This is the new Lotus F1 car

Winter is a great time for some sports. Skiing, for instance. And who doesn't enjoy a bit of rink bandy or snow snake? It's not so grand for Formula 1, though.

But with 2015 car reveals beginning, it's a sure sign that motorsport's premier competition isn't far away.

And here's Lotus's new car. We think it looks rather good. The very odd double-pronged, proboscis monkey-like nose of 2014 has gone, replaced by something far sleeker, albeit more conventional looking.

The front splitter is a sea of complex aero addenda, but side profile, by recent standards, is lovely and simple. And that black'n'gold, JPS-like livery continues to look ace on whatever it's applied to.

Called the ‘E23 Hybrid', it shuns Renault power after a hugely disappointing 2014; Lotus finished eighth in the constructors' standings, a place above Marussia, who were three races shy of actually completing the season.

Using Mercedes power instead - you can't have escaped how dominant that lot were last year - is a reason for optimism this time around, as is the likely addition of new sponsors before the season kicks off in Melbourne on March 15.

While the power unit is all new, Lotus's driving team remains the same, with Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado taking the helm. Both will be hoping for vast improvements on 2014, with a mere three points finishes between them.

Pre-season testing begins on Sunday at Spain's Jerez circuit, by which point we hope to have seen Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren's new cars, too. Excited yet?