Brundle and Blundell finish fourth at Daytona

The four-man team which includes former Formula One team-mates Martin Brundle and Mark Blundell finished fourth in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.

The United Autosports team - which also included team owner Zak Brown and fellow American, Mark Patterson - was running as high as third but fell back in the final hour. In the end, only 3.752 seconds separated the top four.

"We got so close to being on the podium and after the excitement of a top-three result being on the cards, finishing fourth, so close to a podium, is a little deflating," Brundle said. "But I think we did a tremendous job and it was a great effort by the team. All four drivers contributed in every way. We turned up here saying that if we could get in to the top-six, that would be a good performance … and we managed fourth, so I guess we should be very happy with ourselves."

The car suffered a slow puncture which necessitated a lengthy pit stop, and was also shunted twice.

"I'm kind of disappointed but that is typical me of me …I wanted that podium," Blundell said. "My goal was a top-10 on the grid and top-five in the race and we achieved both so I think we covered ourselves with a bit of glory and maybe surprised more than a few people."

Ganassi Racing won its fourth Rolex 24 in six years as the No. 01 BMW Riley shared by Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Graham Rahal and Joey Hand beat a car driven by Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Jamie McMurray to the flag by 2.070 seconds.

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Schumacher plays down simulator sickness struggles

Michael Schumacher says that he is not the only driver on the grid to suffer from motion sickness as a result of driving Formula One simulators.

Reports last week linked Schumacher's struggles in keeping pace with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg last year to his limited time in the team's Brackley simulator before the start of the season.

But the seven-time world champion played down the connection between his motion sickness and his disappointing return to the sport.

"I think almost all the drivers that I know have had it [motion sickness]," Schumacher told Telegraph Sport. "When we had our first simulator at Ferrari I had exactly this feeling already so it's nothing to do with age. People get used to it by going through certain processes."

Although the majority of teams use simulators to help drivers to get to grips with new circuits, Schumacher also cast doubts about the usefulness of the technology.

"As far as I understand there are some other top teams that have a simulator but make very little use of it. For us drivers the main benefit of them would be to get used to a track. But for me personally that has never been an issue. I don't see the big advantage of them."

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Sauber targets greater consistency in 2011

Sauber took the wraps off its new C30 car in Valencia on Monday with the goal of providing greater consistency and more points finishes in 2011.

"Our aim in the development of the Sauber C30-Ferrari has been to build on the strengths of the C29 and to eliminate its weak points," commented technical director James Key. "In addition, it is also important for us to go into winter testing with a car we understand, and we have worked hard on ensuring the characteristics of the car are heading in a direction we believe in."

Key added that it was important to build a more 'predictable car' from the outset as teams get to grips with the season's new regulations, not least the change to Pirelli rubber.

"Since some of the changes decreed by the regulations - particularly regarding the tyres - can only be analysed out on track, it was important for us to build, firstly, a fundamentally predictable car and, secondly, one that would provide sufficient flexibility to respond to ongoing findings at the track and during further development stages."

Team principal Peter Sauber echoed Key's sentiments, saying that the main goal is to finish in the points on a more consistent basis in 2011.

"We want to finish in the points regularly and clearly improve our position in the FIA Formula One constructors' world championship," said Sauber. "2010 marked the 41st year of our company history and one of the most difficult.

"Never before had we faced such reliability problems, but we managed to overcome them in the second half of the season. We implemented some well-considered structural changes. The appointment of James Key as Technical Director already bore fruit last season, and he is now in charge of development of the Sauber C30-Ferrari.

"At the same time, we have managed to secure our business foundation for the 2011 season. In these economically straitened times that is something we can be proud of too."

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Senna and Grosjean join Lotus Renault reserves

Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean have joined the test and reserve driver line-up for the new Lotus Renault GP team.

The Lotus Renault GP R31 was launched in Valencia on Monday with Senna and Grosjean joining fellow reserves Fairuz Fauzy, Jan Charouz and Ho-Ping Tung as well as first team drivers Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov.

Team boss Eric Boullier said there were currently no plans to offer any of the drivers a Friday practice slot at grands prix this season.

"So far I won't give any Friday mornings to the young drivers," he said. "We'll only do it if the engineers and the race team are confident we can run one Friday morning without affecting the race programme."

However, he did confirm that Senna would be the first reserve if one of the race drivers could not compete.

"I will give it to the one that is ready, and this year Bruno is the most ready driver."

"It's a great moment for me. I've been trying to get into a good Formula One programme for a couple of years so it feels great to be joining such an established team," said Senna. "I'm proud of this achievement and thankful for the opportunity that I've been given.

"This year will be all about integrating myself with the team and extracting the most I can from being in such a competitive environment. Being part of this project will give me so much valuable experience and it's down to me to make the most of it. I hope that I can develop myself and prove to the team that I should be given an opportunity for the future."

Grosjean, who is managed by the Gravity organisation run by Renault majority shareholders Genii, will test for Lotus Renault whilst once again competing in GP2 with the DAMS team. He made his F1 race debut with Renault in 2009 after Nelson Piquet was dropped, but he was not retained for last year.

"2011 will be my comeback year with a third driver spot at Lotus Renault and a whole season in GP2 and GP2 Asia with the DAMS team," Grosjean said. "To be third pilot ... allows me to gain a huge amount of experience, to be in the paddock, to see people, and to understand what I was lacking in my first Formula One experience. Now my idea is to be a race driver in 2012."

Boullier said bringing Grosjean back was all part of the team's plan to see a French driver back in F1.

"Romain is here as well, but that is more of a strategy to put a French driver back in F1," he said. "In France there is no more grand prix and no drivers in F1. It is part of the plan as well for Romain, who we think is a very good driver, we'd like to put him back in F1 as a French driver, but he has to commit some stuff beforehand as a GP2 driver."

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Boullier targets race wins in 2011

Lotus Renault team boss Eric Boullier says that the team has the financial backing to compete with the top outfits in Formula One and is ready to win races after the team launched its new R31 car in Valencia.

"With the arrival of a long-term partner in Group Lotus, we have the financial stability to build on these strong foundations and ensure a very competitive future," said Boullier. "That is incredibly motivating for everybody in the team and gives us all the belief that we can continue to compete at the sharp end of the grid with the strongest teams in the sport.

"With the R31, work started before the R30 had even done a single race. In 2010 we achieved a very high rate of development and the car that finished the season was two seconds per lap quicker than the car we had at the first race. During the winter, that same determined approach to the workload has continued, which is a testament to the spirit and commitment of the people we have in this team. Yes, the workload is huge at this time of year, but if we keep our heads down and maximise the winter test sessions, I'm pretty sure we will have a strong start to 2011.

Renault achieved three podium finished courtesy of Robert Kubica in 2010 and finished a solid fifth in the constructors' standings. For Boullier, the target for 2011 is to start winning races.

"We live to race and our goal is to win. It's the core of our philosophy. All the hard work over the last twelve months has been focussed on delivering a big improvement for 2011, and that means we should be more competitive than last year. Will we be stronger than our competitors? Hard to say, but based on the efforts of everybody here, I feel we deserve it."

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Kubica unfazed by new regulations

Robert Kubica does not think that the new rules and regulations in place for the 2011 season will make it any more difficult for the drivers than in 2010.

As well as having to adapt to a new tyre in Pirelli, drivers will also see the return of KERS, the removal of double diffusers and the introduction of adjustable rear wings.

"I think it will be quite a bit different, but I wouldn't say it will be more challenging because taking an F1 car to the limit is always a challenge," said Kubica at the launch of the new Lotus Renault GP R31 in Valencia.

"The drivers will definitely be busier with KERS and the adjustable rear wing, but it probably won't be any more difficult than last year when we had to operate the f-duct. In fact, it will be good to have both hands back on the steering wheel for a change! We will certainly have to concentrate hard during the first few days of testing to understand the new systems, but I'm sure we will soon get used to them and everything will become automatic."

Drivers will be allowed to adjust their rear wing when within a second of the car in front, with the aim of cutting the car's drag and boosting top speed. However, they will be restricted to using it at a designated part of the track (most likely the longest straight) and only two laps after the start or a restart. Kubica is concerned that it will be extremely difficult for the FIA to get the right balance between making racing too easy and making no difference at all.

"I think it will depend on how long you are able to operate it for and from when," he said. "I think now it's under one second, but it all depends how much distance you allow the car behind to operate the lower downforce by pressing the button. If you give him all of the straight he will overtake the car in the middle of the straight, but I think that's not exciting. If you give him too small distance the chances may increase, but I don't think it will really change completely the cars and we will start to get NASCAR [style] races in Formula One. I think Formula One is exciting for some of us, but of course I think drivers, teams and fans want to see more overtaking, and also from a driver's point of view you want it to be easier to overtake. But as I say, everything depends on the distance you will be able to use it."

The wing will be free to use at any point in qualifying, and Kubica said that could make it difficult for drivers to get used to race trim.

"What will be tricky will be races, because the difference between the top speed at the end of the straight in qualifying and the start of the race will be huge - about 20km/h or maybe 15km/h. So this will be tricky for races."

As one of F1's heavier drivers, Kubica struggled with KERS in 2009 at BMW as the additional weight of the system skewed the overall weight balance of the car. This year the minimum weight of the car has been increased to accommodate KERS and Kubica is confident Renault has found a way to maximise the effect of the technology.

"The minimum weight for sure gives heavier and taller drivers a bit more of a chance," he said. "After my experience with BMW I was a bit worried, but I think what I have seen of the characteristics of last year's Renault it will improve these characteristics of the car and we will have less problems than we had two years ago with BMW. So we can take profit out of KERS. You never know how the system will react and stuff like this, so we will have some very important days here in Valencia to see that everything is working. We hope to have a smooth start because it will save a lot of time to focus on other things."

Having finished on the podium four times in 2010, Kubica hopes to once again be fighting it out with the teams at the front of the grid and possibly compete for race wins in 2011.

"At the moment it's difficult to know just how competitive our package will be, but the engineers have decided to go for an innovative design, which is good. Also, we had a strong season last year and we hope to move forward again this year and be closer to the front.

"That means we will have to race against teams like Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull, and we know this will not be easy, but we will be working hard to make sure we can be part of that fight."

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Petrov determined to repay Renault's faith

Vitaly Petrov says he is more determined than ever to repay the faith that Renault has shown in him by delivering strong performances in his second season in Formula One.

Petrov struggled for consistency for much of 2010 leading to widespread rumours that Renault would part company with the Russian for the 2011 season. But a strong finish to the season allied to the team's business interests in Russia helped tip the balance in his favour.

"The team has shown a lot of faith in me and it's my chance to show everybody that they were right to believe in me," said Petrov at the launch of the Lotus Renault R31 in Valencia.

"I know what I need to change, where I can improve and I'm determined to do well and fight hard for this team. I now understand how difficult Formula One is on every level and I know that even a small mistake can have a big impact on your weekend.

"My focus this year is to make sure I put everything together, maximise all the sessions and stay concentrated all weekend long."

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Perez ready to prove himself

Sergio Perez insists he is only focused on his first season with Sauber and not thinking about where his place on the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) might take him in the future.

After finishing second in the GP2 Series last season, Perez will compete in his debut season with Sauber this year. He comes to the team with backing from Mexican communications giant Telmex, but, speaking at Sauber's launch, he revealed he is not paying for his role on the FDA.

When asked if he had aspirations of driving for Ferrari in the future, Perez said he had to prove himself at Sauber first: "I have to think in the present and the present for me is only Sauber. I have to do well to keep growing up in Formula One, for the future I don't know what is going to happen. Obviously the dream is to drive one day for Ferrari, but right now I'm at Sauber and that's where my first season is, so I'm looking forward to this."

Perez has had some access to the Ferrari simulator over the winter and said he had tried practicing with a moveable rear wing, which is new for 2011 and designed to improve overtaking.

"I tried this, it's very challenging and very difficult to adapt to," he admitted. "It's completely new for me. Experienced drivers have complained about this and it's entirely new for me. It's going to be very tricky but I hope I can manage this well."

When asked if he is feeling the pressure of racing with the hopes of his native Mexico resting on his shoulders, Perez said: "I feel it's extra motivation instead of pressure," he said. "In Formula One you have lots of pressure, I'm sure, as I've had in all of my career, but to now have this kind of support from my country is a big thing for myself and to do big things for my country, I'm very happy."

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Name row all about money

Renault's Gerard Lopez has said he is tired of the tit-for-tat row over the Lotus name in Formula One and believes it is all based on money.

Carmaker Group Lotus is sponsoring Renault this year and is hoping to prevent the Tony Fernandes-owned Team Lotus from running under the iconic name. The issue is set for a court hearing after the Bahrain Grand Prix, but a series of press releases and statements have given the dispute a bitter edge.

Speaking at Renault's launch in Valencia, Lopez implied Team Lotus' arguments were shallow and that the actual reason behind it putting up a fight is money, as Fernandes' outfit would stand to lose its 2010 prize fund if it changes its name.

"What I don't like - and I've known this for many years, not just in Formula One but in business as well - is when somebody is trying to twist something," he said. "We've never twisted anything in any form or fashion. We've just said that we have a partnership with Lotus; Lotus is a great car company; they want to be quite aggressive in terms of development; they want to have a presence in Formula One; they want to promote the brand. After all there's only one Lotus car company and anything else is a bunch of B.S.

"I'm aware of the decisions that took place and I know that money was essentially central to it, it's not passion, it's not taking over the Lotus name, it's the fact that if 1Malaysia changes its name, they lose their FOM money. And yeah, it's an issue for them and it's probably one that I would not take too kindly to if I was in there shoes, and obviously I would be fighting. But they need to admit to reality and the fact that it's about money and not something else."

Renault has the support of Lotus-founder Colin Chapman's family and Lopez believes that is because it's not trying to be something it is not.

"The Chapman family kind of likes what we are doing," he added. "Not because we are better or worse or whatever, but because at the end of the day we're not pretending to be any sort of link or legacy to Chapman, in terms of the team. This [Renault] is completely different."

Lopez believes Fernandes and Team Lotus have portrayed themselves as a smaller company being picked on by Group Lotus, and that that is far from the truth.

"What I believe is quite damaging is to act as the small team that has been beaten up in some sort of David and Goliath thing. We're proud of the team, we do have a sponsor, but we are privately owned and we just happen to be bigger. The fact is that it's all about the money, and they stand to lose money if they change their name. They should be honest and just say that."

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Welcome to our new website

BLOG | 30/01/2011

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Q&A with James Allison

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  R31 Launch: Black to the future

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• 30/01/2011

  Testing 1,2,3…of February

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After a busy winter, the team's Technical Director talks about the challenges faced during the design phase of the R31 and how the team has adapted to the new regulations.

James, tell us about the R31 and how it varies from its predecessor…
Words like 'aggressive' and 'innovative' are very much in vogue in Formula 1 at the moment, but where the R31 is concerned we feel that those adjectives are appropriate. It's true to say that the car has been designed in an ambitious manner and a quick glance at the layout will confirm that its entire concept differs considerably, not just from last year's car, but from any car this team has ever produced. Those changes represent our attempt to extract the absolute maximum aerodynamic performance from the regulations, which have changed quite significantly for this year, and to further develop the concept of using the exhausts to blow the floor.

So it's fair to say the R31 is a significant step forward compared to the R30?
It is very difficult to compare the two cars in a meaningful way. 2011 is a different year with a new set of regulations and that's why the R31 is a very different car. For example, KERS is back this year and the car has been completely re-engineered to accommodate that system in an efficient way. We've also chosen to change the layout of our rear suspension by opting for a pull rod system for the first time in decades. And, as I said before, anyone can see that the treatment we have given to some specific areas is completely new compared with anything we have done previously. All of those things are aimed at trying to maximise the R31 under the 2011 rules.

How has the team handled the design and build phase of the new car – has it been a relatively straightforward winter?
It's never straightforward – that's the honest answer – but it has been made particularly tricky this year by having major additional components, such as KERS and the adjustable rear wing to incorporate as well. Developing the wing, for example, added considerable workload in the design and production stages, rather than simply making a refinement of the previous year's design. It meant starting with a completely clean sheet of paper. The same was true of the areas around our exhaust system where we had to begin from scratch.

What more can you tell us about the adjustable rear wing and how it will affect the cars…
The straight-line speed gain from adjusting the wing will not be the same for all cars and whoever gets the most benefit will depend on who has designed the most efficient version. Every team will be looking for a wing that delivers the optimum compromise of downforce in the corners, while shedding the maximum drag down the straights – the better your wing can do that, the better your lap time will be in qualifying and the more competitive you will be in racing conditions. In terms of how powerful it is, the gains from adjusting the rear wing will be more significant than the gains we saw last year using f-ducts. But, like the f-duct, it's far from straightforward aerodynamically and we've spent a great deal of time in CFD and the wind tunnel to make sure our concept delivers the best compromise.

Where do you think the R31 will sit in the pecking order when the season gets underway?
With every season that goes by, the professionalism of the teams that are competing becomes even more intense. There are many teams that know how to produce a good car and we're under no illusion about the scale of the challenge facing us in 2011. I think that last year we perhaps exceeded the expectations of some people in the pit lane, but we certainly didn't outperform our own expectations. While we were happy to be moving back in the right direction, we would be frustrated if we started 2011 operating at the same performance level we showed last year. That means we want the R31 to be competitive right from the off and in with a chance of scoring podiums or better from the first race. Considering the tremendous effort that has gone in at all levels to produce this car, that would be a fitting reward for all concerned.

Q&A with Eric Boullier

• 31/01/2011

  R31 Launch: Black to the future

  The world's media got their first glimpse of Lotus...

• 30/01/2011

  Testing 1,2,3…of February

  Now that the R31 has been launched, the team's...

• 30/01/2011

  QA with Robert Kubica

  Robert talks about his excitement for the season...

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The Team Principal and Managing Director pays tribute to the efforts behind the scenes over the winter and looks ahead to the challenge facing the team in 2011.

Eric, the start of the 2011 season is just over a month away. How excited are you about the year ahead?
I think there is a great deal to be excited about this year, especially as we begin an important new era for this team. 2010 was a useful year; a time to rebuild and prepare for the future, but at the same time everybody in the team put in an amazing amount of effort and we saw the results of that on the racetrack. Now, with the arrival of a long-term partner in Group Lotus, we have the financial stability to build on these strong foundations and ensure a very competitive future. That is incredibly motivating for everybody in the team and gives us all the belief that we can continue to compete at the sharp end of the grid with the strongest teams in the sport. Over the last twelve months, we have all worked so hard to prepare for 2011 and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved and looking forward to getting the season underway.

The winter months building the new car are always some of the busiest of the year – how has the factory handled the creation of the R31?
In fact, Formula 1 never stops. With the R31, work started before the R30 had even done a single race. In 2010 we achieved a very high rate of development and the car that finished the season was two seconds per lap quicker than the car we had at the first race. During the winter, that same determined approach to the workload has continued, which is a testament to the spirit and commitment of the people we have in this team. Yes, the workload is huge at this time of year, but if we keep our heads down and maximise the winter test sessions, I'm pretty sure we will have a strong start to 2011.

Can the team repeat last year's high development pace in 2011?
The plan is to take exactly the same approach to development this year, although our expectation is to start the season in a much stronger position. That means we will have to be even more creative and will look to investigate some new technical areas that we have not examined before. But technical innovation isn't the only key to performance and over the last 12 months we have reviewed all our internal processes and left no stone unturned. Today we can say that our overall efficiency has improved by 15%.

The team is fielding an unchanged driver line-up. How important is that stability for taking the team forward?
Stability is important in any industry and especially in the very fast-moving Formula 1 environment, which is intensively competitive on every level. Having stability in our drivers is one of the key elements in bringing this team back to full competitiveness. It will allow us to capitalise on what we learned last year. The new management, the drivers, the engineers and mechanics have all been working together for a year now and have spent that time understanding each other. Now is the time when we can capitalise on that bond and team spirit, which will only make us stronger.

What do you think Robert and Vitaly are capable of achieving in 2011?
Our driver line-up is still a mixture of talent, experience and youth. Robert is clearly one of our strongest assets and we know we can rely on his speed, commitment and dedication for the long term. As for Vitaly, he showed us at the end of last year that he understands what we expect of him in 2011 and he was ready to commit to this. With a year's experience behind him, he will be able to approach the new season with more confidence and is ready to help the team raise its game. We took the risk of investing in him last year and I'm sure we will see the benefit of that this year.

Are you confident the team can take a significant step forward and challenge for wins in 2011?
We live to race and our goal is to win. It's the core of our philosophy. All the hard work over the last twelve months has been focussed on delivering a big improvement for 2011, and that means we should be more competitive than last year. Will we be stronger than our competitors? Hard to say, but based on the efforts of everybody here, I feel we deserve it.

Q&A with Vitaly Petrov

BLOG | 30/01/2011

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Q&A with Robert Kubica

• 31/01/2011

  R31 Launch: Black to the future

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• 30/01/2011

  Testing 1,2,3…of February

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Robert talks about his excitement for the season and reveals his thoughts on the new regulations.

Robert, the new season is just over a month away. How excited are you about the challenge that awaits you?
After a long winter break you always feel ready to jump back in the car and I'm really looking forward to this season. As well as my car having new colours, there are some big changes to the regulations, such as the removal of double diffusers, the introduction of adjustable rear wings and new Pirelli tyres. So there are a lot of new things to get used to before the first race, but we will do our best to be as ready as we can for the start of the season.

This is your second season with this team. Does that make it easier to extract the maximum from yourself and the car?
Obviously when you join a team everything is new and you have to get to know the people and how they operate. So it's good that we don't have to worry about that this year because I know what to expect. That will make it easier to concentrate on extracting the maximum from the car and trying to improve performance.

How different do you think the sport will be in 2011 as a result of all the rule changes?
I think it will be quite a bit different, but I wouldn't say it will be more challenging because taking an F1 car to the limit is always a challenge. The drivers will definitely be busier with KERS and the adjustable rear wing, but it probably won't be any more difficult than last year when we had to operate the f-duct. In fact, it will be good to have both hands back on the steering wheel for a change! We will certainly have to concentrate hard during the first few days of testing to understand the new systems, but I'm sure we will soon get used to them and everything will become automatic.

Is the adjustable rear wing something that excites you as a driver?
I think it's clear it will create the opportunity for more overtaking, which is good for Formula 1 and the show, but we need to be careful that it does not give too much advantage to the car behind. If we see overtaking on every lap of the race because the wing is giving too much advantage, then I don't think this will be exciting. The other thing we have to think about is the gear ratios because it will be a big challenge to find the ideal settings, especially for sixth and seventh gears. Even if you find a good setting for qualifying, when you can use the wing as much as you want, you also need to find a good compromise for the race, when its use is restricted.

How difficult will it be to get through the workload during winter testing to be ready for the first race?
It's never easy because the number of days we have for testing is limited, but I think there is just enough time to be ready for Bahrain. It all depends on how well things go in the early tests and you have to hope there are no big surprises that cost you time on track. Also, with so many changes this year, the task facing us is bigger than in previous years and understanding KERS, the rear wing and the new tyres will need a lot of laps. In fact, learning about the tyres will be the most time-consuming of all because you need to run each compound in different conditions and with different fuel loads, and there is so much to discover. I have my fingers crossed for a good, smooth start to testing so that we can begin performance work as soon as possible.

What are your hopes and expectations for the year ahead?
My aim, as always, is to deliver a good and consistent performance across the year. That is the goal for any driver. At the moment it's difficult to know just how competitive our package will be, but the engineers have decided to go for an innovative design, which is good. Also, we had a strong season last year and we hope to move forward again this year and be closer to the front. That means we will have to race against teams like Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull, and we know this will not be easy, but we will be working hard to make sure we can be part of that fight.

Testing 1,2,3…of February

BLOG | 30/01/2011

Counting down to...

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R31 Launch: Black to the future

• 31/01/2011

  R31 Launch: Black to the future

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• 30/01/2011

  QA with Robert Kubica

  Robert talks about his excitement for the season...

• 30/01/2011

  QA with Vitaly Petrov

  The 26-year-old Russian looks ahead to his second...

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The world's media got their first glimpse of Lotus Renault GP's 2011 challenger this afternoon as the R31 was presented in the pit lane of the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo.

Robert and Vitaly joined Gerard Lopez (Chairman of LRGP) and Eric Boullier (Team Principal and Managing Director) to pull back the covers and present the car the team hopes will continue the squad's push towards the front of the grid.

"For Genii Capital and Lotus Renault GP, the 2011 season will be the one in which we achieve our aims," said Gerard Lopez. "We now have 100% ownership of the team, and we're tackling the coming championship with the intention of continuing to do things our way – but always with humility. I would like to welcome Lotus Cars, a new ambitious title sponsor with us for the long term. Renault and Total have also chosen to accompany us again in this adventure and we thank them for their valuable contribution. Our aim for 2011 is to continue our march towards the front of the grid, seize the slightest opportunity and do better than last season in both the drivers' and constructors' championships. We feel we are well prepared for the challenge ahead."

Eric Boullier echoed those sentiments and paid tribute to the enormous effort back at the team's base in Enstone: "All the hard work over the winter has been focused on delivering a big improvement for 2011. The result is a car with more than 92% new parts compared to the R30. But technical innovation isn't the only key to performance. Since last year, we have reviewed all our internal processes and our overall efficiency has now improved by 15%. That means we should be more competitive than last year, on the track and at the factory."

Technical Director, James Allison, explained how the team approached the design of the R31: "Words like 'aggressive' and 'innovative' are very much in vogue in Formula 1 at the moment, but where the R31 is concerned we feel those adjectives are appropriate. It's true to say that the car has been designed in an ambitious manner and a quick glance at the layout will confirm that its entire concept differs considerably, not just from last year's car, but from any car this team has ever produced."

Both Robert and Vitaly were enthusiastic as they got acquainted with their new car and eager for the season to get underway.

"After a long winter break you always feel ready to jump back in the car," explained Robert. "At the moment it's difficult to know just how competitive our package will be, but the engineers have decided to go for an innovative design, which is good."

Vitaly added: "It feels exciting to be starting my second year of Formula 1 and I can't wait to try this beautiful car for the first time tomorrow. Now that I have a year of F1 experience behind me, I feel more confident and ready to deliver. I'm determined to do well and fight hard for this team."

The team's new third drivers were presented as well, with Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean adding further strength to the team's driver line-up. The team's reserve drivers (and members of the LRGP Academy) were confirmed as Jan Charouz, Ho-Pin Tung and Fairuz Fauzy (who was unable to attend the launch due to his GP2 Series commitments).

The team also welcomes two important new partners in SunCore and Sibur, while Genii Capital promotes its Business Exchange platform through more significant branding on the car.