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Lotus in the Peak |
| 28th - 30th June 2024 |
Lotus F1 Team
Lotus F1 Team Racing news and discussion
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The final pre-season test got underway in Barcelona today. Nick drove this morning, but was suffering with a cold, so Vitaly took over for the afternoon. Driver: Nick / Vitaly Chassis: R31-01 Fastest Lap: Nick: 1:24.735 / Vitaly: 1:22.937 Position: Nick P5 / Vitaly P3 Total laps: Nick: 20 / Vitaly: 27 What we learned today: - The team validated the performance of several key elements of the race one aero package to make sure the track data matched with the wind tunnel figures. Both drivers tried the new rear wing and new floor, and the initial data confirms that the updated package is a step forward. Nick: “I have a cold at the moment so t…
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Last week Vitaly, Nick and Bruno were special guests at the Geneva motor show where they appeared on the Lotus stand. Here’s the story of the day, as told by Vitaly… Tuesday 1 March 6:15: An early start because we have to be in Geneva by midday. No time for breakfast because my lift to Heathrow arrives at 6:45. 7:45: It only takes us an hour to get to the airport, plenty of time before our 8:55 flight. I have some light breakfast before I meet up with a couple of guys from the team who are coming with me to Geneva. 9:00: The flight is on time and we’re on our way. The Swiss airline serves more breakfast and some delicious Swiss chocolate! It’s only…
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Pirelli’s Motorsport Director talks about the challenge of developing a brand new range of F1 tyres and how Pirelli can add to the spectacle of Formula 1. What is the starting point for developing a new range of tyres? PH: There’s a logical process that you have to go through. You start off by defining the profile, which is the basic starting point, and then you work on the compounds and constructions. After extensive modelling and computer analysis, we find the best theoretical solutions and then confirm the results in practice by testing on a circuit. There are a huge number of different parameters to consider, but essentially you have to balance performa…
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It’s been a while since I gave you a factory update, so I thought I would talk you through what’s happening in Enstone at the moment. As always the factory has been a busy place. Just last Friday we had the drivers here to meet all our partners and present the brand new car. There were various presentations, Q&A’s with the drivers, and then a delicious three-course lunch. It was a really fun day and a nice chance for everybody to get to know each other before the season begins. You can see some of the photos from the day below. As for the R31, it’s just got back from the paint shop where all those scratches and chips from testing have been patched up.…
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Dr. Rossello, can you give us an update on Robert’s condition today? I saw him this morning around 8:30am. He is doing pretty well and his condition is positive considering what he has been through. The good news is that there have been no complications following all the surgery he has had recently. You performed the surgery on his hand – what more can you tell us about that… He can move his fingers slightly and has a little bit of sensitivity already in his hand. What is very important is that there is no sign of infection, which is the main concern. Last week he moved from intensive care to the rehabilitation department – what did that involve? Yes,…
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Fresh from his flight back from Barcelona, Bruno Senna popped into Enstone this morning for a seat fit in one of our demo cars. As the driver’s office, the cockpit of an F1 car needs to be finely tuned to a driver’s needs, and that was the top priority of Bruno’s seat fit. Driving these cars is such a physical job and it’s vital that the driver fits snugly inside the tight confines of the cockpit. Like most of the car, the seat was made from carbon fibre – a material that combines strength with lightness – and was precisely moulded to the shape of Bruno’s body. The engineers can also add foam padding here and there for extra comfort. All being well, only o…
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The final day in Barcelona saw Nick back in the R31 as the team wrapped up its third pre-season test session. Driver: Nick Chassis: R31-01 Fastest Lap: 1:23.657 Position: P4 Total laps: 95 What we learned today: - A new front wing was fitted on the car and the team carried out some aero mapping to assess its effectiveness. First impressions were positive. - The team completed its first race distance simulation and was pleased with the feel of the car on high fuel. Nick: “In the morning we were not able to do most of our programme because we had an issue with the KERS. It’s a shame because track time is so limited, but it’s obviously better t…
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A damp start in Barcelona turned to sunshine in the afternoon as Vitaly got back behind the wheel of the R31. Nick will be in the car for the final day of testing tomorrow. Driver: Vitaly Chassis: R31-01 Fastest Lap: 1:23.463 Position: P2 Total laps: 93 What we learned today: - We gathered some useful data on the intermediates Pirelli tyres as Vitaly and the team completed its first significant mileage on them - The R31 was fitted with a different spec of exhaust tail pipe. Aero data was collected to assess its effect on car performance. Vitaly: “We used the intermediates to begin with and it was one of our first opportunities to do…
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It was a more productive day at the track as Vitaly drove the R31 this morning, before Nick took over driving duties in the afternoon. Drivers: Vitaly / Nick Chassis: R31-01 Fastest Laps: Vitaly: 1:26.884 / Nick 1:24.242 Position: P11 Vitaly & P5 Nick Total laps: 61 for Vitaly & 41 for Nick What we learned today: - The R31 was fitted with some new parts to the water system, which successfully resolved the problems the team experienced in Jerez. - The team logged some useful data from its suspension set-up programme in the afternoon, evaluating changes to the front and rear systems. Vitaly: “After losing…
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Nick and Vitaly got behind the wheel of the R31 today in Barcelona. Despite a problem with the KERS, which took most of the day to solve and prevented the team from completing its scheduled programme, both drivers managed some useful pit stops practice. Drivers: Nick / Vitaly Chassis: R31-01 Fastest Laps: Nick 1:44.324 / Vitaly: 1:35.173 Position: P13 Nick & P12 Vitaly Total laps: 27 for Nick & 20 for Vitaly What we learned today: - The team got up to speed with a new traffic light system for use in pit stops. This has been developed over the last year and the plan is to use it at the first race. …
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Lotus Renault GP driver, Robert Kubica, suffered an accident at high speed this morning while competing in the Ronde di Andora Rally. The driver was airlifted to Pietra Ligure Hospital where he is currently undergoing medical checks. His co-driver is fine. Lotus Renault GP will issue another statement as soon as more information is known about Robert’s condition. This post has been promoted to an article
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Lotus Renault GP is pleased to announce that Nick Heidfeld has joined the team, taking over driving duties from the injured Robert Kubica, starting at this week’s test session in Barcelona. The 33-year-old German is one of the most experienced drivers in Formula 1 having started 172 races over the last 11 seasons. He will race alongside Vitaly Petrov when the season gets underway in Bahrain on 13 March. Nick Heidfeld: “I would have liked to come back to Formula 1 in different circumstances, but I’m proud to have been given this chance. Everything has happened so quickly, but I’ve been very impressed by what I have seen so far in terms of the facilities a…
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Bruno Senna enjoyed his first experience of the R31 today as the team gave the Brazilian mileage on the final day of testing in Jerez. Driver: Bruno Chassis: R31-01 Fastest Lap: 1:21.400 Position: P5 Total laps: 68 What we learned today: - The R31 featured a new specification of gearbox cooler, which the team evaluated with no major concerns. - It was a day of firsts for Bruno, who tried Pirelli tyres, KERS and the adjustable rear wing for the first time. Incidentally, it was only his second ever F1 test session. Bruno: “It was an awesome day - my first chance to drive the R31 and I’m pleased …
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Nick Heidfeld got his first taste of the R31 today in Jerez and ended session at the top of the timesheets. Driver: Nick Chassis: R31-01 Fastest Lap: 1:20.361 Position: P1 Total laps: 86 What we learned today: - The team evaluated a new floor upgrade. Pressure tapping and flow viz paint allowed the engineers to verify its aero characteristics. - The team ran back-to-back tests on all four Pirelli tyre compounds for the first time. This confirmed the different degradation rates and variations in new tyre performance. Nick: “I really enjoyed the day. It was fun driving the car, although it obviously takes time to get used to things when it’s your…
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Vitaly remained in the R31 today as the team completed 65 laps in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. Driver: Vitaly Chassis: R31-01 Fastest Lap: 1:22.493 Position: P9 Total laps: 65 What we learned today: There don’t appear to be any problems with warm-up of the hard tyre compound, which the team ran for the first time today. Degradation levels looked reasonable. Optimisation of the KERS in conjunction with the braking system by completing some useful mapping work. Vitaly: “We were not worried about the lap times and instead we focussed on the tyres to try and understand how they work. We also did s…
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