The Team Lotus squad is hoping for some sort of performance boost at the Singapore GP this weekend with a new update to their car, which technical director Mike Gascoyne suggested had shown "promising" signs during their development.
Although the new parts are unlikely to see drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli suddenly lock-out the front row in qualifying, they represent one of the final upgrades for the team in 2011.
The Lotus squad has spent 2011 adrift of the established F1 midfielders, but Gascoyne said that he was hopeful the new parts would enable them to become more competitive.
"We will be running with a maximum downforce package [in Singapore] with a new floor and diffuser and bigger front brake ducts to cope with the brake cooling demands," he rambled in the team's race preview.
"The numbers from the wind-tunnel look pretty promising for the update to the floor so we will see what we have found when we get out on track."
Meanwhile, while team boss Tony Fernandes has said that he has been pleased to see that the team has been working more cohesively over the last few races, something he was hoping to keep up in Singapore.
"We have shown throughout the year that our guys are ready to take on whatever lies ahead of them, deal with it and keep learning and progressing," he grinned.
"One of the most pleasing aspects for me over the last couple of races has been to see the improvements in the garage and on the pitwall.
"[This] have seen us perform quicker pitstops, turn the cars around during and in-between sessions more quickly and efficiently, and make the right strategic calls at the right time."
He added: "While we are working very hard behind the scenes to put all the pieces in place for the next phase of our growth, the team is working equally hard under intense pressure at the races and back at the factory and it makes me very proud to see how far they have already come."
Ahead of the humid conditions in Singapore, lead driver Heikki Kovalainen suggested that dealing with the heat would be the most important part of the weekend for drivers.
"I like the heat and we have a lot of support in Singapore so it's a race the whole team is excited about," he smiled.
"This year we go with a similar goal to last year - have a solid weekend, make sure we're there at the end of the race to take advantage of whatever happens around us and do our best to push the guys ahead."
He added: "The heat is pretty hardcore for the guys in the garages, but I like it.
"Physically I have felt good all season and while it's obviously more challenging in the humidity and heat of Singapore, it's a good challenge and it's what F1 should be all about."
His team mate Jarno Trulli added: "The circuit is so well lit you don't suffer from any issues to do with light, and as its layout is similar to Monte Carlo it's somewhere I feel pretty comfortable."
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