2012 Lotus to be named the E20 30 Jan 2012
Starting a new naming system for their cars, Lotus (formerly Renault) have announced that their 2012 machine will be called the E20, commemorating the 20th chassis to be designed at their Enstone factory in the UK.
Enstone has been a Formula One team base since 1992, when Benetton moved there from their previous Oxfordshire facility. Benetton had started life as Toleman in 1981, before becoming Renault in 2002 and then Lotus for 2012.
“Our naming of the chassis to recognise Enstone’s importance to the team’s evolution highlights our recognition of the contribution of the facility and the personnel who work tirelessly every year to produce the very best car possible,” said team principal Eric Boullier.
“We certainly hope that this is the case with the E20 and we are looking forward to revealing the car to the world and seeing it out on track for the first time.”
The E20 will be unveiled online on February 5 and shown to the world’s media the following day in Jerez, Spain when it will briefly take to the track for filming. On February 7 Lotus’s new lead driver, returning former world champion Kimi Raikkonen, will start the team’s pre-season test programme at Jerez, with new team mate Romain Grosjean due to take over on February 9.
“There are a number of technical changes from last year and we have an exciting new driver line-up to extract the maximum from the E20 through the 20 Grands Prix of the 2012 season, including the 500th race for this team through its different incarnations,” added Boullier. “We hope that the E20 proves to be a performing Enstone design.”
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