Lotus 2015 F1 car revealed

Gone is the awful twin-tusk arrangement of its 2014 car, which looked at best like a mis-aligned tuning fork, at worst like some deranged deep sea creature.

In contrast, its 2015 is an extremely handsome machine, without even the small thumb-like nose extension seen on the Williams FW37 and Force India VJM08.

Following a strong 2013 season, in which it finished a fighting fifth in the constructors’ championship, Lotus had a torrid 2014, hampered by both poor performance and reliability from its Renault power units, a lack of downforce and inconsistent handling.

Its problems were magnified due to severe financial struggles, which led to staff cutbacks and the loss of key technical personnel.

This year’s straight-line performance should be far more impressive thanks to the adoption of Mercedes power units, while recent hirings have bolstered the design and aerodynamics office.

Lotus CEO Matthew Carter claims the financial situation is now under control and the team is aiming to challenge for third or fourth in the standings this year. Both Romain Grosjean and the ever-entertaining Pastor Maldonado have been retained as drivers.

Testing for the 2015 Formula 1 season kicks off on February 1 at Jerez.