Lotus E21 Renault

[Neno]

Raikkonen mentioned "downforce defects" in Malaysia. I noticed he was often getting snap oversteer mid T5 and T12 too, the fast left hand sweepers. Could it be that the smaller tunnel isn't working quite yet? As in, something is causing it to stall/choke too early, at certain speeds and/or yaw angles?

thats the only changes made since melbourne gp....

guess the team need further modification to optimize it.

3 weeks should be sufficient

[gobjb]

Raikkonen mentioned "downforce defects" in Malaysia. I noticed he was often getting snap oversteer mid T5 and T12 too, the fast left hand sweepers. Could it be that the smaller tunnel isn't working quite yet? As in, something is causing it to stall/choke too early, at certain speeds and/or yaw angles?

thats the only changes made since melbourne gp....

guess the team need further modification to optimize it.

Hard to believe it's the new tunnel since they had it on Kimi's car on Friday when everything was still good. Did they change any aero parts on the car between the sessions of Friday and Saturday?

[shelly]

Could be a not correct suspension setting maybe: so as the fuel load decreased, the car was more and more on ride heights not optimal for aero

[nacho]

Balance looked terrible from incar in the race, lots of snappy oversteer. On friday to have plenty of downforce and really good balance.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Lotus update analysis from Gary Anderson


via AutoSport

[Kansas]

Raikkonen mentioned "downforce defects" in Malaysia. I noticed he was often getting snap oversteer mid T5 and T12 too, the fast left hand sweepers. Could it be that the smaller tunnel isn't working quite yet? As in, something is causing it to stall/choke too early, at certain speeds and/or yaw angles?

thats the only changes made since melbourne gp....

guess the team need further modification to optimize it.

Hard to believe it's the new tunnel since they had it on Kimi's car on Friday when everything was still good. Did they change any aero parts on the car between the sessions of Friday and Saturday?

not according to kimi....

which left only the suspension...as it makes sense with what kimi describe the car gradually became worst and worst throughout the race.

[amouzouris]

My analysis on Lotus' upgrades:

In Malaysia Lotus brought forth a couple of upgrades that included a new front wing endplate, a new tunnel under the exhaust and a new diffuser gurney flap.

After introducing their brand new front wing in the last preseason test in Barcelona which featured new upper elements, new cascade winglets and new endplates, Lotus have introduced a slight modification to the front wing endplates in Malaysia. The upper part of the endplate is now split into two elements. The change can be seen in the illustration below. This is done to improve flow around the front wheels, as the split endplate will now induce a stronger vortex and aid the flow of air around the front wheels and incidentally reducing their wake and improving flow towards the rear of the car.





The team also introduced a new tunnel under the Red Bull inspired exhaust ramp, which much like the upgrade Red Bull introduced in late 2012, the tunnel is now smaller. The tunnel is there to improve flow at the rear of the car as the so called coke bottle is now lost. By reducing the size of the tunnel, they are achieving cleaner flow towards the rear of the car as well as reducing the drag induced by the larger tunnel.





The third upgrade introduced by Lotus is a new diffuser gurney flap, which is actually no longer a gurney flap. Red Bull started a trend in 2011 of replacing the gurney flap with a small airfoil on top of the diffuser’s trailing edge. Since then most teams have followed. Lotus had already replaced the gurney flap in the central section of the diffuser with the airfoil, and have replaced the gurney flap on the edges of the diffuser last weekend in Malaysia as can be seen in the illustrations below.





The last upgrade lotus introduced is a slightly revised barge board which had already been previously upgraded featuring slots to strengthen the vortex induced and keep the airflow attached behind the barge boards.

http://technicalf1explained.blogspot.co ... rades.html

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Anderson suggests the exhaust modifications are in response to Engine Mapping Regulation clarifications.


via AutoSport

[shelly]

At this link.
http://www.omnicorse.it/magazine/26065/ ... della-fia-
omnicorse suggests that three cars have been found not ok with respect to ttray rules after sepang and have been asked to change in that zone. Possible teams: Lotus, Redbull, merceds.

I haven't found any other source for these news elsewhere - does anyone have some other info?

[kimi2007]

kimi looked really comfortable in the car in friday but then since Q3 it all just fell away from him ?

[raymondu999]

Not Q3 IMO. More like fp3. No changes to the car were made iirc, so it has to be a track condition difference between fp2 and fp3. I doubt it's setup, because if Kimi was happy in fp1 and fp2, I doubt he's have tinkered with setup much.

Interestingly Sutil was also suffering from similar issues. Both said their cars were too much on the nose come Saturday. Both were the two best two-stoppers in Melbourne. Coincidence? Or perhaps a sign that those who are more benign on tyres are more susceptible to temperature and track condition variation?

[godlameroso]

Maybe the evaporating water from the track affected the aero negatively. I mentioned this last year, this year teams are going to have to have a specific exhaust set up to account for weather. We saw last year in Barcelona qualifying, as soon as the clouds blocked the sun everyone started gaining massively which allowed Maldonado to be placed so high. Perhaps the delta in ambient to track temperature has an effect on downforce.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

OmniCorse.it is reporting the FIA has told Lotus it must modify it's front suspension/Remove the rubber the arms connect to as the FIA considers them moveable aero device.


via OmniCorse

Link--> http://www.omnicorse.it/magazine/26087/ ... -della-e21

translated by Google for non Italian speakers--> http://www.google.com/translate?hl=en&i ... -della-e21

This is also reported by BlogF1.it who are very respected with former F1 Engineers working for the site.

[shelly]

Every team uses rubber int he suspension joints - singling out lotus is very strange. Maybe they are the only ones using rubber on the chassis side of the wishbones? you'll find rubber on almost every team's front brake ducts since 2005 I think.

I am missing something

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Every team uses rubber int he suspension joints - singling out lotus is very strange. Maybe they are the only ones using rubber on the chassis side of the wishbones? you'll find rubber on almost every team's front brake ducts since 2005 I think.
http://www.omnicorse.it/magazine/26083/ ... lla-mp4-28

I am missing something

I guess it could quite possibly be an April fools joke, but I just don't see blogF1.it doing that. The only difference I see Shelly is non-laminated rubber versus laminated rubber. BlogF1.it have source in Enstone so I typically trust Lotus news from them.