F1 Fanatic

Stepped nose chaos in 3…2…1

@fixy That’s what I was thinking. It looks too similar.

@brazil2007 @fixy Actually if you look at Lotus E21 pics from Keith article (http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/01/28/lotus-e21-launch-pictures/) we can see that they have 2 different cars presented. One with intakes above driver’s head and one without (the one seen during live launch).
We can only see that they avoid showing the space where the duct should be from the intake to the rear wing on the car with intakes … So the car shown during launch is probably not the exact one they will race

Those red spots may or may not be there come race day. The red is there to better fit their new title sponsor, Honeywell. http://www.dividend.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/storypics/honeywell.jpg

Although the announcement hasn’t been made yet, it is expected to be made soon. Anyway, as it has been pointed out already, we have been presented with two different cars.

Launch E21: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/01/28/lotus-e21-launch-pictures/lotus-f1-team-2013-launch-2/ (Last years front wing, single airbox inlet, silly nose)

CGI E21: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/lotus-e21-2013-21.jpg (Revised front wing that follows same language as last years, dual-duct inlets on both sides of airbox, flatter, wider sidepods with no wings on them, still stepped nose, but much smoother.)

The CGI E21 is presumably the new one, as that is what Lotus has done for the past few reveals. What was launched today was a modified E20 with some new sheet plastic (probably not carbon fiber) and some wild paint job. Also, notice that the exhaust on the launch car is in the same position as last year, just with new bodywork around it. The E21 Render shows that the instead of the McLaren/Red Bull mix solution, they have gone for a solid Red Bull approach. Perhaps even more extreme than what Red Bull, or any team for that matter ran last season (for clarification on what I mean, see this picture http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/E21cam3.jpg).

But the thing that gives the fact that the launch car was a modified E20 away the most is the engine cover. Heres what I mean.

E20 Jerez: http://badgergp.com/images/2012/02/lotus-renault-r31-f1-wallpaper-2011-10-985×656.jpg

E21 Launch: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/lotus-e21-launch-2013-2.jpg

E21 CGI: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/E21cam3.jpg

Notice the length of the engine cover from the start past the Tcam to where the cover begins to angle downwards. The CGI E21 has a much shorter distance than the Launch car. And this is how we know that the Launch E21 is not very representative of the final product. That being said, the CGI E21 probably isn’t the final version either, and we’ll have to wait for the first tests to really know.