The wraps come off the first 2013 Formula One World Championship challenger tonight, when Lotus will unveil their E21 online by streaming the event live on the team’s YouTube channel from the their base in Enstone, starting at 19.15 GMT.
Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean will be on hand as will be the team’s top management including team principal Eric Boullier and technical director James Allison.
Much is expected of the team who last year started to look like the team that powered Fernando Alonso to back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006.
Allison’s shares rose dramatically as he turned out a handy package in the Lotus E20, hence the E21 is awaited eagerly by the F1 fraternity.
This first launch of the 2013 season kick starts a period of ten days in which most teams are scheduled to reveal what they have in store for the season ahead.
In three days time, on 31 January, McLaren will unveil the MP4-28 at their HQ in Woking with their new signing Sergio Perez in team regalia for the first time, along with 2009 world champion Jenson Button.
On 1 February Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa will take the covers off the Ferrari F2013 at Maranello, while Force India will be doing the same with with the VJM06 from their Silverstone base.
Neither of the Force India drivers have been confirmed officially, although Paul di Resta is expected to be one of the drivers, with his team mate set to be chosen from several candidates including, Adrian Sutil, Jules Bianchi and Bruno Senna.
A day later, on 2 February, Sauber will show off their C32 for the first first time along with their two new drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Guttierrez.
World champions Red Bull Racing will take the wraps off the Adrian Newey penned RB9 at their factory in Milton Keynes with world champion Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber doing the honours, before the team packs the car on a transporter for the journey to Jerez de la Frontera for the first day of testing on 5 February.
The track in southern Spain will host three unveilings, two on 4 February,on the eve of the test when Mercedes will unveil the W04 which Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will campaign, while Daniel Ricciardo and Jean Eric Vergne will reveal the Toro Rosso STR8 in the late afternoon.
The next morning at 8.45am the Caterham CT03 will break cover, minutes before the start of the first official test of the season, where Charles Pic will attend the proceedings. The team has yet to announce its second driver.
Williams are only unveiling the FW35, which Pastor Maldnado and Valtteri Bottas will drive, on 19 February – the morning of the start of the second test in Barcelona.
Marussia have yet to announce their launch and who will partner Max Chilton in the team for the forthcoming season. (GP247)
Subbed by AJN.