F1: Lotus believes best yet to come from new exhaust layout

Kimi Raikkonen put the new Coanda-effect exhaust design to good use in Korea, finishing fifth on a weekend when the team never expected to be able to fight right at the front.

And the team is optimistic that it will be able to unlock more performance from the car over the remaining four races, especially with Romain Grosjean getting the new parts for the Indian Grand Prix.

Team principal Eric Boullier told AUTOSPORT: "The plan is to have them on both cars in India, and I have to praise the team because we saw some bigger teams than us struggle for some races to get [Coanda-effect exhausts] to work.

"We know we can definitely get more performance from the car from now on thanks to the system."

Lotus has lost ground to Ferrari and McLaren in the constructors' championship since the end of the summer break, and has been fourth in the standings since the Italian Grand Prix.

Although championship leader Red Bull is realistically out of reach, Lotus still wants to capitalise on McLaren's recent woes to make up ground in the teams' race.

"I hope so" explained Boullier. "But look at Korea: both Ferraris were in front of us, so they brought a lot of points back home.

"They are second in championship in front of McLaren, and we grabbed some points off McLaren which is good, but we need to be realistic.

"McLaren had strong form during summer time. I don't see them struggling each weekend like this weekend, so it will be a tough battle, but we will do everything we can to fight for third position."