TheLotus E23 Hybrid is aFormula Oneracing car whichLotus used to compete in the2015 Formula One season. The chassis was designed byNick Chester, Chris Cooney, Martin Tolliday and Nicolas Hennel withMercedes supplying the team's powertrain. It was driven byRomain Grosjean andPastor Maldonado. This was the team's only car to useMercedes engines, after a 20-year period of racing withRenault based powerplants. The E23 Hybrid was also the first Enstone-based car not to use a Renault-based engine (including the period between 1998 and 2000 where the team used Playlife badged Renault-based Mecachrome/Supertec V10s) since theFord-powered V8 poweredBenetton B194 in1994, as well as first full British team to utilizePetronas 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 toRenault power unit after a single season and thus bought ill-fated Lotus stake from 2016 onwards and renamed back toRenault Sport Formula One Team.
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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 disastrousLotus 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, inSpain andBritain. A highlight of the season however was Grosjean's podium finish inBelgium. Lotus ended its last season with 78 points and a 6th place in the World Constructors' Championship, before its buyout from Renault Sport.
The livery was completely changed with a new gold graphics design and the red accents were mostly removed. The team had lost theRexona sponsorship as Unilever switched into Williams. This was the final year for the following sponsors:Yotaphone,Saxo Bank,PDVSA andProton.
The team promoted the movieMad Max: Fury Road at the Spanish Grand Prix. The team paid tribute toJules Bianchi in Hungary, with "#JB17" present on the engine cover . At Singapore, Lotus celebrated the launch of theForza Motorsport 6 and to celebrate, drivers wore greenXbox overalls.[4]
(key) (results inbold indicate pole position; results initalics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | Grands Prix | Points | WCC | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | MAL | CHN | BHR | ESP | MON | CAN | AUT | GBR | HUN | BEL | ITA | SIN | JPN | RUS | USA | MEX | BRA | ABU | |||||||
| 2015 | Lotus F1 | Mercedes PU106B Hybrid | P |  Romain Grosjean | Ret | 11 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 10 | Ret | Ret | 7 | 3 | Ret | 13† | 7 | Ret | Ret | 10 | 8 | 9 | 78 | 6th |
 Pastor Maldonado | Ret | Ret | Ret | 15 | Ret | Ret | 7 | 7 | Ret | 14 | Ret | Ret | 12 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 10 | Ret | ||||||
| Sources:[5] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
† Driver failed to finish the race, but was classified as they had completed greater than 90% of the race distance.
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