MLOC Lotus F1 News

We Can Work It Out

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:24:16 +0000

Lotus F1 Team will not run for the remainder of the second test at Barcelona, scheduled from today until Friday.
Barcelona test finishes early for Lotus F1 Team
Lotus F1 Team will not run for the remainder of the second test at Barcelona, scheduled from today until Friday.
During initial runs this morning with Romain Grosjean at the wheel, the team identified an issue with the chassis. After investigation at Enstone, initial plans to bring out chassis E20-01 to Barcelona have been held in order to give the team enough time to rectify the situation.
Lotus F1 Team will be back on track next week in Barcelona (1-4 March)
James Allison, Technical Director:

“Before we were due to fly chassis E20-01 out to Barcelona in replacement of chassis E20-02 - damaged this morning - we ran a series of simulations at the factory based on the data provided by our brief running on track today. As a result, we were able to identify an area which requires some additional work. It will be more productive for us to carry out these modifications to both chassis at Enstone rather than send E20-01 out to this week’s test. We’ll put the right measures in place and we will be able to fix the problem before next week.”
Eric Boullier, Team Principal:

“Not running this week has been a tough decision to take, but we feel that our choice is the right one. On the positive side, we have quickly identified the issue with the chassis and our design office has already devised a solution. We will be present at next week’s test in Barcelona. We draw faith from the fact that the E20 was quick out of the box in Jerez and showed its reliability there. We have a lot of work ahead of us over the next week but everyone at Enstone is ready for this challenge.”

This post has been promoted to an article

Early Bath On First Day In Barcelona

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:52:38 +0000

Lotus F1 Team has stopped running early in the first day of testing at Barcelona and will not run for the rest of the day.

Romain Grosjean, Lotus F1 Team Race Driver: “We completed a few aero runs and then started timed runs, but I was very quickly aware that the car wasn’t responding as it should. It’s not ideal to lose track time, but fortunately we will have the chassis which ran perfectly in Jerez so I should get some good track time tomorrow. It’s far better that we have an issue like this now rather than in Melbourne.”

Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: “This morning was our first shakedown of our second chassis. Once the car was on track it was soon evident that everything wasn’t quite as it should be. As a precaution we are returning the chassis to Enstone for further investigation. Chassis E20-01, which we used in Jerez, is being sent over and we expect to be on track with that chassis tomorrow.”

Eric Boullier, Team Principal: “This is a minor setback to our overall test programme. Fortunately we accumulated good mileage in Jerez. If this is the only issue we have during testing then we will still be well prepared for the start of the season. We’ll be back on track tomorrow with chassis E20-01 and assessing chassis E20-02 back at Enstone.”

This post has been promoted to an article

Let The Rhythm Hit �Em

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:43:21 +0000

Lotus F1 Team concluded the first pre-season test of 2012 with Romain Grosjean completing 95 laps of the Jerez circuit today.
Fast facts:
Track: Jerez, Spain, 4.4km
Chassis: E20-01
Weather: Sunny, air 0-15°C, track 0-26°C
Programme: System checks, temperature monitoring, data correlation, evaluation of the performance of the car with its initial aerodynamic package.
Laps Completed: 95
Classification: 5th, 1’19"729.
Interruptions: Minor water leaks.
What’s next? The E20 will head back to Enstone before returning to Spain for the second pre-season test at Barcelona on 21-24 February.
Romain Grosjean, Lotus F1 Team Race Driver: “Everything is feeling good. This morning we tried a number of different things on the car, including my first run on the soft tyre. In the afternoon we tried longer runs. Once it warmed up, the track temperature was hotter than yesterday which helps our understanding of the E20 in different conditions. It’s strange to think that we are already a third of the way through pre-season testing. We are pushing to get as much achieved as possible. I’m really enjoying being in the car even though it is hard work. So far my fitness has been good, my neck’s not too bad, but we’ll see how it feels tomorrow! I think everyone will benefit from next week away from the circuit so we can reflect on the data then go to Barcelona with some new parts for the car. I can’t wait.”
Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: “Our main focus for this week has been orientated around accumulating mileage and testing reliability. The E20 has proved to be reliable, meaning we’ve been able to include some performance work too. Our general programme has been to conduct performance work in the morning, when the track is a little cooler and there’s less wind. In the afternoons, when the temperatures and winds are higher, we have conducted longer runs with heavier fuel loads. Overall during this test we’ve completed almost 1800 km with the car. We did have a few minor radiator leaks over the course of this test but they were easily identified and we have a solution for Barcelona.”
James Allison, Technical Director: “The most encouraging aspect from this week is the feedback from the drivers. Their comments have been full of encouraging statements, including praise for a very secure rear end, good traction and good balance. We haven’t heard positive comments like those during the past couple of seasons. Even ignoring the lap times, the driver comments give us a warm feeling and the best sense of whether we’ve done an okay job.”
Eric Boullier, Team Principal: “This was a very positive test for us. Kimi and Romain both did great jobs in the car. The E20 has been reliable straight out of the box. We were not in Jerez to chase fast lap times, but of course it’s always good to show strong pace. Of course, it is very early days; Melbourne is one month away and that is when we will see where we are. The E20 looks good out on track, it’s a nice shape and it’s very well finished which is a credit to everyone at Enstone.”

This post has been promoted to an article

Welcome Back

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:50:14 +0000

Romain Grosjean made his E20 debut on the third day of testing at Jerez, setting the fastest lap time in the morning, and second fastest of the day. Romain’s 1min 18.419secs lap was achieved during the course of a trouble-free 117 laps.
Fast facts:
Track: Jerez, Spain, 4.4km
Chassis: E20-01
Weather: Sunny, air 0-14°C, track 7-26°C
Programme: System checks, temperature monitoring, data correlation, evaluation of the performance of the car with its initial aerodynamic package.
Laps Completed: 117
Classification: 2nd, 1’18"419.
Interruptions: Run out of fuel on final lap, intentionally to test fuel pickup.
What’s next? Romain Grosjean will continue in the E20 tomorrow.
Romain Grosjean, Lotus F1 Team Race Driver: “I am one of the happiest guys in the world right now. It’s been a really good day for me. We were fastest in the morning then we completed some longer runs in the afternoon. It’s great to finally drive the car which I have seen coming together and being built at Enstone. Working so well with all the mechanics and the engineers made it such a memorable first day in the E20. The car feels good on different fuel loads and tyre compounds we used. For sure there’s margin for improvement in the tests ahead, but it’s a great start to the year.”
Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: “Another strong day with 117 laps and over 500 km completed. We ran a similar programme to the one we ran during the previous two days with Kimi. This gives us good data across a range of scenarios and valid comparisons between our drivers. Track conditions were better today, with more rubber down and less wind than yesterday. We conducted set-up work on the medium compound tyre in the morning. Some of these were set-ups we ran with Kimi, others were new. In the afternoon we focused on getting as many laps completed as possible to test the reliability of the E20, which proved to be faultless.”

http://media.lotusf1team.com/spip.php?page=pressreleasedetail&id_article=8486

This post has been promoted to an article

Little By Little

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:21:36 +0000

The Lotus F1 Team E20 demonstrated its reliability during the second day of testing at Jerez, completing 117 laps as the team continued its initial assessment of the car with Kimi Räikkönen at the wheel.
Fast facts:
Track: Jerez, Spain, 4.4km
Chassis: E20-01
Weather: Sunny, air 5-12°C, track 6-17°C
Programme: System checks, temperature monitoring, data correlation, evaluation of the performance of the car with its initial aerodynamic package.
Laps Completed: 117
Classification: 5th, 1’20"239.
Interruptions: Repairs from kerb damage, steering rack change.
What’s next? Romain Grosjean will get his first taste of the E20 tomorrow continuing with set-up work and longer runs.
Kimi Räikkönen, Lotus F1 Team Race Driver: “There was a small issue with damage to the floor this morning when I went off and came back on to the circuit. An edge on a kerb caused the damage and we lost some time as it was repaired. Apart from that it was a good day and we completed some long runs and good mileage. Physically, I felt fine after 117 laps. Conditions were quite windy on track but despite this I got a better feeling from the car. There was a lot of difference between the tyres. We used three compounds, but it was hard to get all of them working with the cooler temperatures today. When the tyres are working we seem to have a good car and I have a positive feeling from this first test. ”
Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: “We had an interruption this morning with a slight off from Kimi which caused some damage to the car. This gave us an opportunity with the car in the garage to change the specification of steering rack, so we lost a reasonable amount of time in the morning. The E20 ran reliably for the rest of the day, meaning we were able to complete most of our planned programme. We looked at set-up, using the medium and soft tyres. We ran long runs in the afternoon, including a final run on the hard tyre, to gain mileage and everything worked very well. The balance is good which is encouraging from a performance perspective and the E20 was reliable again. All specifications of tyres are behaving as we would expect with the E20 so this is another area of encouragement.”

http://media.lotusf1team.com/spip.php?page=pressreleasedetail&id_article=8471

This post has been promoted to an article

Here Comes Your Man

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:53:24 +0000

Lotus F1 Team’s 2012 challenger, the E20, topped the times during the first day of testing at Jerez with Kimi Räikkönen at the wheel.
Fast facts:

Track: Jerez, Spain, 4.4km
Chassis: E20-01
Weather: Sunny, air 5-17°C, track 6-25°C
Programme: Systems checks, temperature monitoring, data correlation, evaluation of the performance of the car with its initial aerodynamic package.
Laps Completed: 75
Classification: 1st, 1’19"670.
Interruptions: KERS battery change in the afternoon.
What’s next? Kimi will complete his running in the E20 at Jerez tomorrow, before handing the car over to team-mate Romain Grosjean for the Thursday and Friday sessions.
Kimi Räikkönen: “It was a positive first day of testing and everything went almost to plan. We had no major issues and I got a good feel for the car and the tyres. The tyres were more of a challenge in the afternoon when we ran with a scrubbed set, but overall it was a positive day. The lap times don’t matter today. I’m happy with the balance of the car, which feels good, and the fact that we didn’t have any major issues. Also, I did more than a race distance today and did not have any physical problems at all, which is good. I’m looking forward to making further progress with the car tomorrow.”
James Allison, Technical Director: “It was a flawless morning with a slightly interrupted afternoon as we changed the second of the KERS batteries which we ran today. Overall it was a very promising day in terms of reliability and it gives us a good springboard for the rest of the test. So far Kimi’s feedback on the car has been complimentary in terms of the balance, the braking and other features. The steering is slightly heavy for his liking at the moment, but we already have a different steering rack being completed which he will use in Barcelona
Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: “We enjoyed a strong first day with the E20 in both performance and reliability and this is a testament to all the hard work done by everyone at Enstone over the winter. It’s always nice to be top of the timesheets, but the main encouraging factor from today is the car’s reliability; apart from a small KERS problem this afternoon it was fautless. We ran on the medium compound Pirelli tyre all day and it seemed to hold up pretty well, showing similar degradation to that we saw last year, so I think there’ll be exciting racing once more in 2012.”

This post has been promoted to an article

Feels Like The First Time

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:04:28 +0000

Lotus F1 Team’s 2012 challenger, the E20, has taken to the track for the first time for filming purposes at Jerez ahead of this week’s four-day test.
2007 Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen took the wheel for 22 laps of the Circuito de Jerez today in the E20 with which he will contest the 2012 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
The laps were undertaken at non-race speeds for filming purposes, but nevertheless allowed Kimi to gain initial impressions of the car under crystal blue skies at the 4.4 km test venue. This gave the team an opportunity to validate that the assembly of the E20 was fully operational and all systems were working.
The track time followed a presentation of the E20 to press and partners in an event at the circuit with drivers Kimi, Romain Grosjean and Jérôme D’Ambrosio joined by Team Chairman Gerard Lopez, Team Principal Eric Boullier and Technical Director James Allison.
Kimi Räikkönen, driver, Lotus F1 Team: “It’s great to see the E20 at a race circuit and even better to get behind the wheel. It’s always frustrating to be in a new car and not be able to drive it at maximum attack, but thankfully I will have that opportunity for the next two days. My initial impressions are good, I fit comfortably in the car and it feels great in first and second gear; now let’s see what it can do tomorrow.”
A little less conversation.

Testing gets underway tomorrow for 2012 with the start of four days’ running at Jerez. Kimi will drive for the first two days before handing over to Romain Grosjean for the latter two days.
The team will conduct systems checks and validate the work done at Enstone using the latest specification Pirelli tyres.
Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director:
“The main purpose of the first test is to complete as many laps as possible with the E20. This allows us to assess if all systems are working as they should and highlights if there are any areas requiring our attention."
“We monitor all systems to ensure that everything is operating within the correct temperature range, and functioning as designed. Although we have a very early version of the aerodynamic package here, we are able to validate the track data against our CFD and wind tunnel information."
“Assessing Pirelli’s latest compound and construction tyres is another objective in Jerez. Although it is quite cold here in the morning, we expect representative track and ambient temperatures during the day, so we should get a good initial impression of their performance with the E20."
“Jerez is not a circuit we race on, but it is a good test venue with a range of high-speed and low-speed corners as well as a mixture of kerbs."
“Today’s filming runs allowed us to perform initial systems checks; now the hard work begins.”

This post has been promoted to an article

Lotus Expresses Disappointment At Fia's Decision To Ban Its Reacti

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:46:40 +0000

Lotus has expressed its disappointment at the FIA's decision to ban its reactive ride system for the 2012 season - but does not believe the move will hurt its performance too much.
The Enstone-based outfit had caused a stir at the start of this year when it emerged it was planning to run a radical system that maintained the ride-height of the car under braking. As well as providing an aerodynamic boost, this would improve stability.

While some other teams looked at developing their own systems, others suggested that the device was illegal – and in the end the FIA advised that it felt reactive ride should not be allowed because it was principally providing an aerodynamic benefit.

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier said he was far from happy that the FIA made that decision, having given his outfit the green light to pursue the concept as long ago as January 2010.

"I have to say it is very disappointing," he said when asked by AUTOSPORT about his team's reaction to the ban.

"We spent a lot of time and energy, plus money as well, to build a group that is bringing innovation and work into the system. It takes time to put this suspension in place, and took us a couple of years.

"Obviously we are not stupid, every time we go through the process, we go to the FIA, and the FIA is backing us up. Then, when you start to use it, to see it banned with no discussion is always frustrating. We have to respect the rule, but it is frustrating."

Lotus technical director James Allison believed that the decision to ban the reactive ride concept was a normal part of life in F1 – with teams constantly trying to push the envelope of the regulations to find an advantage.

"Honestly I think it was just part of the cut-and-thrust of F1 development," he told AUTOSPORT in an exclusive interview. "It is not without precedent, is it?

"There are lots and lots of times where we have been the beneficiary of that type of decision and other times when it has gone against us. But it is part of F1 that you try to come up with ideas that are novel interpretations.
"Charlie [Whiting] can give you an opinion, but then he can hear other arguments and he can then be swung by those. That is just a genuine part of the sport."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97374

Lotus F1 Team Unveils E20 And Sets Championship Targets

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:59:31 +0000

Lotus F1 Team today unveiled its 2012 FIA Formula 1 World Championship challenger, the E20, on its website www.lotusf1team.com at 17:00 CET. Continuing with the evocative black and gold livery, the E20 heralds a new nomenclature to commemorate the twentieth chassis designed at the team’s Enstone base through its Benetton, Renault F1 Team and Lotus Renault GP history.
E20 – new name, new concept
The E20 incorporates ground–up redesigns and optimization of previous Enstone design philosophies. Most notably, the forward facing exhausts of 2011’s R31 have been abandoned, both through regulation and necessity. The E20 also features a ‘step’ on its nose, this layout also being the result of a regulation change.
The front and rear suspension layouts have been substantially revised in the quest for ever- better aerodynamic efficiency whilst the front wing is a continuation of concepts used by the team during recent seasons.
The E20 has been designed utilizing the team’s new 60% scale wind tunnel as well as its enhanced CFD facility, with both resources located on site at Enstone.
Clear Progress
Rexona and CLEAR, two of the world’s biggest personal care brands, are the latest partners to join the Lotus F1 Team. The brands, part of the Unilever portfolio, represent a perfect fit with the high levels of competition and performance associated with Formula 1 as a sport and more specifically with the Lotus F1 Team.
A proud history
This season will see the 500th Grand Prix contested by Lotus F1 Team, including those contested through its previous incarnations of Toleman, Benetton, Renault F1 Team and Lotus Renault GP.
Toleman Motorsport entered Formula 1 in 1981 and started 57 Grands Prix, until in 1986 the team was renamed as Benetton. In this guise 260 races were contested, until in 2002 the team became Renault F1 Team. As Renault F1 Team, 159 Grands Prix were started, with the team becoming Lotus Renault GP for 2011, contesting a further 19 events. The current total of Grands Prix stands at 495.
Driving forwards
Kimi Räikkönen, Romain Grosjean and Jérôme D’Ambrosio comprise a strong driver line-up which includes a world champion in Kimi, and two success-hungry hungry young guns in Romain and Jérôme. Kimi returns to Formula 1 eager to put the talents which have won him 18 Grands Prix and a World Championship to good effect in black and gold.

This post has been promoted to an article

We Are Family Rexona And Clear Sponsor Lotus F1 Team

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:58:39 +0000

Clear and Rexona, two of the world’s biggest personal care brands, today announce a joint sponsorship deal with Lotus F1 Team.
Fuelled by a competitive culture and a desire to be the best in class, CLEAR and Rexona are perfectly matched with Lotus F1 Team, an outfit steeped in Formula 1 history. Rexona for Men and CLEAR Men share with Formula 1 the same target audience: 18 to 35 year old affluent men, who are passionate about sports, adventure and technology. Formula 1 has a nearly year-long season with a consistent and regular calendar of races that have an attendance of over 200,000 fans per event. It attracts an average audience of more than 527 million viewers in over 180 countries for each race, making it the most-watched annual sport in the world.
Eric Boullier, Team Principal, Lotus F1 Team: “We are very proud to have been selected by CLEAR and Rexona and are very much looking forward to working with our two newest partners throughout 2012 and beyond. The passion for business and desire to win is shared both at our factory here and in the offices of CLEAR and Rexona and this will ensure a very beneficial partnership in the years to come.”
Pablo Gazzera, Rexona Global Brand VP: “Rexona for Men has a perfect fit with Formula 1: both stand for passion, ambition and excellence in performance. We empower our consumers to be daring, to be adventurous and push the limits, offering the best protection throughout the day. We tap into our consumers’ passions – cars, sports, extreme adventure – in order to engage with them. The thrill of speed and fierce competition of Formula 1 racing falls right at the heart of what our consumers are passionate about.”
Francois Renard, CLEAR Global Brand VP, adds: “CLEAR Men stands for efficacy, precision technology, and performance – and no other sport values precision performance technology like Formula 1. We offer consumers the best customized solutions against dandruff - giving them the confidence to make a powerful impact anytime, anywhere. By partnering with Formula 1, we will provide our consumers the chance to see and live the winning impact that a high efficacy, high precision, high performance brand like CLEAR Men can offer them.”

This post has been promoted to an article

[Lotus Renault] Amazing F1 stuff - Lotus E20 Launch

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:26:40 +0000

Amazing F1 stuff - Lotus E20 Launch

Lotus F1 Team is pround to unveil the E20. Copyright Lotus F1 Team
From:lrgptv
Views:305

200ratingsTime:21:04More inSports

View the full article

[Lotus Renault] Lotus F1 Team - E20 Holding video

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:10:20 +0000

Lotus F1 Team - E20 Holding video

From:lrgptv
Views:0

0ratingsTime:05:01More inSports

View the full article

[Lotus Renault] Lotus F1 Team - E20 teaser

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:43:16 +0000

Lotus F1 Team - E20 teaser

Lotus F1 Team is pleased to announce that this year's Formula 1 challenger will be named the E20, with a new nomenclature commencing to commemorate the twentieth chassis designed at the team's base in Enstone, Oxfordshire.
From:lrgptv
Views:10

0ratingsTime:01:07More inSports

View the full article

[Lotus Renault] Lotus F1 Team, Kimi Raikkonen running - Valencia, 23-0

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:33:08 +0000

Lotus F1 Team, Kimi Raikkonen running - Valencia, 23-01-12

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus F1 Team's new driver, was back at the wheel of an F1 car for the first time since 2009 today, in Valencia.
From:lrgptv
Views:102407

515ratingsTime:01:18More inSports

View the full article

[Lotus Renault] Lotus F1 Team, Kimi Raikkonen running, Valencia, 23-01

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:23:26 +0000

Lotus F1 Team, Kimi Raikkonen running, Valencia, 23-01-12

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus F1 Team's new driver, was back at the wheel of an F1 car for the first time since 2009 today, in Valencia.
From:lrgptv
Views:73291

459ratingsTime:01:18More inSports

View the full article

Romain Grosjean To Race Alongside Kimi R�ikk�nen In 2012

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:13:49 +0000

Enstone, 9^th December 2011

Lotus Renault GP and TOTAL are delighted to announce that Romain Grosjean will race alongside 2007 world champion Kimi Räikkönen next season. The two companies are also pleased to confirm that they have renewed their sponsorship agreement for another year.

The 2011 GP2 Series champion gained useful experience with the team throughout the year as LRGP’s third driver. As part of his role, Romain was rewarded with two practice session drives at the final two races of the season in both Abu Dhabi and Brazil.

Prior to claiming first prize for the DAMS team in this season’s GP2 Series, Romain was a title winner in F3 Euroseries and the GP2 Asia Series before graduating to the Renault F1 Team in 2008 as a test driver. Following this, he stepped up to a race seat for the second half of 2009.

The announcement of Romain as race driver signals the beginning of the Frenchman’s second spell at Enstone in such a capacity.

Romain Grosjean: “I am thrilled to be one of the team’s race drivers in 2012. There’s a big grin on my face at the prospect of getting behind the wheel of next year’s car, and I feel very privileged to be given this opportunity. To be racing alongside a former world champion and someone who is hungry and returning to Formula 1 will be a great experience, and I’m sure will help raise my level of performance too. I feel that my successful season in GP2 Series has helped me mature a lot, and I am a much more complete driver than I was last time I was competing in this sport. Returning to Enstone as a race driver feels like coming home. I will not disappoint and I wish to thank all the people without whom this return to F1 would not have been possible. Total, which supports me since 2006, and Gravity Sport Management, are first on this list.”

Jacques-Emmanuel Saulnier, Senior Vice-President Corporate Communications, Total: “Total is delighted to give the young talented French driver, Romain Grosjean, the opportunity to fulfill his dream by becoming an F1 driver with the Lotus Renault GP team. An overall mission of our company, as is LRGP’s, is to support young talented people and encourage them along the path to excellence and performance. The involvement of our Group in the highest category of motor sport alongside Romain Grosjean, with whom we’ve formed a relationship based on trust over more than six years, goes far beyond the purely communications aspect. It shows our determination to develop the performance of our fuels and lubricants with the aim of achieving optimal energetic efficiency to help our clients reduce and improve consumption. Formula 1 must embrace the perspective of clean technology and permanent evolution, and go back to its roots by becoming a laboratory for innovation once again.”

Eric Boullier, Team Principal & MD: “I’m delighted that Romain Grosjean will side Kimi next year. Romain has shown a lot of maturity in the past twelve months both through his GP2 Series victory and his development as third driver with us. We were impressed when he drove for us in the first practice sessions in Abu Dhabi and Brazil. We are confident that drafting him in to one of our driver’s seats will help us in our rebuilding process. I would like to thank Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna for their contribution to the team’s performance this year and I wish them all the best for the future.”

Gérard Lopez, Genii Capital, Chairman: “Only last week I reiterated that the team is at the start of a brand new cycle. Announcing Romain as our race driver alongside Kimi is great news and will help us achieve our aims of getting back to the very top. The announcements we made today and last week are exciting ones for our team and there is a real buzz surrounding us now.”

http://www.lotusrenaultgp.com/8108-Romain-Grosjean-to-race-alongside.html

This post has been promoted to an article

Attached Thumbnails

[Lotus Renault] Romain Grosjean to race alongside Kimi R�ikk�nen in 20

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 08:47:31 +0000

Romain Grosjean to race alongside Kimi Räikkönen in 2012

Lotus Renault GP and TOTAL are delighted to announce that Romain Grosjean will race alongside 2007 world champion Kimi Räikkönen next season. The two companies are also pleased to confirm that they have renewed their sponsorship agreement for another year.
From:lrgptv
Views:14972

124ratingsTime:02:31More inSports

View the full article

[Lotus Renault] Kimi R�ikk�nen back in F1 with LRGP in 2012

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:03:15 +0000

Kimi Räikkönen back in F1 with LRGP in 2012

Lotus Renault GP is pleased to announce that Kimi Räikkönen will race for the team next season. The 2007 World Champion, who left Formula 1 at the end of 2009 to pursue a career in rallying, has decided to make a comeback at the pinnacle of single-seater racing. He has now signed a two-year agreement with Lotus Renault GP.
From:lrgptv
Views:118174

967ratingsTime:01:57More inSports

View the full article

Kimi R�ikk�nen Back In F1 With Lrgp In 2012

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:01:52 +0000

Lotus Renault GP is pleased to announce that Kimi Räikkönen will race for the team next season. The 2007 World Champion, who left Formula 1 at the end of 2009 to pursue a career in rallying, has decided to make a comeback at the pinnacle of single-seater racing. He has now signed a two-year agreement with Lotus Renault GP.

Kimi’s F1 roll of honour includes 18 wins, 62 podiums and 16 pole positions. This experience and success is sure to help the team make a step forward next year. The 32-year-old Finn’s commitment indeed makes for a vote of confidence in Lotus Renault GP, demonstrating the team’s determination and new philosophy for the seasons ahead.

Kimi Räikkönen: “I’m delighted to be coming back to Formula 1 after a two-year break, and I’m grateful to Lotus Renault GP for offering me this opportunity. My time in the World Rally Championship has been a useful stage in my career as a driver, but I can’t deny the fact that my hunger for F1 has recently become overwhelming. It was an easy choice to return with Lotus Renault GP as I have been impressed by the scope of the team’s ambition. Now I’m looking forward to playing an important role in pushing the team to the very front of the grid.”

Gérard Lopez, Genii Capital, Chairman: “All year long, we kept saying that our team was at the start of a brand new cycle. Backstage we’ve been working hard to build the foundations of a successful structure and to ensure that we would soon be able to fight at the highest level. Kimi’s decision to come back to Formula 1 with us is the first step of several announcements which should turn us into an even more serious contender in the future. Of course, we are all looking forward to working with a world champion. On behalf of our staff, I’d like to welcome Kimi to Enstone, a setting that has always been known for its human approach to Formula 1.”

http://www.lotusrenaultgp.com/8034-Kimi-Raikkonen-back-in-F1-with.html

This post has been promoted to an article

Sunday At Interlagos

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 06:44:24 +0000

Team Lotus Information
Distance from Sao Paulo to Hingham (approx.): 9,584 kms
Number of people who connect via Dell servers every day: > 1 billion
Approx. number of AirAsia crew at work in the air on a typical day across total route network: 550
�
Weather
Dry, sunny
Max air temp: 28˚
Max track temp: 40˚
Runplan
Driver: Jarno Trulli
Chassis: T128-03
1331: Car leaves for grid / 2 laps
Start on soft tyres
Lap 22: Pitstop 1 (soft tyres)
Lap 42: Pitstop 2 (medium tyres)
Finished 18th
�
Runplan
Driver: Heikki Kovalainen
Chassis: T128-04
1330: Car leaves for grid / 2 laps
Start on soft tyres
Lap 17: Pitstop 1 (soft tyres)
Lap 31: Pitstop 2 (soft tyres)
Lap 49: Pitstop 3 (medium tyres)
Finished 18th
�
Heikki Kovalainen, Car 20 - Chassis T128-04: "Thank you to everyone for another excellent weekend for the team where I don't think we could have got anything more from the whole package. All afternoon the car felt great and we managed to make the most of the performance we put in yesterday in qualifying. I had another great start today, they've really been excellent for some time now, and from there I got straight into a good rhythm right throughout the whole race. I had a few issues with the blue flags towards the end, with so many cars coming around it kind of messes with your own race, but that's just something you have to deal with. All year we've kept on progressing and we've finished on a real high with that tenth place so we're set us up perfectly for next year where we can take another step forward in the development of this team."
�
Jarno Trulli, Car 21 - Chassis T128-03: "For me it was a pretty standard race. I didn't have a great start but was easily ahead of the cars we needed to beat today and it was really just about getting the car home in one piece so we could seal our place in the championship. I want to thank the whole team for the work they've done this weekend and all year. We keep on progressing and it's great to be part of something that shows real signs of where it can go."
�
Thierry Salvi, Renault Sport F1 Support Leader: "That was a good race for us. Both drivers were able to maintain their positions which was not such an easy task because of the amount of activity on track, but they finished where we aimed for and that was what was all important. What I do want to talk about is the relationship between Team Lotus and Renault Sport F1. We have had a very good year in terms of how our partnership has developed. The whole team were very easy to work with right from day one and we have put ourselves in a very good position to keep moving forward next year."
�
Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "I think that is a great way to end the season and secure tenth place. It was a tense afternoon for us with all the possible weather changes, but the conditions held off and we had the sort of race we have been putting in for much of this year. Both drivers were pushing all afternoon - with Jarno we put him on a two stop race which meant he had to look after his tyres. That might have ended up costing him some time, but with Heikki we ran a three stop race and he brought his car home where we thought he could. Really though today is about doing the job for our shareholders and our partners, in particular Renault Sport F1 and Red Bull Technology who have played such a key role in today's success. Congratulations to our shareholders for the rewards we have now gained from finishing tenth for two seasons running. They deserve this success for the incredible support they give us every day and we will keep working hard to make them proud."
Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "Almost tears for me today! I am absolutely overjoyed. Two years of hard work have paid off today and it was great to see both cars home safely, helping us win tenth place. The icing on the cake was beating a Renault - that meant a lot to me as I have always said the good guys do win. We have a fantastic little team here, and some incredible partners in GE, Dell, Intel, APC and CNN and I know how much it means to each and every person associated with us to have finished this season where we wanted to. Now we look forward to our new life as Caterham F1 Team and we say goodbye to Team Lotus. Colin - we hope we did you proud and we hope you keep an eye over us as Caterham F1 Team. We know we will do you proud there as well."

This post has been promoted to an article