Autosport has scooped the new Lotus F1 car ahead of it launch on Friday.
See here for a picture of the car testing at Silverstone earlier today.
The Lotus is due to be officially launched in a ceremony in London on Friday.
Thanks to everyone who sent in tips about the story!
Read more about the Lotus F1 team
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Oh dear, I love Lotus, i adore Lotus. I would still support them even if they came out with a pink colour scheme. But I hope this car looks better than this shot makes it seem, the green looks ’swampy’ colored rather than prober British Racing Green. The worst thing for me though are the wheels – they look so cheap.
it looks underdeveloped the color scheme looks bad but it may be temporary
I wonder if this is another case of a team choosing a colour based on how it looks ‘in the flesh’ without considering how it looks on TV and in pictures.
Spyker had to change their livery before the first race a few years ago because it didn’t look right on TV (which is of course what 99.99% of people will see it through). Mabye Lotus will have to do the same.
Big front teeth
Can i ask, does anyone know why they dont do these tests after the launch to stop these spy shots
There’s not much to be gained from the spy shots other than publicity. Unless you have some radical aero solution or similar exterior innovation that you want to keep under wraps I’d question whither it’s worth it. It’ll probably help generate a bit of extra interest for the team anyway, in the same way that controlled leaks do.
Ferrari have their “shakedowns” in secret and it seems McLaren are able to also but these are teams who have greater exposure and more to lose.
ferrari are quite public with their shakedowns. remember last year’s videos?/ helmet cam video?
Yup, but those shakedown we’ve seen in the internet happened after the launch of the car. They’ve never “deliberately” leaking pictures of their new challenger i believe. Only to gain the effect of viral promotions.
It looks similar to the Force india in the nose cone in that it does not have the V nose, also like the fact that it has no shark fin. Mixed feelings about the green and gold (presuming they keep them, that is), it would be good to see the colours but it makes it feel a bit more pastiche
funny that – didnt VJ try to sue Gascoyne over him taking their ideas to the new team?
He hasn’t worked for them for a long time, but somehow the unique things to the FI car are also on the lotus car…
Looks OK. People already seem to be forgetting that they aren’t actually Lotus, though.
Well.. what is Lotus anyway?
It would NEVER be the lotus team that raced before, because it ended and its been like that for ages, the brand moved on, etc.
Would it be Lotus for you only if they sold it back to previous owners and mananged to get the same race engineers, team principal?
Is Mclaren post Ron Denis not actually Mclaren, because its different somehow?
Would you say the new Lambos are not Lambos because now they are now german owned?
No.. so Lotus is what Lotus is now.
Agree with you there..
Mercedes with the old Mercedes?
It doesn’t have that big a conection to the car company does it? Its just malaysian.
If by big connection, you mean owning the company for 14 years, then yes, it does have a fairly large connection to Lotus.
If David Richards had been successful with his latest F1 bid, would there have been similar comments about it not being the “real” Aston Martin? By that logic, Aston Martin hasn’t been Aston Martin since 1947.
Just because the guy who owns the company is not named Chapman, doesn’t mean its not Lotus.
The company got permision from( I am sure it was) chapman’s wife.
PROTON
post of the day surely
“Is Mclaren post Ron Denis not actually Mclaren, because its different somehow?”
Excellent point. Was McLaren really McLaren after the takeover by Ron Dennis and Project 4 in 1980? Was McLaren still McLaren after the death of Bruce McLaren in 1970, even?
The Lotus that last competed in F1 in 1994 bore little relation to the team that won its last title with Mario Andretti in 1979. Even Lotus in the later Chapman years was a shadow of its former self. It’s easy to get nostalgic and misty eyed but forget the reality.
Chapman was a great innovator but for every astonishing success there was a complete disaster. Nor was he the best at refining his ideas to fully exploit them – Lotus may have pioneered ground effect in F1, for example, but Williams perfected it. Chapman’s attitude to driver safety was also lamentable.
Truthfully honest, mclaren were crap in the dip between senna 91 and hakkinen 98. The team was a shambles, ended up with Peugeot engines! Lotus was a championship winner that fell into decline, and I expect the lotus team to do badly, but with continued investment over the next few years they will hopefully be able to get podiums and maybe a win. If lotus – the team cynics call proton – win within the next few years, it would be great for malasia and it would be a metaphorical one fingured gesture to all the doubters. £20 on lotus to win a monsoon Malayan gp anyone?
Been reading F1Racing mag hey Tiago?
Murray walker was dead against it, wasn’t he?
Unfortunately not, i can’t even get it in the country i live in. Does it feature a similar point of view?
Thanks Tiago. Im getting tired of people saying it isnt actually Lotus. We all know it isnt the same Lotus Team that won championships decades ago, but it IS Lotus. Lotus is malaysian-owned now, and we’re going to have to deal with it.
The point is, why use the name Lotus and fake like there is some connection when cleary it has nothing to do with it.
They even go so far as to copy the color scheme. And yes, I’d feel Bringing Aston Martin back would be daft too. Especially with those 70s colors.
When clearly it has nothing to do with what? The lotus F1 team of today is affiliated with the lotus car company now, in the same way that the old team was affiliated with the company decades ago. Just because Colin Chapman isnt around doesnt mean it “isnt” lotus. Besides, by your logic, Mercedes GP shouldnt be allowed to call themselves Mercedes.
It looks like it’s all wrong compared to other solutions.
Looks like a short nose and bulky backend… doesn’t look great imo.
I agree. It does not seem to be as aerodynamically inclined as some of the other cars. But then again, this is a car from a new team.
I hope that they have a good season!
Yeah, the nose especially, it looks like someone’s chopped the end off.
That nose reminds me of last year’s Toyota…
I agree Solid, it looks incredibly underdeveloped. Of course that is impossbible for me to know, especially given that I am not an F1 engineer and I have only seen it in a low-res photo. Either way, I hope this thing isnt as slow as it looks.
I can’t decide whether I like it or not……
Hmmm… I’m not immpressed, that shade of green looks really dull to me. I was hoping they’d use a Jaguar- esque bright shade of green instead.
Then again, I imagine the livery is better than this picture makes it seem. It’s difficult to make out the nose. From a different angle showing more of the yellow bits I think it might look a lot better… at least I hope so
Amen
i think they’d have gone for the original Lotus green. why choose another shade?
I’m thinking the green may come out better on TV?
looks like it has been made out of a cardboard box! yuck
my sentiments exactly lol.
I need a better shot. Too much of it seems to blend in with the background. I’m having a hard time telling where the car ends and the scenery begins.
Running VERY high off the ground. Stowe circuit is really bumpy, which probably explains it…
I quite like the livery.
Don’t think this photo does it justice.
I think the Virgin looks better than this one, but we will have to see that in Bahrain
Looks like a Force India
Don’t know where to write.
Isn’t the Red Bull car is due to reveal today? If so when?
Jerez test driver line-up
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81358
This car will win a race. Book it!
I like it. It looks simple, not over complicated and the wheels just look cheap because of the lighting and angle of the shot.
Can someone please give me the address to the fantasy F1 game that was started up on the forum. I have forgotten what website that was.
Never mind, I found it.
Good luck to Lotus, an iconic name, but this car “looks” like the name is the only thing they got right.
Heck everyone deserves the right to run around at the back of the grid, if they can make the grid? (Is there a 7% requirement?)
Obviously, it is premature to actually judge a new car or team on a snap shot, but if this car doesn’t herald a New Age of Simplicity…they are in trouble.
Which reminds me, if the powers that be want larger grids they might consider allowing 3 car teams. I remember it as being, among other things, a way to showcase new young drivers in cars that could actually make it into Q3. Most teams now days would choose to forgo the financial pleasure of such an effort, but they could run a third car at certain races…such as their home GP, or the home GP of a special driver they were trying to showcase.
I would, and I believe most fans would also, find it immensely more interesting than watching extremely marginal teams struggle at the back of the grid.
My apology to Lotus, hopefully these remarks don’t presage the inevitable.
Well it is to be expected the lotus looks like force india 2009… with mike in there
It aint the prettiest thing. Looks slow already with that short nose. Hope Mike’s got it right.
I quite like the livery. Contrary to popular belief I think they have got the shade of green just right, and I do quite like the gold wheels!
The car seems a bit “stubby” at the front end, and it looks considerably shorter than anything we have seen so far in 2010. I’m reserving judgment until we see the official shots on 12 February, but for now, I approve (not that my opinion matters of course).
I sent you a tip off keith but stupidly said it was black and gold, now I see it as a very dark British racing green. Perhaps they have made it so dark to make it a test livery.
I really rather like the livery and the wheels. In terms of design it doesn’t look like anything special, but then again it’s just a cheeky snapshot from a distance. I’ll reserve judgement until the official launch.
If this is what their car really looks like… then here’s to USF1 taking its time to develop before launching.
Wow, what’s with all the hate? Any judgment on the design is silly because this is one grainy spy shot. As for the livery, they’ve gone for Lotus green and gold, which I think looks great.
The Lotus green and gold is great “heritage!” but the design? they must have spend all the money on the car and forgot to give the designer a computer.
Great livery. Hope it is definitive.
The front reminds me a bit of the 2009 Toyota, I think Lotus did hire quite a few former Toyota staff so it would make sense.
As for the livery, if this is the final version I think it could do with a few tweaks here and there but my first impression is I like it, especially the yellow wheel rims.
It looks like they have put the car number just in front of the rear wheels, I don’t think that is the best location and if they don’t get any more sponsors they should put it on the side of the rear wing.
Anybody noticed that the nose (together with the front wing support) looks EXACTLY like last year’s Toyota’s?!?
sure if u mean they created a cardboard version of toyota’s front wing lol
Great idea this, i recently came across your blog and have been reading along.. I should just give up and take lessons from you
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I really hope this car does well and gets some points.
I luv seeing the ACBC logo again but, based on that pic, the car looks suspect but Mike has been there before so I am sure he has thought it thru.
Been surfing the web for launch pics – was supposes to be today but nothing on Pitpass, itv.com-f1 or even the lotus web site. Will reserve judgment till then.