Timing is everything, especially in Formula 1, and the Lotus F1 team wanted to wait for the perfect time to unleash the new E23 onto the track at Jerez, and to the public. Arriving late to the test, Lotus, who unveiled their new car on January 26th, and turned it over for the first time on January 31st at their facilities at Enstone, stated they will, “take to the track with this car as soon as we are ready from an engineering perspective.” This careful and meticulous attention to detail will hopefully pay off for the team who has, as of the last season or two, been struggling.
The E23, however, is a new car and a new beginning for the legendary team. They have switched from the Renault engine to the bigger, more reliable Mercedes Benz power unit. In addition, every aspect of the team have been diligently working to create a better balanced, more responsive, and of course faster car. Team Technical Director Nick Chester called the E23 “one of the most technically advanced cars to have come out of Enstone”, going on to say that the E23 “represents a massive step forward” for the team, a step that the team is optimistic will carry them into the future of Formula 1.
In order to build the new car, Lotus took all the problem areas with which they struggled last season and dismantled them, attempting to deal with each of them one by one. They logged countless hours in the wind tunnel working on aerodynamics, as well as working on packaging and cooling. The team also took the battles they engaged in last season with their suspension (including the mid-season ruling against their former front-rear interconnected suspension system) and used the information they garnered to generate a new suspension system that is more flexible and powerful and up to date with the latest F1 rules. The team believes they are set up to fair much better in this F1 season with Nick Chester commenting that, “We won’t know how our car will fare in relative terms until we’re out in action at a Grand Prix, but we certainly expect to be much more competitive than last year.”
The Lotus F1 team sits on the cusp of a new Formula 1 season, with a new car, new engine, and armed with an arsenal of hard won knowledge from last year. As the engine roars to life in the pits of Jerez and the wheels turn repeatedly over the warmth of the tarmac, the E23 stretches its legs and offers race fans everywhere the first look at the future of Lotus and the future of Formula 1.
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