Currently reading: Team Lotus launches new F1 car

Team hopes its new T128 will help propel it into F1's midfield in 2011

Team Lotus has revealed its Formula One challenger for 2011, the T128.

The team, which is currently locked in a dispute with Group Lotus over the right to use the Lotus name in F1, has stuck with its green and yellow livery from last season after the new Group Lotus-backed Lotus Renault GP team adopted the JPS-inspired black and gold livery it had originally planned to run.

See the official pics of the Team Lotus T128

Team Lotus expects the T128 to be challenging the midfield teams for points this year, and chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne said the “car looks like a front-running car in every area".

"We said very clearly that we want to start challenging the established teams and I think that's very achievable,” he added.

Team Lotus will switch from Cosworth to Renault V8 power for 2011 and will also use transmission systems from Red Bull.

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Team owner Tony Fernandes said his team was looking forward to racing again after a winter plagued by the Group Lotus dispute.

"The launch of the T128 is a big step forward for Team Lotus, and I want to thank the whole team for the amount of hard work that has already gone into T128, and I want to thank Renault and Red Bull Technology for their tremendous support in helping us make this step forward, and for being such great team partners,” he said.

"There has been so much focus off-track it's a thrill to be able to get back to talking about racing.”

The car will take to the race track for the first time on Wednesday, the second day of the first official F1 winter test in Valencia.

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