That is a big blow. This also means that they will have to re-crash test a chassis as well as its outside the homologation of the design they submitted.
This is as big a blow to the team as the one they had last year loosing Bobby K in my opinion.
Their E20-03 will also have to be modified as well, and also when it comes to E20-04 onward the solution should be in the build.
Im now looking at Lotus to have the E20 with 6 chassis by the end of they year now. Id recon they will run with 01 to 03 for the first 4 GP, then go toMugello with the first of the new homologation, then have brand new chassis for the rest of the year.
This is costly on a financial sence as well, as a Chassis to 2007/2008 costs cost arround €600,000, so id recon this is close to the €700,000 mark now, if not more. It also diverts resource away from dialing in performance into the car as well in a set up stand point at present and later a aero point of view as well.