Caterham CT03 launch

[prisonermonkeys]

We're now in the tail end of the launch season, with only the minnows (and Williams) left to launch their cars. Today we get the last two launches, including the Caterham CT03.

Lotus E21 - January 28th
McLaren MP4-28 - January 31st
Ferrari F138 - February 1st
Force India VJM06 - February 1st
Sauber C32 - February 2nd
Red Bull RB9 - February 3rd
Mercedes AMG F1 W04 - February 4th
Toro Rosso STR8 - February 4th
Caterham CT03 - February 5th
Marussia MR02 - February 5th
Williams FW35 - February 19th

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Presenting ... last year's car!

 

[SagarisGTB]

I really like the lighter green. I think the livery is far better than last year's and other Caterham/TL liveries.

Also, I didn't know the car was being sponsored by EADS. Maybe this is the year the car will finally start to fly /lame joke.

 

[magpie1997]

The livery is not bad but the shape is awful
Ugliest on the grid unless the Williams is a disaster

 

[RTSolvalou]

I like the new green, I hope it really is as green as in the picture, the dark teal they have had so far was a little hard on the eyes for me, bit of a confused identity.

 

[Wardez]

This is the first car I've seen that just looks like it'll be slow I'm sad to say. Just nothing going on :/

I do like the shade of green, but the livery itself doesn't do it for me either, and the GE logo looks tacky. What happened to having the name of your team/or logo somewhere on the car?

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Caterham say they have no plans for a vanity plate:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105412/

 

[Wardez]

Green's my favorite color. Although like I said, the shade looks great, but it looks even better on track in this shot:

Have no idea what's going on with the battery of mini vanes on top of the sidepods...

 

[Tesla]

Seeing as that I can't see them in the photo at the top, I'd assume they're measuring something.

 

[Wardez]

Well yeah, that would make sense if it was just on the car for testing, but it's in the official render, so it's not a testing device:

 

[Centura]

Green's my favorite color. Although like I said, the shade looks great, but it looks even better on track in this shot:

Have no idea what's going on with the battery of mini vanes on top of the sidepods...

They are flow conditioners. They help with the downwash over the sidepods and makes the aerodynamics of the exhaust work better. (That's my understanding. And everyone had them last year after McLaren started the concept.)

 

[Touring Mars]

It's a bit like Rebecca Adlington - nice body, shame about the nose.

 

[R0ssingt0n]

It's a bit like Rebecca Adlington - nice body, shame about the nose.

Laughed so hard at this... but you're right.

 

[Bram Turismo]

It's a bit like Rebecca Adlington - nice body, shame about the nose.

I looked her up, and can now safely say this car looks much better than Rebecca Adlington.

 

[Pupik]

Have no idea what's going on with the battery of mini vanes on top of the sidepods...

It's clearly an aero-comb. Or a pair of rooster hats.

 

[TyrrellRacing]

Nose was inevitable, nice car other than that. Could be the worst car on the grid though ...

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

My favorite stepped nose car, maybe the red bull edges it out for me...but I do love this livery more so than any other car with the MR02 and C32 a somewhat close second.

Well yeah, that would make sense if it was just on the car for testing, but it's in the official render, so it's not a testing device:

Yeah I pointed that out on F1 fanatic myself, but they were running sets of two on each side pod at the end of last year, so I guess a set of three on each is better not sure. Front wing looks to be the same as last years from Brazil, but the side pods seem smaller and tight like most cars and the brake ducts also are different in shape.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Maybe this is just my colour-blindness playing up, but this car quite literally looks like a polished turd. It appears to be a shiny brown colour.

 

[GOTMAXPOWER]

Have no idea what's going on with the battery of mini vanes on top of the sidepods...

It looks like a variant of this

 

[Tom]

Maybe this is just my colour-blindness playing up, but this car quite literally looks like a polished turd. It appears to be a shiny brown colour.

It's definitely you I'm afraid.

 

[peter_vod69]

Maybe this is just my colour-blindness playing up, but this car quite literally looks like a polished turd. It appears to be a shiny brown colour.

Red/Green colour blind?

Because cars don't get much greener than this.

 

[gorsad]

I preferred the previous Caterham/Lotus paint jobs compared to this, the green's just too sparkly. Hopefully though, all the back markers will close in to the midfield.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Red/Green colour blind?

Uh-huh. Usually in the presence of a third, similar colour, like brown (if you put the red and brown pool balls together on the green felt of a pool table and ask me to pick them apart, I can't do it). Green seems to be the most problematic for me, so I suspect that the problem is the darker wings interfering with the way my eyes see the colour of the car.

So it might not literally look like a polished turd, but with that stepped nose, it still does ina figurative sense.

 

[Wardez]

The car may possibly have an illegal exhaust component:
http://www.racecar-engineering.com/news/caterham-f1-exhaust-legality-row-brewing-at-jerez/

 

[United6694]

good to see them trying something new, can't help but think if it was red bull it would be legal. (I know full regs don't apply in testing)

 

[Wardez]

I think it's more out of necessity than trying to gain an advantage. They reprofiled the floor but kept some of the other main rear components much the same as last year so they might've fitted a quick piece there to make sure the exhaust flow can get to the diffuser.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

That doesn't make sense - the piece will alter the flow of exhaust gasses, which will change as soon as they remove it. Any data they gather with the piece in will be practically useless without it.

 

[Wardez]

I'm saying they're gonna keep it for the season.

They've had it on since late last year when they switched to a semi-coanda exhaust, but the blade's changed position because of the way it needs to pitch down with the reprofiled sidepods and floor.

btw, big lolz to this:

 

[Grand Prix]

They look like:

 

[Wardez]

Well played on getting the team colors together on that one xD