Lotus Renault in pursuit of Ferrari
With an 18-point deficit to Ferrari in three Grand Prix, Lotus Renault GP doesn't hide its ambition to catch up with and surpass the Scuderia.
With only 18 points behind Ferrari after three races, Lotus Renault is just a podium away from catching the Scuderia. A podium? That’s exactly what each of the English team’s drivers has achieved.
Indeed, Vitaly Petrov and Nick Heidfeld both stepped onto the third step of the podium, respectively in Australia and Malaysia. Despite this, it is the team from Maranello that holds the third position in the constructors’ championship, being more consistent in races.
« I think we can beat Ferrari, » declares Heidfeld on the official Lotus Renault website. « It won’t be easy, it’s not just any team, but we will try to beat them. » Often behind Alonso, even Massa, in qualifying – an area where the reds are lagging at the start of the season – the R31s benefit from an efficient Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that gives them an advantage at the start.
That said, while Ferrari seems to be Quick Nick’s number one target, the recent Chinese round suggests another competition, perhaps more within the reach of the Lotus Renault drivers: « The competition is strong. Mercedes is making progress while McLaren and Red Bull are still ahead. »
The Silver Arrows indeed aim the nose of their MGP W02. Nico Rosberg’s race, far from being inconspicuous, confirmed the resurgence of the team, which could well disrupt the battle that is beginning for the only step of the podium that should remain attainable, far behind Red Bull and McLaren.
The replacement for Robert Kubica, recently discharged from the hospital, added: « We are working very hard. The team has made tremendous progress over the past year. And if we maintain this course, I believe we can continue the momentum from our start of the season. »
