Team Lotus wants to take a step forward in Singapore
After an honorable performance at Monza (13th and 14th positions ahead of the Virgins), Team Lotus hopes to build on this momentum to have a good race in Singapore, and perhaps score the first point of the season.
This weekend, the Lotus team will arrive in Singapore hoping to perform well in the last races of the year and defend its 10th place in the constructors’ standings. The Malaysian team is in direct competition with HRT and Marussia Virgin.
For the next Grand Prix, the T128 of Trulli and Kovalainen will be equipped with significant upgrades and a new aerodynamic package. Mike Gascoyne, technical director of the Hingham structure, said he is eager to see the effect of these innovations on the car’s behavior: This weekend, we will arrive in Singapore as we did in Monaco at the beginning of the season. We have installed a new aero package on the car to deal with the very high downforce that this circuit requires. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to see a raised floor since this track is very bumpy, a new diffuser, and large brake ducts to optimize their cooling, he admitted in a statement.
All the teams will indeed have to face the specific conditions of the Singapore City circuit: heat, humidity, bumpy track, and very high downforce. It is therefore crucial to find the right settings and also the right strategies, as Mike Gascoyne points out: It will be interesting to see how the teams use the tires and how they manage their degradation on such a demanding circuit as Singapore.
Above all, he wants to be optimistic about the race at Marina Bay: « The figures displayed by the wind tunnel are good. I am convinced that these innovations will allow us to make a real step forward. We are on the right track! However, we still have to find the right technical setup to generate the fastest lap. »
The Briton is hopeful about beating his main rivals for 10th place in the championship. The team’s stated goal is now to score points.
