Lotus-Renault GP loves fast circuits
A few days before the next race in Japan, Eric Boullier is reassuring about the capabilities of his cars and drivers to bring back a good result from Suzuka. He expresses his optimism on the team's official website.
Q: The Singapore incident must still be a painful memory for you…
«Yes, but honestly, we have put that episode behind us. We completely understand why our performance was so weak and the explanation is simple: slow corners, between 60 and 100 km/h, do not suit the R31. It’s in its DNA. We could have worked for three weeks on the settings without gaining a second per lap. This is what we know and our medium-term mission is to solve this problem on the R32, which should not be a concern.
Q: What is the mission in the short term?
« It should be better for us on fast circuits, and Suzuka is one of them. In Japan, we hope to return to the performance level we showed in Belgium and Italy. Our mission will be to get both cars into Q3. From there, the weekend should go better.
Q: Are you satisfied with the level of performance displayed by Bruno and Vitaly so far?
Yes. Neither of them had a clear race in Singapore, but that was not our main issue. The car was a bigger concern. Bruno learns quickly. He constantly asks the engineers to push him, he wants to increase his knowledge and improve. He also really enjoys the technical aspect of his work. It’s the right approach. He is very friendly, and everyone in the team appreciates him. Vitaly has scored 34 points since the beginning of the season. We have all noticed how much he has improved since last year and he continues to do so. For a driver, there is always something to gain here and there. He also gets along very well with Bruno. Both of them came to the factory after Singapore to meet with the engineers, and the way they collaborate to try to improve the team is a pleasure to see.
Q: Have there been recent changes in the team following Steve Nielsen’s departure? How is it structured now?
« It’s very simple. Part of Steve’s responsibilities will be taken over by Alan Permane, who is now Director of Track Operations. Additionally, John Wickham has joined the team, and further changes will be announced shortly. I hope the transition will be smooth. »
Q: Suzuka is one of the drivers’ favorite circuits. Would it have a special significance to achieve a good performance there?
Suzuka is one of the big names in F1. It ranks alongside Monaco, Silverstone, Spa, and Monza. We’ve witnessed such magnificent races there. I remember, when I was a teenager, getting up very early to watch the battles between Prost and Senna on TV in the 80s. The Suzuka crowd is also incredible. Bruno is very popular there, he will have to sign a lot of autographs!
Source: Official site of Lotus Renault GP
