Yes!!! Finally. Man I hope the funds stay there. I dont want this team following in Honda’s footsteps!

I hate the new refueling rule. God, at least let them increase aerodynamics already!

^seriously, what a terrible rule

The front end looks almost identical to BMW Sauber.

I wonder how the drivers will fair with the new no re-fueling change. Technology is easy to change compared to driver habits/familiarity………..

British racing green with yellow accents. Please!

I’ve watched Formula 1 since I was a kid. It’s a part of me, and I love the idea of it. I’m not going to wax nostalgic about how it’s now more about politics and market share than sportsmanship and competition, but I feel like it does get less and less interesting every year. The new refueling rule is another example of how F1’s governors have removed yet another layer of strategy. Maybe this crop of new teams–including Lotus and a potential US team–will rekindle some of that former interest. Fingers crossed.

Don’t worry about F1… it’ll be just fine. Monaco would look silly without all the pretty boats.

i’ve always wondered what a car would look like without any safety regulations or rules, just has to fit a driver.
It would be kind of fun to start a championship like that.

Sweet thats what I been waiting to hear finally lotus has the balls to hang out with the elite group of other manufacturers all we need in F1 is for Porche to get back in F1 and maybe Lambo too as Lambo have nor racing cars out there in any type of racing.

I would love to see F1 be nearly rule free.

No horsepower/weight restrictions. They should just all have the same basic dimensions, tires, fuel tanks/cells and be deemed “safe”.

The rest would be up to the teams.

F1 has gotten way too political and bogged down with excessive rules and regulations. It’s still fun to watch, but it’s definitely not what it used to be. Oh and f*ck Max Mosley.

Like any sport, it’s all about bringing in the greenbacks. Yeah, the rules are trying to increase passing to make the race more interesting than watching the qualifying order finish in the same way.

However, the speed of the cars and the nature of their aerodynamics makes is what makes it extremely difficult in the first place. Drafting behind someone in an F1 car is actually much worse than being at the front of the ‘train’ (to use a NASCAR analogy). That HUGE front wing is keeping the speeds up, but the passing down.

So the FIA might figure that no gas fill-ups places more emphasis on driving to save gas than driving all out.It also might make F1 engine more efficient, or efficient in the first place ’cause they’ve been fuel pigs up until now. They always seem to get gallons per mile when it comes to fuel use. So we’ll see what happens……

As for politics, it seems like there’s more scandals in F1 than there was in ol’ George Bush’s government. As for Max, there’s nothing like using the corporate money and position to promote the man that he wants to succeed him. I can’t wait till he’s gone and has no influence on anything but the Nazi-style orgies he’s been accused of………

Bosley- You’re right, I have never been into F1 simply because there are more passes per LAP in NASCAR (which I’ve also fallen out of fanship of) than in an entire F1 race. BORING. Fast, and incredibly cool, but boring to watch. Whichever manufacture pumps the most $ into their car holds first place all year = yay, wow, neat.

Nascar = Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday.
F1 = Sell on Monday, win on Sunday.

I think lotus should be a high volume exotic car company like ferrari and porsche. I miss their Esprit. I also wish they would produce their own engines and not borrow from toyota the 2GR-FE engine. Its a great engine and all but its more for refined applications than sport.

So uh….. yeah… what’s the new re-fueling rule?

Aesir, traditionally F1 teams have been allowed to pit as many times as they feel necessary to win the race, and have been allowed to change tires, adjust wing/aero settings, and refuel the cars, creating the ability for teams to put less gas in and go faster per lap.

Next season in 2010, teams are still able to pit for tires and other things, but are NOT allowed to refuel during any portion of the race. So instead of a car being lighter because of ‘fuel strategies’ the call it, there’s more equality in the field. Supposedly, but we’ll see..

Prius is the new F1 racer!

/sarcasm off

where is NMOFGM saying that GM would make a better F1 car than Lotus?

J/K Glad to see some progress from a new team. During the practice broadcast this afternoon, Peter Windsor invited Steve Matchett to check out their car on the 5 post rig after the broadcast… so they are making good progress as well…

Can’t wait to see next season. No refuelling will certainly add something to the spectacle in my opinion. They are going to allow for low fuel qualifying in all 3 segments now as well, which is pretty sweet.

Plus this ‘KERS’ advantage might matter a little more for the cars that use it if their competitors aren’t lighter by carrying less fuel, offsetting the gain…..

To armstealer: Actually the current manufacture leaderboard has proven that if you simply put the most money into your car you win strategy doesnt always work.

To bosley: I dont believe that the KERS system will be as much of an advantage next season. Since each car will weigh more lap for lap compared to the current season, the weight value of lbs./kilo’s in each car carrying The KERS will have less of an advantage than in the current season. The 80 HP advantage per shot will be much less affective. I suppose only time will tell though. They are always improving this system. The engineers may have already come up with ways to lower the weight of the KERS itself allowing the cars using it retain the advantage they already have next season.

To SG328is: Who’s car did Peter invite Matchet to see?? Lotus?

Wow – Lotus is showing their had very early… I guess it is obvious that there will be much more development by the time they are happy for a car to hit the grid…

Narrower front wheels? not by much more than they are at the moment?!

I’ve always liked the anticipation in waiting for a car to succeed/fail in a pit stop strategy (with fuel)

To autocritical: The narrower front wheels are to help douse the flames consisting within the whole front wing issues for teams not carrying KERS I believe.