Lotus will join the F1 lineup in Jerez mid-February
Lotus has planned to run its new Formula 1 car on track for the first time in Jerez, Spain starting from February 17. The team based in Hingham, which continues its preparations for a racing return this season, will participate in the last two winter testing sessions that will take place before the first race […]
Lotus has planned to run its new Formula 1 car on track for the first time in Jerez, Spain starting from February 17. The team based in Hingham, which continues its preparations for a racing return this season, will participate in the last two winter testing sessions that will take place before the first race of the season in Bahrain. It will therefore miss the tests in Valencia and the first session in Jerez.
The technical director, Mike Gascoyne, stated to Autosport: « We are actually a week ahead of the forecast schedule. Last year, as of September 12, our schedule ran until February 12. We could now be ready by February 5. »
« We will be present at the second Jerez event, then at the last one of the winter in Barcelona. It will be the first time the F1 world will see our car in action. We hope that both cars will run on the last two days of the event in Barcelona. »
« Being a week ahead of schedule is good knowing that we are evolving in F1, at the cutting edge of modernity. »
Gascoyne openly admitted that with Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen as drivers, the team’s ambition is to fight in the midfield by the end of the season. And although he concedes that the beginning of the season will be tough, a major car update is already planned for the Spanish Grand Prix.
« We said we want to be the best of the new teams. I think that is still possible, especially because there is uncertainty regarding the presence of certain teams. Initially, we will be the best of the new teams, then with eight cars out in Q1, it will be possible to reach Q2 with one or two latecomers. Immediately, you are a midfield team only if all the teams are there. I hope they will be there to help us. »
Speaking about the car development program during the early stages of the season, Gascoyne stated: « We started wind tunnel testing in October and we still have two months of testing ahead of us. By the time of the first race, we will have completed five or six months of wind tunnel testing. »
« We must make fairly rapid progress and perhaps we will be able to state from Barcelona that we are part of the midfield. That is really our target, » he concluded.
