Lotus GP2 News http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:09:12 +0000 30 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/images/rss.gif http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58509-abu-dhabi/



First blood, first pole, first win, James managed track conditions, tyres, and more experienced competitors ideally, in order to bring home his first GP2 Series win.
Esteban Gutierrez first set the tempo with the best time in the free practice session with a half-second lead over second place. Unfortunately, the Mexican driver suffered a transmission problem in qualifying and started from 8th position on the starting grid for the first race. In fourth position going around the first corner, he was bumped by a competitor and had to have his rear wing changed. Starting in 21st in the second race, Esteban moved up to 5th place despite the inherent difficulties in overtaking on the Yas Marina circuit.


Esteban Gutierrez:
“We did great in practice but it's in qualifying and in the race that things count and even though we had the sheer speed and the good balance on the car we had a problem with the gearbox and could not complete the qualifying session, which compromised our weekend. Having said that, eighth on the grid was not that bad and I had a good start, I gained several positions but I soon felt somebody hit me hard by behind. My rear wing was badly damaged and I had no choice but to enter the pitlane to change the wing. I resumed my race dead last and fought back but, having lost so much time, I could not do better than P21. With nothing to lose in the second race, I had a lot of fun and some great battles. On the positive side, I'm sure we can build on this interesting experience for next season. We leave with a positive balance. Personally this has helped my confidence, both mentally and emotionally. Now we look into the future and the things to come. I want to thank all my sponsors and Lotus ART for what has been a fruitful rookie season in the GP2 Series. I can't wait for 2012 to start.”


James Calado:
“One word: awesome! This weekend was the perfect rehearsal before 2012 and we made the most of it thanks to Lotus ART and Racing Steps Foundation. I had so many things to learn with the pit stop, the tyre management and above all the need to drive at 70% of what I was able to in order to be in good shape for the last laps. Lotus ART helped me a lot to develop these skills and I have to thank them. There's still a long way to go before the 2012 season starts but I feel confident. I made sure to stay away from the chaos in the first race. From then on, 8th was the best I could achieve and I stuck to this aim. Starting from pole was an incredible feeling on Sunday. I tried to open a gap but Ericsson caught me and I knew with his experience it was always going to be tough. I was not too worried because I could manage my tyres and because I was faster than him in the last sector. It was tight but I could keep a small gap and we made it. It's really good to win the award from Pirelli and it makes things a bit easier for next season. I'm looking forward to the start of winter tests!”


Frederic Vasseur:
“Unlike many rookies who crack under pressure, James never let doubt creep in and he had a perfect weekend, particularly his second race. Esteban missed out on success in qualifying and in the first race, but he confirmed on Sunday that he is an exceptionally gifted driver. Finishing the year with a win and an excellent performance level is very encouraging and motivating for the work we that awaits us this winter and next year.”

This post has been promoted to an article]]> Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:09:12 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58509-abu-dhabi/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58503-abu-dhabi-race-2/
This post has been promoted to an article]]> Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:51:20 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58503-abu-dhabi-race-2/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58499-abu-dhabi-race-1/
This post has been promoted to an article]]> Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:09:31 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58499-abu-dhabi-race-1/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58494-abu-dhabi-qualifying/
This post has been promoted to an article]]> Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:25:00 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58494-abu-dhabi-qualifying/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58487-abu-dhabi-free-practice/
POS NO DRIVER NAT ENTRANT TIME LAPS GAP KPH TIME OF DAY

1 6 E. GUTIERREZ MEX Lotus ART 1:50.442 16 181.039 10:43:55

19 5 J. CALADO GBR Lotus ART 1:52.665 2.223
0.019
17 177.467 10:38:51

This post has been promoted to an article]]> Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:58:54 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58487-abu-dhabi-free-practice/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58425-2012-lineup/



Along with Esteban Gutierrez, Racing Steps Foundation driver James Calado will be taking part in the Abu Dhabi races, November 12 & 13 2011, and will be racing for the team in the 2012 championship.
Runner up in the GP3 series in his first year in the sport, James brought home one win, six podiums, and one pole position, but he also met every one of Lotus ART’s human, technical, and sporting expectations. The collaboration between Lotus ART and James therefore follows the team’s logic and James’ career profile.

James Calado:
“This is excellent news because it allows me to climb up an additional level very early in the season and I will then have the time to prepare myself for the challenge of the GP2 Series. I could not dream of a better team to meet this challenge with. Lotus ART's tremendous expertise and approach have no equal and with Lotus ART I know that I have everything I need to integrate myself quickly and well into this extremely competitive championship. Lotus ART and I have demonstrated what we can do in the GP3 Series and I hope that we will do the same in the GP2 Series. I am again grateful to the RSF for supporting me in my next step up.”

Frederic Vasseur:
“James’ performances in his first year in the GP3 Series was a key reason for continuing our collaboration in the GP2 Series. James impressed Lotus ART with his professional approach and his ability to face every race situation: safety car, changing track conditions, starting from the back of the grid, he was spared nothing and James always rose to the task with a remarkable state of mind and performances which enabled him to compete for the title down to the last race. I believe that James has the potential to pull the team to the top and to win races in 2012.”

Graham Sharp:
Speaking of James’ confirmed 2012 plans, Racing Steps Foundation founder Graham Sharp said: “James’ progress since he became a part of the Foundation has been really impressive. Each season he has raised his game to meet the new challenges of new formulae with maturity, dedication and professionalism as a result of which he’s more than earned the Foundation’s backing for a Lotus ART GP2 seat.”

This post has been promoted to an article]]> Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:16:15 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58425-2012-lineup/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58299-esteban-gutierrez-stays-with-lotus-art-for-2012/
Since the first day of their collaboration in 2009, Lotus ART and the Mexican driver have fulfilled their joint objectives. The first champion in the history of the GP3 Series in 2010, Esteban was one of the best rookies in the GP2 series, where he brought home his first win in 2011. This extension of the partnership between Esteban and Lotus ART is the logical continuation of a fruitful collaboration. The first step in the 2012 project will take place in the form of tests at Barcelona, in which Esteban will participate, on October 19 and 20 as well as with Abu Dhabi races in November.


Frederic Vasseur:

“Esteban’s involvement in the team’s plans is rewarding on the sporting and human level and I am sincerely delighted that we will be able to continue the adventure together. I think that we still have some great chapters to write together and I hope that the combined know-how of Lotus ART and Esteban will result in a synergy that both parties will be able to take advantage of in 2012, which will be a pivotal year.”


Esteban Gutierrrez:

“I'm happy to have our plans sorted for next season this early as it will give us a good amount of time to keep on going with our preparations for next year, with a good rhythm. I feel very grateful to all the people in the team for their work and integrity which has been a key for acquiring the right experience as a driver. This has been an important decision for next season and we are looking forward to making the most of the opportunity to perform in a very competitive way. I would like to thank all the other teams that expressed interest in having me on their team, I'm sure we will have great competition together keeping our good relationship.”



This post has been promoted to an article]]> Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:07:13 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58299-esteban-gutierrez-stays-with-lotus-art-for-2012/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58044-monza/
Jules and Esteban both had a great performance in the first race, moving up to 8th and 9th places, respectively. In the second race, Jules fell back to third position in the first corner, and wrapped up his season with a podium, which in turn secured him a podium in the drivers’ championship, while Esteban moved up to 6th place, which enabled him to walk away with a final point for the season, one in which he was one of the few rookies to secure a win.

Jules Bianchi : “The Monza races sum up the whole season: with highs and lows. We finished the year on the podium for the championship, and that is a good result overall. Handicapped by a technical problem during the session, I lost big in my last qualifying lap because there were two yellow flags, and P19 on the starting grid forced me to take risks in the race. Moving up to 8th place, and the pole position for the second race, was therefore a lesser evil in terms of the championship. Unfortunately, I skated too much at the start and once in 3rd position we were not fast enough to catch up with Vietoris and Leimer. After a difficult start to the year – I was in 15th after 8 races – we managed to get back on an even keel but we were too far behind. Nevertheless, we demonstrated that we were among the fastest and that we had the technical and human potential to play the top roles and that is what we need to keep in mind for the future.”

Esteban Gutierrez : “After an encouraging practice, I lost control of the car and hit the barriers in qualifying. It was my mistake and it cost us dearly. I was 25th on the starting grid and had nothing to lose. The key was a good start and good timing for the pit stop. I gained several positions in the first lap and we were the first to pit to change tyres. I was very happy to take the chequered flag in 9th position, even though one position higher would have given me the pole position for the second race. I wanted to secure a point to finish the season on a high note and I made it. I learned a great deal this season, Lotus ART supported me all the time and it bodes well for the future.”

Frederic Vasseur : “At the start of the year our goal was the title, and we cannot be satisfied with 3rd place but the competition was very strong and we paid dearly for our inconsistency at the start of the year. That said, I am proud of Lotus ART because the team never gave up and managed to resolve its problems starting from midseason. Jules and Esteban each won a race and they managed to pull the team up. The second part of the season is very encouraging for the future.”



This post has been promoted to an article]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:47:39 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58044-monza/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58015-monza-race-1/
Tomorrow, Jules will start on pole position.




This post has been promoted to an article]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:50:16 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/58015-monza-race-1/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/57813-monza-qualifying/
This post has been promoted to an article]]> Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:20:20 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/57813-monza-qualifying/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/57812-monza-practice/
This post has been promoted to an article]]> Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:17:38 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/57812-monza-practice/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/57433-spa-francorchamps/ Qualifying in 3rd and 9th positions on the starting grid respectively in the first race, Jules Bianchi and Esteban Gutierrez crossed the finish line in 2nd and 14th places. On Sunday, Jules moved up from 7th position to finish in 2nd place, thus moving from 4th place to 3rd in the overall ranking, one point out from 2nd placed Giedo Van der Garde. At the same time, Esteban fell one spot in the ranking, down to 7th place.

Jules Bianchi:

“I had a very good start and I was lucky to be on the right side because it was dryer than the left. Then I tried to stay behind Christian Vietoris. At first he was a bit quicker but I closed the gap. Having said that, there was no way I'd have tried something stupid. I needed this second position, so did Lotus ART, and we secured it. On Sunday, it was the opposite: I decided to go on the outside but it was the wrong choice because I was a bit closed in. I was P8 but I could push and gain a lot of positions. I want to end the season in a good way, but mainly, we have to keep our momentum. It’s important to look at it race by race and not focus too much on the championship. It would be important to finish second, but I don’t think about that. I try my best race by race, try and be quick every time.”

Esteban Gutierrez:

“We had some trouble in qualifying, with the mixed conditions and a some yellow flags. It was a classic decoy and unfortunately I could not avoid it. My start was good on Saturday but I collided with Giedo Van der Garde which cost me some positions. It changed my strategy because when you are behind the aerodynamics change and things did not go our way: the rain came in and because of the low temperature the car switched into the safety mode! Sunday was much better because we found the way to climb up the field. In terms of set-up our strategy was risky but I had nothing to lose and it worked. It's too bad I missed a few points but it was a good experience.”

Frederic Vasseur:

“This is definitely a very good weekend for Jules. He found the right pace the whole weekend and he did some great overtaking manoeuvres in both races. He is now 3rd in the drivers' championship and our goal is to finish it as a runner-up in Monza in a fortnight. Esteban had some bad luck in qualifying and in the first race, but he recovered well. He was one of the very best on Sunday thanks to some great tyre management and great raw speed. He would have deserved a few points but one must not forget he's a rookie surrounded by 17 drivers who are competing in their second season in the series, at least.”

This post has been promoted to an article]]> Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:27:28 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/57433-spa-francorchamps/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/57370-spa-francorchamps-race-2/ Esteban Gutierrez did very well too as he came back just out of the point (7th) while he started 16th.

This post has been promoted to an article]]> Sun, 28 Aug 2011 13:54:22 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/57370-spa-francorchamps-race-2/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/57369-spa-francorchamps-race-1/ Esteban Gutierrez has been less lucky has he faced engine problem and couldn’t do better than 14th.
The race has been interrupted for a long time by the safety car before the restart was given just for one lap.

This post has been promoted to an article]]> Sun, 28 Aug 2011 13:53:20 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/57369-spa-francorchamps-race-1/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/57295-spa-francorchamps-qualifying/ Jules Bianchi did the fourth best time of the day at the wheel of his Lotus ART and will start from the second row tomorrow.
Esteban Gutierrez ended Tenth.
Both drivers will aim for good points tomorrow.
The start of the race is at 15h40 tomorrow.

This post has been promoted to an article]]> Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:43:13 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/57295-spa-francorchamps-qualifying/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/57173-spa-francorchamps-practice/
Rain could be back for the qualifying session that will start at 15h55.



This post has been promoted to an article]]> Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:25:39 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/57173-spa-francorchamps-practice/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/56616-hungagoring/
Jules Bianchi and Esteban Gutierrez qualified in 6th and 9th position respectively on the starting grid for the first race. Starting on the dirty side of the Hungaroring, Jules lost two positions at the start and an additional two positions around the tyre change that the team wanted to make later in order to give the driver everything he needed to battle at the end of the race. Taking advantage of tyres in better shape than his rivals, Jules was able to move up to 7th position despite the problems in overtaking that drivers experience on the Hungaroring. Esteban’s first race ended in the 4th lap after his engine experience a fatal mechanical problem.

Jules experienced the same issue on Sunday, on a damp track where he started on the odd-numbered side of the starting grid, the side which generates less grip. In fifth position in the first lap, he was shunted by a competitor whom he was overtaking, and he drove the rest of the race with a broken wing and damaged steering. After changing tyres when the track dried up, then again when a cloudburst occurred late in the race, Jules managed to secure points for a sixth place finish.

At the same time, Esteban Gutierrez made a blistering comeback from the penultimate row on the back of the starting grid in the second race. Working with the team, the young Mexican driver gambled on starting with slick tyres despite a damp track that looked like it would dry quickly. Esteban made one less pit stop than the rest of his rivals, but it was on the track that he secured a podium by the sweat of his brow, overtaking his rivals one by one, through exemplary control of his car and the weather conditions, in particular overtaking the championship leader in the last corner of the last lap.

In the championship, Jules moves up one place and Esteban moves up two. They are both currently in 4th and 12th position respectively. Lotus ART moves up to 4th position in the teams’ championship.

Jules Bianchi:

“Conditions were not easy and the car’s balance did not completely suit me in qualifying. The 6th position start was not bad in and of itself, but it was on the bad side of the grid and I lost positions during the start. We probably did our pit stop two laps early but that’s always easy to say after the fact. I fell back to 11th position. There is only one place to overtake on the Hungaroring, in the first corner, and you are always expected when you are in another driver’s rear-view mirrors. The 7th place finish was therefore good because it enabled me to start from the front row the next day. But unlike the even-numbered side, the odd side was damp and I lost a few positions. Then Van der Garde hit hard on the left side of my car and it was no longer so easy to drive. Under these conditions, managing to finish in the points is a good performance.”

Esteban Gutierrez:

“My fifth top 10 in a row was satisfying in qualifying, especially if we consider that we experienced some mechanical gremlins in practice. I was only 4 tenths shy of the pole position and the real downside was the difficulty we have to overtake on the Hungaroring. It was a big challenge I could not take on Saturday because of an engine problem, which the team is not responsible for, but I did overtake on Sunday and I have to admit it was really fun and exciting to catch up with the frontrunners after a start from the second to last row. At first, I thought it would be better to be conservative and to manage the tyres but the car Lotus ART gave me was flying and I pushed hard to make the most of it. It was a combination of different factors but the motivation never left us and we showed we can recover from a bad Saturday. The fight with Grosjean was really exciting in the last couple of laps and it was really satisfying to overtake him in the dead last corner. I can’t wait to race in Belgium and to have a straight forward race weekend.”

Frederic Vasseur:

“It was very hard to bring everything together in qualifying and the result was satisfactory because traffic and managing the car could have made things even more complicated. Jules drove two great races. No one can look into their crystal ball and see what pressure or what type of tyre to select at such and such time, and he secured the best result he could have hoped for because his overtaking chances were reduced on a track like the Hungaroring. Esteban did not lose his concentration ; he made an exceptional comeback showing once again the extent of his talent and his race intelligence under dramatic conditions.”



This post has been promoted to an article]]> Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:38:52 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/56616-hungagoring/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/56609-hungaroring-race-2/
The young Mexican opted for an aggressive strategy taking into account his starting position and it paid off as he stole the second place in the last lap of the race.

Jules’ race was full of traps from the start to the finish but the Frenchman never gave up and bring the point of the 6^th place home.

The GP2 Series will be back in Spa at the end of august following the summer break.



This post has been promoted to an article]]> Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:26:40 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/56609-hungaroring-race-2/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/56512-hungagoring-race-1/
Jules Bianchi crossed the finish line in 7^th position following a difficult race. However the Frenchman did many overtakings. He will start 2^nd for the second race that will take place tomorrow morning.



This post has been promoted to an article]]> Sat, 30 Jul 2011 18:05:05 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/56512-hungagoring-race-1/ http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/56414-hungaroring-qualifying/
The session was fully dry and it should stay the same for the rest of the week-end.



This post has been promoted to an article]]> Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:24:30 +0000 http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/topic/56414-hungaroring-qualifying/