2014 Review – Lotus F1: A Season in the Depths

Lotus F1 had an excellent 2013 season, even managing to challenge the supremacy of Red Bull in the last Grand Prix. But in 2014, the Enstone team scored only 10 points, which is 305 less than in 2013! The fall was brutal; the reasons remain to be explained.

THE PILOTS

Romain Grosjean – 14th in the overall standings (8 points)

The French driver almost won his first Formula 1 victory at the end of the 2013 season. But for the start of the season, he had to quickly lower his ambitions. He only finished in the points twice this season: two 8th places, achieved in the first part of the season, in Spain and Monaco, somewhat miraculously. Unfortunately, the development of the E22 never followed suit, and the Frenchman had to battle with the Saubers, and even the Marussias, all season.

This ordeal led him to unavoidable outbursts. Notably, we remember his outburst against the Renault Power Unit during the Singapore qualifications (« I can’t believe it! Damn engine! Damn engine! »). However, Romain Grosjean seemed very mature throughout the season, taking things with a lot of perspective, humor (« My Lotus saw the virgin during the night »), and even philosophy. Moreover, with a completely unruly and unpredictable car, the Frenchman had to change his driving style.

More experience, more maturity, these are at least the two benefits of a season that could only be disappointing. Generally dominant over Pastor Maldonado, even if the motivation sometimes lacked, Romain Grosjean has therefore not squandered his notoriety. But such a difficult season in 2015 is to be avoided at all costs…

Pastor Maldonado – 17th in the overall championship (2 points)

The Venezuelan, known for being very quick on a lap, has generally disappointed, being consistently beaten by his teammate in both races and qualifying (two Q3 appearances for Grosjean, none for Maldonado). Admittedly, he wasn’t spared by Lotus’s reliability issues (mid-season, he was the driver who completed the fewest laps in Grand Prix). Certainly, the E22 could never have allowed him to replicate his 2012 feat (victory in Spain with Williams), or even regularly aim for points.

But alas for him, Pastor Maldonado only truly appeared on our screens due to his antics: we certainly think of those off-track excursions, particularly during free practice sessions, sometimes ridiculous or incomprehensible (in China, where he was distracted with adjustments on his steering wheel instead of watching the track). The two points scored in the United States won’t change anything: if his car improves next year, Pastor Maldonado will need to show his talented side. Because since his flash of brilliance in Spain two years ago, the Venezuelan driver hasn’t proven anything. However, one might think that the millions from his sponsor PDVSA count just as much, if not more, in the eyes of a team struggling financially…

L’EQUIPE

Lotus-Renault – 8th in the constructors’ championship (10 points)

From zenith to nadir: this is how one could describe Lotus’s season in a few words. Everything started badly from Jerez, where the Enstone team was the only one conspicuously absent. The delay was never caught up; worse, while Romain Grosjean was able to score four points in two consecutive races (in Barcelona and Monaco), Lotus lost competitiveness over the course of the season. The engineers at Enstone, even after Eric Boullier’s departure to McLaren, surely couldn’t have lost all their talent…

So, what about it? The Renault engine? Admittedly, the French engine supplier disappointed compared to its competitors. However, Red Bull, and even Toro Rosso, scored far more points… The primary cause is actually the lack of funds at Enstone. A heavy wave of layoffs, 80 in total, at the beginning of the season, reduced the team’s capabilities. Lotus may have bitten off more than it could chew in 2013: it paid the price.

PERSPECTIVES

Next year can hardly be worse for Lotus. First good news: the E23 will have a Mercedes Power Unit, far superior to the Renault Power Unit this season. However, the engine is not everything: Lotus will also need to work on the chassis to take advantage of this new power. The experience gained this season should serve in this regard. But will the money, the lifeblood of the war, follow? That is doubtful. After a disastrous season, Lotus has already lost three sponsors, all of whom moved to Williams: Rexona, Avanade, and Unilever. A gap that will obviously need to be filled… The geniuses at Enstone can always produce a miracle car capable of returning to the podiums; but Lotus, in the event of another disappointing season, could mark the beginning of a sad decline.

Find all our reports, team by team, of the season /f1/actualite/19173-bilan-2014-caterham-f1-plus-detincelles-en-coulisses-quen-piste.html:

– Caterham: Plus d’étincelles en coulisses qu’en piste

– Sauber: Une saison vierge de résultats

– Marussia: De la joie aux larmes…

– Toro Rosso: Des progrès malgré les défis à relever

– Force India: Une saison en net progrès

– McLaren: Année de transition après 20 ans avec Mercedes

– Ferrari: La fin d’une ère

– Williams: La saison du renouveau sportif