Lotus T128 Begins 2011 Testing in Valencia

Team Lotus continue to shock the world of Formula 1 with their overoptimistic predictions for the 2011 season. And unless they are looking to make fools out of themselves, they'd better back it up from as early as the winter testing.

When the team launched the newly-developed T128 via some pics in their online magazine Team Lotus Notes, technical chief officer Mike Gascoyne said that his aim for 2011 will be to catch up not only with Toro Rosso or Sauber F1, but also Force India, Williams and even Renault. And on Wednesday, Heikki Kovalainen has the chance to prove just how much of that is overstatement and what percentage accounts for reality.

Team Lotus missed out on the Valencia track action yesterday, as they got permission to skip the first day of group testing in exchange of an extra day of running on Friday. So with Kovalainen behind the wheel, the media witnessed for the first time the true shape of the T128 on the Ricardo Tormo circuit.

Seen on the track, the new T128 is much more aggressive as compared to last year's design of its predecessor T127, while featuring a blade-style roll hoop similar to the one brought forward by Mercedes GP on their W02. According to Gascoyne, this aggressive design has led to some weight saving of up to 15 kg, which will later translate into more ballast to be used around the car.

“Aerodynamically it (roll hoop) is not worth that much, but in terms of weight and everything, we thought it added up to something that was worth doing,” said Gascoyne, according to Autosport.

“This year's chassis is the same length as last year and the same fuel volume because the engine uses less fuel, and it is 15kg lighter. That comes through optimization and design time and being a little bit more aggressive with it, because you have more time to do it.”

Gascoyne agreed that last year was all about finishing 10th in the championship, as the limited time available for building a decent F1 car prevented the team to hope for better. In 2011 however, judging by the lap times scored by the new T128 in the simulator, expectations must be much higher than that.

“You are talking lap time relative to the people you are trying to chase. And, if you look at Toro Rosso or Sauber or Force India, they were one and a half seconds away - and that is the gap you have to make up. You can make the facts fit any theory. We are reasonably confident that we have done a good job, from the wind tunnel – and the rules are in our favor.”