, was ecpecting to see the “Burn”brand featured more prominently though…

All in all, I like :D
Mike the bike Schumacher (@mike-the-bike-schumacher)
28th January 2013, 20:21

Not using the ‘vanity panel’ because

the panel would add weight to the car.

Proper motor racing attitude :)
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
28th January 2013, 20:23

I like it. The red looks good, especially on the sidepods. The front wing also looks cool. It’d be nice to se it without the stepped nose but I always thought it was the best of a bad bunch anyway.
Master firelee (@master-firelee)
28th January 2013, 20:31

Is it just me or does the step in the nose look like it’s a little further back than last years? maybe they’ve found a use for the ‘vanity panel’?, probably just my eyes playing tricks on me but damn the back end looks sleek, and I like the little more red in the livery.
1. andae23 (@andae23)
  29th January 2013, 8:00
  
  I have also heard speculation that they will introduce the vanity panel, but don’t want to show it yet as to not give away any hints to their competitors. Personally, I think this is nonsense: the nose cone is pretty much not a key area for improvement (except possibly the height and surface of the underside of the nose). Also looking at the 2014 regulations, it seems a bit unnecessary to focus on the nose as the regulations for it will change for next year anyway.
xivizmath (@xivizmath)
28th January 2013, 20:33

>the nose

Nooooope.
Matty No 2 (@mattynotwo)
28th January 2013, 20:43

It looks ok I suppose, not a big fan of the red on it, I don’t really mind the step nose.
nidzovski (@nidzovski)
28th January 2013, 20:53

No team will show the final version of the 2013 car before the first race for sure. And the rules hasn’t change a lot. Expect the radical change by the teams that didn’t hit the spot last year.
PieLighter (@pielighter)
28th January 2013, 20:54

That’s gorgeous.
PieLighter (@pielighter)
28th January 2013, 20:54

Noticed Kimi’s name up by the T-pod.
^Mo^
28th January 2013, 20:55

Love the steering wheel LOL
FlyingLobster27
28th January 2013, 20:57

Anyone else noticed the mock-up steering wheel? No prizes for guessing what the “Ice Cream” or “Angry Bird” buttons do… aaaaand I just got the joke for the one labelled “Jenson”. What a groaner. :D
smifaye (@)
28th January 2013, 20:58

To me it looks like two cars. Look at the side view. The back half and the front half just dont match. The back is nice and sleek and then the front has a stupid boxey look to it

Such is modern f1 today i guess
sbl on tour (@sbl-on-tour)
28th January 2013, 21:12

looks as if its going to be pretty quick and thats what its all about, the little wing on the side look a little strange, wonder if they can move/ or are allowed to move
1. andae23 (@andae23)
  29th January 2013, 8:03
  
  It’s a very functional little wing, as it aids the flow towards the exhaust. That being said, I do think McLaren and Sauber found a much more elegant solution.
Russell (@robo09)
28th January 2013, 21:29

The picture of the steering wheel is funny, you can tell it’s kimis with the ‘Ice Cream’ ‘Sat Nav’ ‘Deploy Angry Birds’ buttons and even the ‘Jenson’ button is funny which didn’t click until I proof read what I’m typing here, lol
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
28th January 2013, 21:38

Technical director James Allison said: “we have not done it yet because the cosmetic panel would weigh a few grams and with a Formula One car putting a few grams on that you don’t need to is anathema to us.

Really? That in my opinion is not at all a valid excuse: they build the cars to far below the minimum weight limit then ballast them to bring it up to the weight limit, so “a few grams” would make absolutely no difference at all. I could understand if having the vanity panel made for an aerodynamic deficit but the weight excuse is ridiculous in my opinion. In all honesty they should be doing a justice to their fans by not having the step which may increase sponsor appeal.
1. Lemon (@lemon)
  28th January 2013, 22:07
  
  That’s an interesting point, although dont they only add ballast if the driver deosnt bring the weight up to the minimum weight, what if Kimi and Grosjean do.. Having said that a few grams is still nothing kimis ice creams pre-race would make more difference than that!
  1. Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
    28th January 2013, 22:14
    
    @lemon – precisely! I imagine the panel would be carbon fibre which means, judging by the size and thickness it would have to be it would weigh about the same as half a bag of crisps! I know F1’s all about pushing everything to the limits but surely that would make no difference?!
2. Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
  28th January 2013, 23:54
  
  @vettel1
  
  “a few grams” would make absolutely no difference at all
  
  You’re right in saying the grams have to go somewhere, but it’s better to have them as ballast located as close to the centre of gravity as possible, and not high up on the car in a place where extra weight is more disadvantageous.
  1. Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
    29th January 2013, 8:04
    
    @keithcollantine – granted, I do feel however that a team will find an aerodynamic advantage as Allison has suggested and so helpfully everyone will follow suit then!
3. andae23 (@andae23)
  29th January 2013, 8:13
  
  It’s not just about that few grams: it’s about increasing the car’s moment of inertia. On one hand, you have the ‘roll’ of the car: the lower the centre of gravity (loosely speaking), the less strain will be put on the anti-roll bars, so these can in turn be lighter. Secondly you have the ‘pitch’ of the car: and again as the modesty panel is placed towards the front of the car, this adds to the car’s moment of inertia massively, even though it is only a very light panel.
  
  Considering that the stepped nose doesn’t create that much drag already and that it doesn’t affect the structure of the car at all, there is simply no real advantage of putting on a modesty panel. Only if it can serve a certain aerodynamic function, it would be worth placing it on the car.
  1. Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
    29th January 2013, 21:10
    
    @andae23 Indeed, although it’s hardly a huge penalty! We could apply that logic to Vettel’s L.E.D’s in Singapore: they probably weighed more than the modesty panel would and are higher, hence the inertial effect would be greater – didn’t stop him from winning the race though did it? ;)
    
    I can fully understand where Allison is coming from but I would like to see the teams play ball and provide respite for the fans’ eyes, who indirectly are the ones funding their efforts. I’m hoping that one of the teams will find an aerodynamic gain from the panel and all the other teams will follow suit!
Patrick (@patrickrigby)
28th January 2013, 21:53

Lotus is supposed to be black and gold. The end.
Ben (@scuderia29)
28th January 2013, 22:07

the red on the side pods really is far too mclaren-esque
Gaston (@gastonmazzacane)
28th January 2013, 22:40

I have a couple of questions, if I may. 1# Why is there a ”Kimi” ”sponsor” on the top of the car. Is it like it was on older Mclaren’s or is there actually a sponsor Kimi? And why not adding a vanity panel, sure it adds some weight, but again not that much, and isn’t a step on the nose causing more air resistance that a vanity panel would? tnx
1. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
  28th January 2013, 23:59
  
  Why is there a ”Kimi” ”sponsor” on the top of the car. Is it like it was on older Mclaren’s or is there actually a sponsor Kimi?
  
  It’s not a sponsor, or a substitute for a tobacco brand. It’s there to identify the driver. I imagine that Grosjean’s car will have “Romain” in the same spot.
  1. GeeMac (@geemac)
    29th January 2013, 8:17
    
    Could it not also be a place holder for Honeywell? Granted the deal is a way off being done, but that (along with the sidepod) is a prominent spot and it is the right colour.
    1. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
      29th January 2013, 9:30
      
      @geemac – The Honeywell deal is said to be a title sponsorship arrangement. I doubt they would be happy with such a tiny logo. I know AT&T did it with Williams, but that was a very specific and unusual sponsorship arrangement. I have seen this mock-up of what a Honeywell livery might look like, which I tihnk is much more likely if it happens (with the Genii decal on the empty space under the Total branding on the rear wing).
      1. GeeMac (@geemac)
        29th January 2013, 9:59
        
        Interesting. The sidepod is a far more likely (and far more prominent) spot so it does make a good deal of sense. Genii do have their spot on the front wishbones, so even if they didn’t make it to the rear wing they wouldn’t be completely unrepresented on the car.
      2. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
        29th January 2013, 10:38
        
        @geemac – Genii did try and sell the team off last year, but the buyers lost interest because Genii put the price up after Raikkonen’s win in Abu Dhabi. That’s probably what triggered the Burn and Honeywell deals, and would explain why Lotus will (reportedly) only have a similar budget this year compared to what they had in 2012, even with the Burn and Honeywell deals.
Brace (@brace)
28th January 2013, 23:24

I find it a bit insulting that the owners of the team that won more championships in the last 20 years then even McLaren feel they need to rebrand their team to something allegedly better.
Enston team has earned its place in F1 history and it made champions of no lesser names then Schumacher and Alonso. I mean, those are probably two strongest drivers to come in the last 20 years. It’s the team that made the “dream team” with Schumacher, Ross, Byrne and of course Flav. I’d find it ok to call it Renault since Renault has been with the team through last 19 years, but I think it should be called Enstone or something that reflects the team, because that team (as a group of people, not just a name for the sake of vanity) has a lot to be proud of.

And to finish on a high, this is the team that gave debut to one and only Ayrton Senna.

To insist on calling it Lotus, because they feel Enstone team is not good enough in its own right, is an insult to all the people that have, over the last 3 decades, made this team into what it is today. And that is, one of the most successful constructors in recent times, with altogether 7 championships.
1. Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
  29th January 2013, 0:00
  
  I’m with you insofar as I think it’s daft they call themselves Lotus, but:
  
  because they feel Enstone team is not good enough in its own right
  
  When did they say that was the reason for it?
2. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
  29th January 2013, 0:02
  
  @brace – I’m pretty sure they could rename the team “Enstone” if they wanted to. However, they would have no money. The entire point of joining with Lotus in the first place was a title sponsorship deal. Without it, there is no money. Without any money, there is no way to race.
tmax (@tmax)
28th January 2013, 23:58

Reporter : Kimi , Did you like the look of the car ?

Kimi : what ?????

Reporter : Did you like the look of the car ?

Kimi : why the **** do I care ?
tmax (@tmax)
28th January 2013, 23:59

Black & Gold looks good … Hope it is fast too !!!! That way we can get some good action from Kimi ….
Abdurahman (@)
29th January 2013, 1:23

I’m liking it, I think it looks striking. But we all have different opinions that is life! Making me excited for Feb. 1!
rpiian (@rpiian)
29th January 2013, 2:58

I always thought the E20 was a handsome car even with the stepped nose. I like the E21, but the red really seems out of place…
--- (@brazil2007)
29th January 2013, 3:45

This has already grown on me. It looks amazing.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
29th January 2013, 5:42

With regards to the livery, I’m liking it more and more the longer I look at it. However, it is still nowhere near perfect – I think more red and less gold would look even better. And the angle and positioning of the CLEAR logo looks ridiculous. I really wish I had some aptitude with graphics programmes, because I’ve got a really good idea for what the livery could look like, but no way of showing it without describing it in detail.
andae23 (@andae23)
29th January 2013, 8:27

What really bugged me out during the launch is the way Lotus claims their history to be. I believe it was Boullier that said that the team has had many successes in the past: “Jim Clark, Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso”. I was confused when I heard that, until I realized that they now claim that they are the classic Team Lotus as well as the old Toleman-Benetton-Renault team. This means that they have ‘won’ eleven titles in the past: 7 by Lotus, 2 by Benetton and 2 by Renault.

What I want from team Enstone is that they stop claiming that they have anything to do with Team Lotus. They are sponsored by Lotus Cars, they are not Team Lotus. And now they have even made a complete mockery of the brilliant JPS livery. This just hurts
1. BaKano (@bakano)
  29th January 2013, 10:16
  
  They’re no longer sponsored by Lotus Cars (or Group Lotus) although they keep the name (and Lotus written in big letter on the car) which continues to surprise me…
2. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
  29th January 2013, 10:35
  
  @andae23
  
  What I want from team Enstone is that they stop claiming that they have anything to do with Team Lotus. They are sponsored by Lotus Cars, they are not Team Lotus.
  
  So long as they are associated with Lotus Cars, they will continue to claim to be Team Lotus. It is, after all, what Lotus Cars wants.
  1. andae23 (@andae23)
    29th January 2013, 10:58
    
    @prisoner-monkeys Yup, that’s what sponsorship is all about: making yourself look as good as possible.
MW (@)
29th January 2013, 9:55

Is that a push rod suspension front and back?
1. andae23 (@andae23)
  29th January 2013, 10:25
  
  @mw Push rods at the front, pull rods at the rear
Funkyf1 (@funkyf1)
29th January 2013, 10:27

The launch is all about visual impressions. Anyone who thinks this is the exact car that will take to the track come test day must of been born yesterday.
Lorenzo24
29th January 2013, 12:19

ROFLOL about the steering wheel
the_sigman (@sigman1998)
29th January 2013, 13:03

The best part of the launch was when the presenter asked GRO if he knows what was under the cover.
Matt Somerfield (@somersf1)
29th January 2013, 13:29

From a technical perspective the car is clearly an evolution of the E20 albeit with what would appear to be a longer wheelbase perhaps to alter the centre of pressure based on the change of exhaust solution. There are some discrepancies between the physical launch car and some of the renderings with 2 different types of exhaust, 2 different Front Wings and altered Sidepod Vortex Generators / Wings. So it will be interesting to see what spec is used at the tests and/or whether they have multiple physical iterations to decide upon. Hopefully Keith won’t mind me adding a link to my short analysis of the car and the differences between the physical and rendered cars: http://somersf1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/lotus-e21-launch-car-analysis.html

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