2011 car revealed by Team Lotus
Formula 1
Monday, January 31, 2011
Team Lotus on Monday revealed its 2011 car. In an edition of its online magazine Team Lotus Notes, the team published the first photographs of the new green and gold TL11 featuring a Mercedes-style unconventional airbox shape.
The new livery features more yellow and prominent Renault signage, reflecting its new engine partnership with the French marque.
The car itself, with a rear end supplied by Red Bull, has a high and straight nose similar to the other designs seen so far including the Ferrari and Mercedes.
"It is a much more contemporary design. The car really will be a midfield runner. It's a modern F1 car," technical boss Mike Gascoyne is quoted as saying.
"There's been almost no carry-over of parts for the 2011 car -- it looks substantially different from last year's car. It's the basis of our cars for the future," he added.
"I think that basically this car looks like a front running car in every area," he said. "We said very clearly that we want to start challenging the established teams and I think that's very achievable."
This year's Team Lotus car is called T128, not TL11 as was previously announced.
"Why the change of name?" wrote team boss Tony Fernandes on Twitter. "Because we are continuing with history. We are a new dynasty but tradition continues."
Last year, the team - then called Lotus Racing under official license from the Proton-owned carmaker Group Lotus - raced its 2010 car with the T127 designation.
T127 was the continuation of the original Lotus team's traditional vehicle designation system, and it was thought that the reversion to TL11 for this year was to avoid yet another clash with Group Lotus amid the naming dispute.
Indicating that the designation of the 2011 car was an issue right until the T128's reveal very early on Monday morning, the launch magazine made no mention of the two variations.
Kobayashi and Pérez unveil the Sauber C30-Ferrari
Formula 1
Monday, January 31, 2011
Today, the day before the start of the official Formula One testing, the Sauber F1 Team presented the Sauber C30-Ferrari at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Cheste near Valencia, Spain.
Two thousand and eleven sees the Sauber F1 Team embark on its 19th Formula One season. Leaving behind the upheavals of 2010 that followed the metamorphosis from a works to a private team, the aim is to present itself in 2011 with renewed stability.
Team Principal Peter Sauber outlines the targets: “We want to finish in the points regularly and clearly improve our position in the FIA Formula One Constructors’ World Championship.” He goes on to elaborate: “Two thousand and ten marked the 41st year of our company history and one of the most difficult. But we managed to overcome these difficulties in the second half of the season. We implemented some well-considered structural changes. The appointment of James Key as Technical Director already bore fruit last season, and he is now in charge of development of the Sauber C30-Ferrari. At the same time, we have managed to secure our business foundation for the 2011 season. In these economically straitened times that is something we can be proud of too.”
Young drivers
As for the drivers, the team looks forward with keen anticipation to continuing to work with Kamui Kobayashi, and with eager curiosity to Sergio Pérez. The Japanese driver, who turns 25 in September 2011, is embarking on his second full Formula One season. In 2010 he drew attention to himself with his high speed on track, stunning overtaking maneuvers and reliable implementation of race strategies. He made very few mistakes and earned 32 of the team’s 44 World Championship points. “My rookie season is now behind me,” says Kobayashi. “I learned a lot, gained a lot of self-confidence, and my target for 2011 is not to make any mistakes.”
The team’s new rookie is Sergio Pérez. He hails from Mexico and celebrated his 21st birthday in January 2011. He took his first Formula One test with Sauber in Abu Dhabi in November 2010, having finished as runner-up in the GP2 Championship. “I’m aware how challenging Formula One is from both a driver’s point of view and technically,” says Pérez. “I’ve got a lot to learn, and in Kamui I have an excellent yardstick. My personal goal is to make steady progress. The support I’m getting back in my home country is huge, and I don’t want to disappoint anyone over there either.”
Pérez isn’t the only Mexican in the Sauber F1 Team: Esteban Gutierrez is standing by as test and reserve driver. Born in August 1991, he is a good one-and-a-half years younger than his compatriot. Sauber had already taken Gutierrez under its wing in 2010 as an affiliated driver. The youngest member of the team swept up a commanding GP3 Championship win last year and will be competing in GP2 in 2011. “I’ve still got a long way to go,” Gutierrez is only too aware, “but ever since the two days of testing with Sauber, at the end of 2009 and the end of 2010, Formula One has been my goal.”
New car
The aim is for the Sauber C30-Ferrari not just to prove more reliable than its predecessor; there were a number of other weaknesses to be banished as well. One of the overriding targets is to improve aerodynamic efficiency, low-speed cornering, mechanical grip and to gain more flexibility in suspension tuning.
The new technical regulations certainly presented the engineers with a tricky assignment, since the ban on double diffusers fundamentally alters the car’s aerodynamic concept. Another tough challenge was the switch to Pirelli tires, which meant the engineers had to make decisions during the concept phase before the teams had a chance to test the tires out on track. Further changes stipulate a ban on the F-duct and the adjustable front wing. Instead, the rear wing may now be adjusted by the driver, and the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) is once again available to run.
The striking visual features of the Sauber C30 are a raised front, slender waist, compact rear, new roll hoop and downward-sloping engine cover. Propelling the car as before is the Ferrari 056 engine, while power delivery is courtesy of a new Ferrari transmission. The KERS also comes from the Maranello factory.
Technical Director, James Key, summarizes: “In order to take a step forward in 2011, we were already systematically tackling the C29’s weaknesses over the last season – and we’ve made progress. The insights we gleaned were taken into account when the concept for the new C30 was being drawn up. Since some of the changes decreed by the regulations – particularly regarding the tires – can only be analyzed out on track, it was important for us to build, firstly, a fundamentally predictable car and, secondly, one that would provide sufficient flexibility to respond to ongoing findings at the track and during further development stages.”
One thing is clear: the status of the car at the rollout in Valencia on 31st January 2011 is only the start. As part of the development program, the team will be fitting the C30 with a new aerodynamic package before the curtain raiser in Bahrain.
New partner
New on the car are the logos of Telmex, Claro and Telcel – all three brands belong to America Movil, the Central and Latin American telecommunication group. Interproteccion is an insurance group from Mexico. Also a new partner from Mexico is the Tequila brand Jose Cuervo. Familiar, as they have appeared on the team’s cars for a long time, are the Swiss names of sport watch manufacturer Certina and automotive group Emil Frey AG. Also known from last season is the logo of Mad-Croc (Energy Gum, Chews and Drinks).
Lotus Renault GP launch R31 for 2011
Formula 1
Monday, January 31, 2011
The newly-named Lotus Renault GP team has become the fourth F1 team to reveal its new car for the 2011 F1 season.
The covers came off the R31 during a launch event at the Valencia circuit ahead of the three day test which will begin on Tuesday.
After an impressive return to form with the R30 last year, Renault will now hope to challenge for victory again this season with team chairman Gerard Lopez saying he was confident that the team can hit its target of improving in both the drivers' and constructors' championship.
“For Genii Capital and Lotus Renault GP, the 2011 season will be the one in which we achieve our aims,” said Gerard Lopez. “We now have 100 per cent ownership of the team, and we're tackling the coming championship with the intention of continuing to do things our way – but always with humility.
“I would like to welcome Lotus Cars, a new ambitious title sponsor with us for the long term. Renault and Total have also chosen to accompany us again in this adventure and we thank them for their valuable contribution. Our aim for 2011 is to continue our march towards the front of the grid, seize the slightest opportunity and do better than last season in both the drivers' and constructors' championships. We feel we are well prepared for the challenge ahead.”
The R31 features a new suspension layout on the rear end as part of a raft of changes compared to the R30, with technical director James Allison insisting it was difficult to compare the two cars.
“2011 is a different year with a new set of regulations and that's why the R31 is a very different car,” he said. “For example, KERS is back this year and the car has been completely re-engineered to accommodate that system in an efficient way. We've also chosen to change the layout of our rear suspension by opting for a pull rod system for the first time in decades. As I said before, anyone can see that the treatment we have given to some specific areas is completely new compared with anything we have done previously. All of those things are aimed at trying to maximize the R31 under the 2011 rules.
“There are many teams that know how to produce a good car and we're under no illusion about the scale of the challenge facing us in 2011. I think that last year we perhaps exceeded the expectations of some people in the pit lane, but we certainly didn't outperform our own expectations. While we were happy to be moving back in the right direction, we would be frustrated if we started 2011 operating at the same performance level we showed last year. That means we want the R31 to be competitive right from the off and in with a chance of scoring podiums or better from the first race. Considering the tremendous effort that has gone in at all levels to produce this car, that would be a fitting reward for all concerned.”