Yet the newly branded Lotus Renault GP team is not surrounding. While others have to talk the talk and walk the walk in 2011, the surprise may very well come from the Enstone based squad, who is apparently targeting a Top 3 finish next season. And it's not media supposition, by the very aim set by the team's chief operating officer Patrick Louis.
Additionally, echoing the comments of team manager Eric Boullier, who told Autosport the other week that Renault will be much stronger than in 2010 and expects impressive results from the get go, technical director James Allison also revealed his high expectations for the year to come. And it's all based on the aggressive design prepared for the R31 challenger.
“This time of year is a heady mix of both thrilling excitement of finding out, confirming that all your plans are coming to fruition, and also abject terror that you will not deliver the thing in time,” said Allison in a video interview posted on Group Lotus website.
“Anyone who follows the sport will have seen that words like aggressive (and) brave are being bandied around across several of the teams this year for their solutions. I believe that we have chosen a direction that is really on the brave end of brave,” he added.
Lotus Renault GP has already launched the car livery for the 2011 season, during the recent Autosport show in Birmingham. The new R31 challenger will be officially unveiled one day before the Valencia test, on January 31st, inside the Ricardo Tormo paddock.
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