Lotus hopes Renault can power winning car

Feb.26 (GMM) Lotus is pinning its high hopes for 2014 on trouble engine supplier Renault.

Technical boss Nick Chester is confident the Enstone team has produced a winning car, with respected Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt agreeing the double-tusked E22 is the most "courageous" in the field.

"The wind tunnel numbers are incredible," Chester is quoted by the German magazine.

"Our measurements at the test in Bahrain have confirmed that we have a really fast car."

He said Lotus' biggest concern is that Renault might be unable to resolve its obvious technical crisis with the new French-made V6 'power unit'.

"It would be a pity," said Chester, "if the engine is what determines the order on the track."

The most noticeable innovation aboard the E22 is the asymmetrical, tuning fork-style double-tusk nose, which has attracted envious glances up and down pitlane.

Chester said: "The other teams could copy it, but that alone won't help them much.

"If they want to take advantage of the (double) nose then they'd also have to change the rear of the car. And that would take them a lot of time," he warned.

"Some engineers left us last year taking the knowledge of the benefits (of the nose) to our competitors, but I imagine they had difficulty passing the crash tests," said Chester.