The Lotus Renault R31 is making headlines

The Lotus Renault unveiled last Monday has not stopped making headlines, particularly regarding its famous exhausts.

The ingenious system first raised questions from photographers during the single-seater’s presentation, with the absence of exhausts at the rear of the car, as usually placed.

Indeed, the new system used by LRGP places the exhausts at the level of the sidepods, at the front of the single-seater.

As several teams showed us last year, the air exiting the car can make a significant difference to its behavior, and engineers are always trying to maximize its use, as with the blown diffuser or the F-Duct the previous year.

The forward exhaust outlet of the Lotus Renault allows for a new airflow to be directed under the car, creating a new source of downforce instead of using the diffuser for this purpose. This allows for a modification in the positioning of the car’s center of gravity, balancing the weight of the KERS. This innovative solution is reminiscent of the famous McLaren F-Duct, which was later copied with varying degrees of success by its competitors.

The system will undoubtedly be adopted by the other teams, with Ross Brawn already having made a statement: « Renault’s way of thinking is going in the right direction. We are working on a similar system ».

If this system proves itself in the race, there is no doubt that we will find it on other cars.