Team Lotus T128 Renault

[scarbs]

black paintwork & metal gearbox its the Renault R31

[afiq]

the gold sticker on top of the floor and the winglet on the brake duct shows it's R31..

[H. Zedozil]

TEAM LOTUS HAS FORWARD EXITING EXHAUST!

I HAVE CONFIRMED THIS!

(oh I think madly suspected it too) but I have personally confirmed it!

I present to you:

http://www.formula1.com/gallery/race/20 ... rsday.html



The exhaust pipe runs under the radiator.

It looks like the F1's official photographers also confused with TL and LRGP?

[andrew]

Look at what the people in the back ground are wearing. Black outfits so I would suspect that this is the R31.

[Owen.C93]

It's the R31.

I HAVE CONFIRMED THIS!

[PlatinumZealot]

Yeah, I knew the gearbox was a bit off too.

IT would have been a real sneaky move, showing RBR style exhaust in previous races then all of a sudden switching to FEE.

[zgred]

[gridwalker]

So, Lotus have signed a deal to use the Williams tunnel. Does anyone think that this might be a mixed blessing? Williams don't seem to have been on top of their aero for a long time and I can't help but think that this is related to their tunnel data.

Thinking back to when I started watching F1, I'd have never thought I'd end up seeing Williams and Lotus cooperating like that ... admittedly, Lotus is an entirely different incarnation, but I still found the concept amusing.

Does anyone have any information about the facility that Lotus are currently using and how this compares to the Williams facility?

[ESPImperium]

Heres what Team Lotus are using at the moment:
http://www.aero-lab.eu/index.php?nlang=eng
http://www.fondtech.eu/

Here is what they will be using:
http://www.attwilliams.com/gallery/the-wind-tunnel
http://www.dpds.co.uk/DPDS07Services/pr ... ndtnl.html
http://gdwengineering.co.uk/history.htm

I think there is a reciprical aggreement here, Team Lotus can use the Williams tunnel to improve, but whilst they are at it, use the Team Lotus data to verify the data for the Williams as well. As Williams would seem to be trying to see what is wrong with their tunnel using 2 diffrent methods. 1st Method is using the Toyota Tunnel and if things are seemingly looking ok, then this leaves option 2. Option 2 is where you take another car that is completly diffrent to your own, that had numbers from another wind tunnel and have a look at the numbers from another tunnel.

I dont think the problem at Williams is the tunnel or CFD facility, i think the problem lies solely with the creative team that designs the car. I have a feeling that next year under Coughlan Williams will be stronger, but by the end of 2012 Team Lotus should have their wind tunnel up and running.

Personally i think that Team Lotus should be cautios, but if the numbers are looking good from CFD/Tunnel and Real Life, i think they will be the winners from this arangement.

Also nice to see a larger, more establised team helping out a smaller establishing team out. I feel that Hispania and Team Lotus have stolen a march on Virgin with Tunnel Partners now. However if Pat Symmonds gets his way, i think Virgin will be using the redundant capasity at McLarens tunnel, or McLarens second tunnel for Virgins 2012 car. But thats a developing story.

[gridwalker]

Thanks ESP. To be fair, with recent restrictions in tunnel use for each team, it does make sense for established teams to provide redundant capacity for smaller teams to "outsource" their aero testing; it makes more sense in the case of Williams, as their financial difficulties are relatively well known and they may as well try to generate extra revenue from their existing infrastructure.

I would be happy to see both teams benefit from this collaboration, as I've got a soft spot for Williams that dates back to the late 80s ... Although I never thought I'd say this, but Lotus are my favourite one of the new teams and I'd like to see them close on the tail of the Genii usurpers

[ESPImperium]

It seems that ever since Eddie Jordan gave Martin Whitmartsh a bollocking about the promices (at Monaco) the large teams made back in 2009 when the 3 new teams were to come into the sport that they would provide them help and assistance to come into F1 and get their facilities and technichal knolege up to scratch that it never happened.

Since the larger teams have seen that F1 is better for having 12 teams now as opposed to the 10 that 2008/2009 had. It just gives a little more depth.

Lotus came in with the best staff, and built from there. Virgin came in with a new approach, whitch has now failed, Campos came in with a new buisness model.

Now we are seeing that the larger teams now want to provide support, Red Bull are supporting Team Lotus with gearboxes, Renault with Engines to Team Lotus. Now williams with their tunnel is giving support, it means the #1 tunnel at Grove can be run at 100% all year more or less as it costs £80,000 a week when not running seemingly. Any of the top teams only use their tunnels for abour 60% of the year now anyways, so the 40% that the tunnels arnt in use is money lost.

What i think, and this may be straying from the topic of the T128, is that Cosworth will be gone from the grid for the start of 2012, i can see Hispania getting Ferrari engines to pair to the Williams GP Engineering gearboxes and Virgin getting Mercedes power and McLaren Applied Technologies gearboxes. With Hispania getting the second tunnel at Brackley and Virgin getting access to either the McLaren tunnel or the Renault tunnel.

The more support the 3 smaller teams get for 2012, the closer the racing will be and also the less the front cars will have to pass the slower cars over the race distance. Lets face it, its free or virtually free support they are reciving, and its also a way for the larger teams to cut their costs as their facilities are being used all the time more or less.

[Italiano]

i can see Hispania getting Ferrari engines to pair to the Williams GP Engineering gearboxes

They can barely afford a Ferrari keyring, where on Earth are they gonna have enough dough to design a car, run a team AND buy the Tipo 056?

[Muulka]

Just a question- was HRT's new business model to have no money at all?

[marcush.]

Isn´t Toro rosso also using fondtech ? the migeot double decker sidepods certainly hint in that direction.
Maybe a move to forge new alliances and get a better separation to competitors

I think the big F1 teams face a big problem with their tunnels .The RRA forces them to cut down on tunnel time and human recources and on the other hand who could ever go as far as renting out a full blown up to date F1 tunnel -and not be F1? the candidates are few ..maybe Audi or some works sportscar team but then already the air gets thin...

[FW17]

GE on board with Team Lotus now, wonder if there will be a revision in the cars livery.

Great job by TF he now has lined up more US based partners than any other team.

=D> =D> =D> =D>