Lotus E21 Renault

[raymondu999]

So there is at least 7kg of ballast to move as you want.

Which is exactly the way the rules have been, since 2011. There has never been a "fixed mass distribution" rule - it's just been min static mass on both axles.

[Holm86]

So there is at least 7kg of ballast to move as you want.

Which is exactly the way the rules have been, since 2011. There has never been a "fixed mass distribution" rule - it's just been min static mass on both axles.

Okay.

[AnthonyG]

Will the longer suspension arms change the (handling) feel of the car?

[Joie de vivre]

the shorter car is easier to oversteer so handling of the lwb will be different

[raymondu999]

the shorter car is easier to oversteer so handling of the lwb will be different

given that everything is staying the same except for front wing position and wheelbase, wouldn't the longer-wheelbase car be more responsive thanks to the steering tyres providing a greater moment? The same steering force, but further from the pivot?

Of course, there will be a tighter turning circle thanks to the tyres being closer together.

[anzx]

I think there will be more than just a larger wheel base, it may get new nose, and front wing so the downforce travel from the front to the rear of the car may be affected, maybe the reason for such a big change is DRD... and I remember after the presentation of E21, i think that Withmarsh said: "Lotus has left ugly nose on the car, because Allison is working on something at this part of the car"... something like that, I can't wait for Monza to see if they can be competiteve with RB Merc and Ferrari

[turbof1]

I think that comment from whitmarsh referred to the vanity panel. I don't think he suggested anything about a change in the wheelbase

[Holm86]

The nose at least will change. I believe it was Boulier who said that they had passed crashtests but some reliability tests wasnt good enough. Thats why they didnt introduce it at Spa.

So they have changed more that just the suspension.

Edit : added quote and source.

Lotus is planning to introduce a longer wheelbase car in time for the Italian Grand Prix.

The Enstone-based team had hoped to get the revised E21 ready in time for this weekend's race in Belgium, but it failed to complete all its necessary test proofing beforehand.

Sources have revealed that although the car passed all the mandatory crash tests that are required because of the scale of the revisions, there was an issue with reliability proofing for parts fatigue that meant the team did not wish to risk running it at Spa.

Lotus is confident that the matter will be sorted in the next few days, which means the tweaked car should be ready to race for the first time at Monza.

It is expected that the changes planned for the Italian Grand Prix will be the last major tweaks for this season, as its development focus switches onto 2014.

Lotus owner Gerard Lopez told AUTOSPORT recently that an update programme would remain in place, but it would not be as extensive in the closing stages of the campaign.

"In the second half of the season all you are doing is coming up with new wings, you're not look at changing the wheelbase or things like that - those are things you do in the first 10 races," he said.

Source:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/109380

[turbof1]

Unless I outright missed it after 2 times checking, the quoted piece doesn't mention the nose directly, just the wing. However, a new longer nose would be required anyway to keep the necessary distance between wing and wheel.

No doubt lotus will want to take the oppertunity to revise the aero concept of the nose to turn it into an updated one. How far that goes is everybodies guess though. Could range between just an enlongement to more red bull alike to a radical new change. What is sure though is that the micro atleast at the front has to change: front wing, pylons, turning vanes, bargeboards, sidepod turning vanes and perhaps the splitter.

Imo I think it is a bit of a waste of money to do that in the middle in the season. You have to revise the chassis, produce new noses, change all sorts of aero bits and chances are you will get it wrong, but with certainty can be told that the changed aero mapping is of no use next year. The same money could have been spent on other parts of the car. A longer wheelbase could just as well have been introduced during the winter tests next year.

[Holm86]

It doesn't say nose anywhere. But as you mention youself they probably have to change because of the wheels moving forward toward the front wing.

But as ive said earlier they have changed either the chassis or the nose. Or both. Because frontwings or suspension wishbones does not need crashtesting. They only require load testing.

[turbof1]

Both. Longer wheelbase means they'll have to change the geometry of the front suspension, which means the pickup points in the front bulkhead have to be changed. That could compromise chassis integrity, hence why new crash tests are required. While saying that, I do have to remark mercedes was able to do it without changing the pickup points back in 2010 (chassis could not be changed that year), but with an extensive change like 10cm (which requires an even bigger increase in front suspension length) I don't believe lotus can get away with keeping the same pickup points.

Edit: checked what mercedes did. They made the wheelbase 5cm longer and instead of a longer nose, they just moved the main plane forward, with the pylon mountings more backwards on it.

I am wondering how come lotus suddenly decides to enlong it. If the cars performance can be bettered by such a big increase in wheelbase, how did they missed that then when designing the car?

[anzx]

the long wheelbase first pic

[heimana]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 5882_o.jpg
the long wheelbase first pic

photoshop

[Morteza]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 5882_o.jpg
the long wheelbase first pic

photoshop

It is official. You can see it on Louts F1 Facebook page

[mikeerfol]

Rexooooooooona