Caterham could score its first points in 2012 according to Trulli
According to Jarno Trulli, the most experienced driver of the Caterham team (formerly Team Lotus), the car might have the ability to score points this 2012 season. After completing 117 laps at Jerez, he was able to give his first impressions of the CT01.
Having finished the 2011 season in 19th place without scoring a single point, Jarno Trulli hopes to perform better this year. The driver, who is starting his 16th season in the top category of motorsport, will benefit from a car that he believes matches his ambitions: “I was pleasantly surprised by the potential of the car. We have clearly made progress compared to the last two seasons, and we are starting 2012 on a solid foundation with the CT01,” said the 37-year-old driver.
Furthermore, the Italian can boast the use of the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), which he has just discovered in Jerez: « I quickly got used to this system even though it is brand new to me. I had never used it before, and even though there are now more buttons on the steering wheel, I will learn to make the most of it! », added the concerned party. He and his teammate will therefore be able to take advantage of this feature during the Grand Prix races and try to impose themselves in the pack against teams like Marussia or HRT who do not possess such a “boost” system.
Moreover, Trulli said he was very satisfied with the work done by the team during this week of testing: « This week in Jerez, we were able to gather a significant amount of data concerning mainly the KERS and the new tires. Thanks to this work, we will be able to optimize our settings for the Barcelona tests.
Even though the times weren’t fabulous, the car proved to be extremely reliable and we were not seeking performance but rather the development and study of track settings.
Finally, the former Lotus driver is quite optimistic when it comes to approaching the championship: The car has a very good initial balance and the basic package seems good. The testing periods and races will help us refine the settings as we go. It’s a good sign for the championship! We can aim for points, he concluded, determined.
