The Lotus E23 Hybrid is a Formula Oneracing car which Lotus used to compete in the 2015 Formula One season. The chassis was designed by Nick Chester, Chris Cooney, Martin Tolliday and Nicolas Hennel with Mercedes supplying the team's powertrain. It was driven by Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado. This was the team's only car to use Mercedes engines, after a 20-year period of racing with Renault based powerplants. The E23 Hybrid was also the first Enstone-based car not to used a Renault-based engine (including the period between 1998 and 2000 where the team used Playlife badged Renault-based Mecachrome/Supertec V10s) since the Ford-powered V8 powered Benetton B194 in 1994, as well as first full British team to utilize Petronas fuel and lubricants.
Images of the 2015 car were released on 26 January 2015.[2][3]
The Lotus-Mercedes partnership was originally intended to last for six years (until 2020), but was terminated five years earlier as the team returned to Renault power unit after a single season and thus bought ill-fated Lotus stake from 2016 onwards and renamed back to Renault Sport Formula One Team.
After the team's dramatic slump in 2014, the 2015 season marked a small improvement in form. The car was considered an improvement compared to the disastrous Lotus E22, which suffered from reliability issues and struggling for competitiveness due to the underpowered and unreliable Renault power unit and the fundamental flaws of the E22 chassis. However, both driver errors and unreliability cost the team points finishes in many races, limiting the car's potential of consistent points scoring. Maldonado retired in 5 out of the first 6 races either due to collisions or car problems. Grosjean and Maldonado collided with each other, in Spain and Britain. A highlight of the season however was Grosjean's podium finish in Belgium. Lotus ended its last season with 78 points and a 6th place in the World Constructors' Championship, before its buyout from Renault Sport.
Sponsorship and livery
The livery was completely changed with a new gold graphics design and the red accents were mostly removed. The team had lost the Rexona sponsorship as Unilever switched into Williams. This was the final year for the following sponsors: Yotaphone, Saxo Bank, PDVSA and Proton.
The team promoted the movie Mad Max: Fury Road at the Spanish Grand Prix. The team paid tribute to Jules Bianchi in Hungary, with "#JB17" present on the engine cover . At Singapore, Lotus celebrated the launch of the Forza Motorsport 6 and to celebrate, drivers wore green Xbox overalls.[4]
Complete Formula One results
(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
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