Lotus hoax?
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Like everyone here I’ve spent a long time looking at the radical approaches to the new nose rules and so far we have seen teams falling really into two camps:
– Bolt something on because we have to (FI, TR etc)
– Design something radical to channel airflow (Ferrari, McL, Merc)…and then there is Lotus, which we haven’t seen yet!
I can’t find the link but someone over at Autosport is claiming this is going to be a bit of a dog to drive, and that got me thinking, is this an elaborate hoax by the Enstone team? They have form, their Twitter feed is hilarious and they seem to be able to laugh at both themselves and the rest of F1. If you think about it, it would be a PR masterclass, everyone stopped talking about how they are doomed because they are missing the first test, to questioning the legality and innovation.
I’m calling it, Hoax*
* I’d actually loved to be wrong!
Not quite sure what you’re getting at: Lotus released their car already, and it has that funny looking double-tusked nose. If you’re calling that a hoax… well, we can still hope, right? Otherwise, I kind of like it, if only for variety.
Ah, you’re right about that.
Sorry, I’m a bit slow today from lack of sleep! In any case, it’d be a pretty elaborate hoax, but if anyone in the paddock is going to do something like that, Lotus would be the team to do it. Maybe this will be some consolation to those who can’t stand the funny nose.
Now that testing has started, I don’t think Lotus are that doomed. Considering those who showed up barely had any running time, maybe Lotus will come to the next test session more prepared. I guess it depends now on how quickly the teams resolve their supposed issues with the Renault power unit.
Acting Mythbuster classes this as plausible too. I hope it will be confirmed, but think it’s likely going to be busted. Which will disappoint me, because that nose is too much for my mild OCD…
I’m glad i’m not the only one thinking that. Its not like Lotus have a history of being serious when it comes to their online presence.
A rendering of a controversial idea, when ur missing the first test; to me sounds like brilliant gamesmanship.
You know the other teams are gonna throw some effort at a) determining whether the Lotus idea is legal and b) whether it could provide them with some advantage.
It would not surprise me to see Lotus follow the trend of walrus / finger nose come the next test.I’m not much of a conspiracy theorist – but I gotta say it’s not totally outside the probable universe, although neither is that double nose design, especially coming from Lotus. For one thing they would have found a novel way of getting air under the nose within the new regs. If it did turn out to be a bluff, I’d be extra impressed, but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.
There are mutterings over at the F1 technical forums that the Mercedes has a similar double tusk nose design, hidden by a vanity panel.
@geemac Is that a vanity panel to hide the nose during testing? Otherwise I can’t see the point?
Here’s an idea… can a vanity panel be used to make the Lotus’ two tusks the same length? Because then it wouldn’t be structural… or does the rule for “only 1 tip” apply to vanity panels too?
Why would they want to do that? For the sake of making both prongs the same length, which is a detail that would only ever be noticed when the car is standing still?
Seems like a complete waste of time, effort and money.
A vanity panel doing that would completely ruin their concept of maximising airflow between the tusks.
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