Team Lotus to do virtual launch

It has been confirmed that Team Lotus will reveal its 2011 challenger on the morning of Monday January 31, with an online launch taking place at 05:00 GMT. The new TL11 chassis will be unveiled via the 'Team Lotus Notes' service on the outfit’s website, enabling fans to view the car ahead of pre-season testing.

Lotus enjoyed a largely successful 2010 campaign, finishing as the highest placed new team in the championship. Technical Director Mike Gascoyne is confident that Lotus' latest design is a significant step forward from its T127 predecessor, and believes the longer build time will allow the squad to fight in the mid-field this year.

The opening pre-season test takes place at Valencia from February 1-3, with Lotus deciding to miss the first day in order to shakedown its car prior to its public debut. Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli will commence running on Wednesday 2, with both drivers getting a taste of the new car at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Spain.