Q1: P15, 1.48.861, 9 laps

Q2: P15, 1.48.662, 4 laps

Vitaly Petrov, R31-06

Q1: P18, 1.49.835, 8 laps

Lotus Renault GP will have a lot of work to do tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix after a difficult qualifying session at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Despite the session taking place in the middle of the night, it was still hot and humid as air temperatures reached 30°C.

Both Bruno Senna and Vitaly Petrov went out early in Q1, putting in a three-lap run on the Pirelli soft tyres before switching to the supersofts for the final five-minute push.

Bruno was blocked by traffic on his first flying lap on the supersoft rubber, but he had just enough time to put in another lap. He duly nailed a time of 1m 48.861s to seal 15th place and make it into Q2. Unfortunately Vitaly only had time for one flying lap on the supersofts and, while his mark of 1m 49.835s was good enough to break into the top 17, he was bumped back down to P18 by Bruno’s late lap.

In Q2 Bruno was just heading out for his first run – again on supersoft tyres – when the session was red-flagged for an accident involving Kamui Kobayashi’s Sauber. That meant Bruno had only one chance to set a lap when the session resumed for the final five minutes. He set a time of 1m 48.662s to take 15th on the grid.

In the final Q3 shoot-out, Sebastian Vettel took pole position for Red Bull with a lap of 1m 44.381s ahead of team-mate Mark Webber and the McLarens of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.

http://www.lotusrenaultgp.com/6921-Singapore-GP-Qualifying-Lotus.html

P16, 1:50.229, 15 laps

Bruno Senna, R31-04

P17, 1:50.523, 14 laps

Lotus Renault GP completed its preparations for the Singapore Grand Prix with the third and final session of free practice on another hot evening in the tropics. Though showers started to appear on the radar in the vicinity of the Marina Bay Street Circuit during the session, the track stayed dry.

After the initial installation lap, the two Lotus Renault cars went out for their first run at the 20-minute mark. Both Bruno Senna and Vitaly Petrov were on the Pirelli ‘soft’ tyre for their first laps of the artificially-lit track.

With 25 minutes remaining the first cars went out to try the supersoft tyre, but Bruno and Vitaly stayed on the soft tyre for their second run. The pair were then among the very last cars to go out for the final run on the supersoft tyres, going out with just five minutes of the session remaining.

Vitaly put in a lap of 1m 50.229s to go 16th fastest while Bruno hit traffic and backed off on his first flying lap before recording a lap of 1m 50.523s on his second to go 17th.

Mark Webber’s Red Bull set the pace at the front with a lap of 1m 46.081s as the F1 field finalised its settings for qualifying, scheduled for 2200 local Singapore time.

http://www.lotusrenaultgp.com/6915-Singapore-GP-Practice-3-Lotus.html

P12, 1:50.241s, 31 laps

Vitaly Petrov, R31-06

P14, 1:50.399s, 29 laps

Following the interrupted first session of free practice for the Singapore Grand Prix, Lotus Renault GP got back into its stride in FP2.

After problems with the track shortened FP1, the kerbs were removed from the inside of Turn 13 for the second session. In the heat of the Singapore night, Bruno Senna and Vitaly Petrov duly made up for lost time as they both ran trouble-free for the full 90 minutes.

Bruno spent the first half of the session on the Pirelli ‘soft’ tyre before switching to the supersofts midway through. His first lap on the softer rubber was his best of the night – 1m 50.241s – and the 12th fastest of the drivers in action. He then put in a long run to complete his day’s work.

Vitaly had to sit out some of the morning’s shortened session due to problems with the new radiator arrangement so the team reverted to the standard-spec for FP2. He also ran with the soft tyre for the first 45 minutes before a run on the supersofts produced his fastest time, 1m 50.399s. He then finished off his day with a long run, though a glitch meant he was unable to benefit from his KERS.

The fastest car overall was the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel, who set a lap of 1m 46.374s round the twists and turns of the artificially-lit street circuit.

http://www.lotusrenaultgp.com/6894-Singapore-GP-Practice-2-Lotus.html

P16, 1:53.765, 17 laps

Vitaly Petrov, R31-06

P18, 1:54.736, 8 laps

Lotus Renault GP began its preparations for this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix with a shortened and interrupted first session of free practice.

On a hot evening at Singapore’s street circuit, there was an initial half-hour delay as marshals worked on kerbs which had become dislodged at Turns 3 and 14, as highlighted by the earlier running of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia. The kerbing was eventually removed, with drivers allowed to cross the white line at those areas. That reduced the session to an hour – and there was a further five-minute delay for a red flag when Heikki Kovalainen had a fire on his front brakes midway through the hour. Then the red flag came out yet again with eight minutes left as the bolt on another kerb was dislodged.

Bruno Senna nonetheless made the most of the available time running on the Pirelli ‘soft’ compound, the harder of the two available this weekend. At one point Bruno used high-vis paint to check the aero flow as the team works on its latest package. He was 16th fastest with a time of 1m 53.765s.

Vitaly was less fortunate as his session was further shortened due to an installation problem on the team’s new tighter bodywork package. He still ended up 18th courtesy of a lap of 1m 54.736s and his car will be ready for FP2.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton went fastest with a lap of 1m 48.599s in a session that started in twilight and finished in the fully dark conditions that will dominate the rest of the weekend.

http://www.lotusrenaultgp.com/6886-Singapore-GP-Practice-1-Lotus.html

• % full throttle = 45.5 %
• Longest distance in metres on full throttle (where if applicable) = 640m between T5 & T7
• Highest g-force experienced, where and for how long = 2.7G @ T22/23 for 2.5 seconds
• % of the lap spent braking = 20%
• Highest apex speed & which corner = 280kph @T6
• Lowest apex speed & which corner = 60kph @ T13
• Top speed & where = 300kph at the braking point for T7
• Number of gear changes per lap = 80
• The first night race in F1's history made its debut in 2008.
• 4: The number of Grands prix
• 61 Laps
• 1 :45.599 is the fastest-ever lap time recorded by K. Raikkonen at the Marina Bay Street Circuit
• 298 Maximum speed reached at the circuit
• 1500 Lighting projectors
• 2600 Barriers
• 2640 Tyres for all race cars
• 350 In metres, this is the length of the pit lane
• 469 Fire extinguishers are on standby
• 3000 Lux - the lighting will be four times brighter than lights used at sports stadiums

http://www.lotusrena...in-numbers.html

1. Engine

Street circuits tend to be less severe on the engine due to the low percentage of the lap spent at full throttle, but the engine can still be under stress as it will be used in a very stop-start fashion. An engine with a smooth delivery is important and this is one of the RS27's strengths.

2. Brakes The circuit is quite demanding on the brakes with wear rates similar to Melbourne. It is not the severity of the braking - there are not any super hard stops - but rather the regularity that makes it so demanding; the brakes will have little respite. As they run quite hot, we will also be bringing bigger brake ducts.

3. Suspension

Suspension set-up is one of the trickiest things to predict. For any street circuit with a high percentage of low-speed corners mechanical grip is always valuable, and drivers and teams will search for a soft enough suspension to obtain clean exits out of the slow corners; a car that can ride the bumps is valuable .

4. Aerodynamics

After Monaco, Singapore is the second slowest circuit of the season. Maximum downforce is important, in order to offer the car good stability under braking, to push the car into the ground in the corner exits in order to maximise traction, and to ensure good acceleration.

5. Tyres

Grip levels are low at this circuit, but the track is not known to be as dirty as in Monaco. Softer tyres will offer good grip on a green track surface at the beginning of the weekend. As with any temporary circuit, grip levels will ramp up as the track evolves and rubber is laid down. Pirelli are bringing their soft and super soft compounds (these were used in Monaco and Budapest).

6. Gearbox

Closely-spaced gear ratios will be used to optimise acceleration and get the most from the engine at low speeds.

7. Display

For the night race, the brightness of the display will be turned down for the drivers.

Track annotations

• Approaching turn 1 + 2: This is the second fastest part of the track, with speeds of around 290 kph reached before Sheares corner. This is followed by some hard braking to around 90 kph at Turn 3.
• Turns 5 + 7: In order to maintain optimum track condition the Republic Boulevard has been resurfaced; this includes the run behind the pits to Turn 5, and Raffles Boulevard between Turns 5 and 7.
• Approaching turn 7: The fastest part of the track, with speeds of around 298 kph before the approach to the Memorial corner.
• Turns 7 + 14: The Turn 7 entry kerb located on the drivers' right will be replaced with a painted divider so that drivers are able to take alternate lines into Turn 7 to avoid bumps and possibly increase opportunities for overtaking. In addition, the street kerbs in the runoff areas of Turn 7 and Turn 14 will be realigned; this will allow for minor realignments in the barriers that will provide approximately 1-2m additional runoff distance at the corners, providing a marginal improvement to drivers' safety.
• Turn 10: Turn 10 barriers have been realigned. This will reduce the likelihood of a car that has lost control in the braking zone launching itself over the chicane apex kerbs. This change in barrier alignment will not affect cornering speed at Turn 10, but the kerbs have been adjusted to a more gradual curve to allow the drivers to make safer exits from the corner.
• Turns 13 + 16 + 18: The slowest speed is around 80 kph. The kerbs are used extensively here.
• Turn 20: The track has also been resurfaced at Turn 20, the chicane just prior to the Singapore Flyer at the end of the lap.

http://www.lotusrena...Grand-Prix.html

BS: I'm happy to score my first F1 points today, especially as it was only my second race for the team. Although I started 10^th, it was not been an easy job to finish ninth. We suffered some bad luck in the first corner; everybody was cutting the chicane which forced me to drive on the outside, and in the process I lost all the places I had fought so hard for in qualifying.

It must be a huge boost for you personally?

BS: It makes me very happy to know that I am able to put myself in the position of scoring points, and also to fight with the guys who have been doing this for a long time.

You couldn't quite get past Paul Di Resta?

BS: The pace of the car was clear for all to see, but I wish the race was just one lap longer because I may have been able to pass Paul for eighth.

It is 18 years since we last saw the Senna name on the points board…

BS: I am very happy to get my name on the points board. The team chose a great strategy - they did a great job and the tyre was fast enough where I needed it to be, so I am really looking forward to Singapore.

http://www.lotusrena...-to-get-my.html

P7, 1:23.530, 39 laps

Bruno Senna, R31-04

P10, 1:24.157, 25 laps

It was another strong qualifying day for Lotus Renault GP, with both R31s able to secure top 10 positions in hot conditions for tomorrow's Italian Grand Prix. Vitaly will line up in P7 and Bruno in P10.

Bruno demonstrated his ability to cope under pressure, as he knocked Paul Di Resta off 10^th position. Vitaly put in his best time of the weekend at the beginning of Q2; a 1min 23.741secs lap allowed him to the garage early on, before competing in Q3 to secure his seventh position with a lap time of 1min 23.530secs.

Reigning Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel will start from pole position for tomorrow's race, taking pole with a time of 1min 22.275secs. Lewis Hamilton will line up alongside Vettel and Jenson Button behind.

http://www.lotusrena...ying-Lotus.html

P11, 1:24.853, 20 laps

Vitaly Petrov, R31-06

P12, 1:24.889, 19 laps

Bruno Senna managed to emerge from the final practice session of Italian GP weekend in 11^th position, one place above Vitaly.

In hot conditions once again, both drivers acquainted themselves with Pirelli's medium and soft compounds and saw the lap times tumble by more than five tenths of a second from yesterday's outings.

Once again, the familiar name of Sebastian Vettel headed the field with a time of Both drivers used the soft Pirelli and the mediate tyres during the course of the 60 minutes.

Sebastian Vettel set the fastest lap time of the session, a 1min 23.170secs, ahead of his team mate Mark Webber and Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

http://www.lotusrena...ce-3-Lotus.html

P10, 1:25.325, 38 laps

Vitaly Petrov, R31-05

P11, 1:25.450, 31 laps

Bruno Senna emerged as the faster Lotus Renault GP race driver after ongoing hot weather conditions at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza during the second practice session for the Italian Grand Prix.

Bruno enjoyed a trouble-free run to set a 1min 25.325secs lap whilst Vitaly Petrov finished his session with a 1.25.450secs lap.

Bruno ended the day with the 10th fastest time of the session, Vitaly ended the session with the 11th fastest time.

Both drivers used the soft Pirelli and the mediate tyres during the course of the 90 minutes.

Sebastian Vettel set the fastest lap time of the session, a 1min 24.010secs, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

http://www.lotusrenaultgp.com/6671-Italian-GP-Practice-2-Lotus.html

P6, 1:26.625, 20 laps

Bruno Senna, R31-06

P16, 1:27.385, 23 laps

Lotus Renault GP opened their on-track account in Monza, as the first practice session got underway in hot late summer conditions at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

Nursing no signs of tiredness from his birthday celebrations yesterday, Vitaly Petrov led the way for the black and gold with a best time of 1min 26.625secs on Pirelli’s medium tyre compound. The time left Vitaly as the sixth fastest driver at the end of the session.

Bruno Senna, however, came away from his third consecutive first practice session in 16th position, having posted a time of 1min. 27.385secs, again on the white medium compound.

Fastest in the session was Britain’s Lewis Hamilton, who clocked-up a time of 1min 23.865secs in the blazing Italian sun.

http://www.lotusrenaultgp.com/6660-Italian-GP-Practice-1-Lotus.html

Eric Boullier, LRGP Team Principal and Managing Director: “Our disagreement with Nick has been the subject of much media coverage lately, and we are pleased to have reached a swift and reasonable solution. Our separation process was already a painful one, and neither of us wanted to go through another legal hearing. We’re very grateful to Nick for the highly valuable contribution he’s made to the team. We certainly had good times together, in particular remembering our podium finish in Malaysia. He is a very strong and determined racer and we wish him every success in the future.”

Nick Heidfeld: “Obviously I’m disappointed to be leaving Lotus Renault GP in the middle of the season. I thought I could still make a big contribution to the team, but I have to see things as they are and I want to turn my attention to the future. We have taken the right decision by choosing to end our collaboration today. I would like to wish all the friends I made at Enstone a successful end to the season. One thing is for sure - I’ll be back racing at the highest level soon.”

Both parties consider the matter settled and will refrain from making any further public statements on the issue in the future.

http://www.lotusrenaultgp.com/6466-Lotus-Renault-GP-and-Nick-Heidfeld.html

On waking up, it was immediately clear Robert was in good spirits. Why? Well, as soon as he opened his eyes, he asked for the results of today’s race!

He will now rest in hospital for a few days before resuming his rehabilitation and training programme.

Vitaly Petrov, R31-05 P10, 1:52.303, 23 laps

Bruno Senna qualified a superb seventh in his debut qualifying for Lotus Renault GP in treacherous conditions in Spa Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Bruno kept a level-head as his R31 danced over the difficult conditions brought about by the notoriously fickle Ardennes weather, using first intermediate tyres through Q1 and Q2, and then soft slicks in Q3 to emerge with his best-ever F1 qualifying performance with a 1min 51.121secs lap.

Vitaly Petrov fell foul of a spin on what could have been his fastest lap in Q3, but nevertheless will line up in tenth position for tomorrow’s Grand Prix after setting a 1min 52.303secs lap

Reigning Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel will start from pole position for tomorrow’s race, taking pole with a time of 1min 48.298secs. Lewis Hamilton will line up alongside Vettel and birthday boy Mark Webber behind.

http://lotusrenaultgp.com/6379-BELGIAN-GP-QUALIFYING-LOTUS.html

Vitaly Petrov, R31-05 P15, 2:13.290, 15 laps

Bruno Senna headed Lotus Renault GP team-mate Vitaly Petrov in Saturday morning’s FP3 session ahead of qualifying at Spa Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Bruno posted a time of 2min 11.664secs in difficult variable wet conditions, using Pirelli’s intermediate tyre. Vitaly posted a 2min 13.290secs using the same rubber specification.

The session start was accompanied by an intensification of rainfall at the Ardennes track, meaning that both of Pirellis rain tyres were used, the full wet followed by the intermediate.

On his 35th birthday, Mark Webber showed his birthday presence with the session’s fastest time, a 2min 08.988secs, heading Lewis Hamilton and Jaime Alguersuari.

http://lotusrenaultgp.com/6374-BELGIAN-GP-PRACTICE-3-LOTUS.html

Vitaly Petrov, R31-05 P24, 2:02.234, 12 laps

Bruno Senna emerged as the faster Lotus Renault GP race driver after ongoing variable weather conditions at the Spa Francorchamps circuit during the second practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Bruno enjoyed a trouble-free run to set a 1min 53.835secs lap whilst Vitaly Petrov had his session curtailed as the team investigated an issue with the power steering system on his R31.

Bruno ended the day with the 17th fastest time of the session, despite being baulked when the circuit was drying; Vitaly missed out on setting a lap time on dry tyres due to his steering investigation, and ended the session with the 24 th fastest time, set on intermediate tyres.

Both drivers used the soft slick Pirelli and the intermediate tyres, Bruno also used the wet tyre during the course of the 90 minutes.

On the eve of his 35th birthday, Mark Webber set the fastest lap time of the session, a 1min 50.321secs, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.

http://www.lotusrenaultgp.com/6359-BELGIAN-GP-PRACTICE-1-LOTUS.html

Bruno Senna, R31-01 P23, 2:14.340, 7 laps

Bruno Senna opened his Lotus Renault GP account alongside Vitaly Petrov at the renowned Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.

In damp conditions, both drivers started with the medium compound before switching to inters as weather conditions worsened.

The Brazilian set the session's 23^rd fastest time, completing a lap in 2min 14.340secs when on the intermediate tyres. It was following this that he slid off the track, as his car rear collided with the tyre wall, bringing a premature end to his session.

Meanwhile, his Russian counterpart finished one place ahead of him in 22^nd. Vitaly took to the track and set a time of 2min 13.601secs also on the intermediate Pirelli compound.

On the 20^th anniversary of his Formula 1 career, veteran Michael Schumacher set the fastest time of 1min 54.355s ahead of team mate Nico Rosberg and Britain's Jenson Button.

http://www.lotusrena...CE-1-LOTUS.html

From the slight uphill start - heading into the tight La Source first corner down the hill to the Eau Rouge / Radillon transition from downhill to steep uphill before blasting down the Kemmel Straight, into Les Combes, Bruxelles, Pouhon, Campus, Stavelot, Courbe Paul Frère and Blanchimont before blasting down to the chicane and back on to the start-finish to repeat – Spa Francorchamps is an extravaganza of epic corners and delights for those lucky enough to tackle its challenges behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.

Even from its early days, Spa Francorchamps has stood out as something special with a course laid out on the public roads between the towns of Spa, Malmedy and Stavelot with a first race scheduled for August 1921. That there was only one entrant for that year and the race was cancelled fortunately did not stop the evolution of what has become one of motorsport's best known destinations.

In 1922 the first race did take place, followed in 1924 by the first 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – an event which still runs today. The first Grand Prix taking place a year later, won by Antonio Ascari, father of two-time Formula 1 champion Alberto who went on to win the race twice in 1952-53.

Spa was on the calendar for the first season of Formula 1 in 1950 and has remained a frequent fixture ever since, with time off in 1957, 59, 69 and 71 as well as a more extended leave of absence later on.

The original circuit was certainly a high speed venue, and as the cars became faster, so safety concerns raised their head. Spa lost the Belgian Grand Prix to the new venue of Nivelles-Baulers for 1972 and 1973, and Zolder for 1973, 1975-1982 and 1984.

For 1983 a new heavily revised Spa was back on the F1 calendar and after a solitary return to Zolder, the Belgian Grand Prix has subsequently always taken place at Spa, however the race has not always been on the calendar, with no event in 2003 and 2006.

The circuit is famed for its extreme undulations, and it's one which rewards pure engine power with a strong top end especially rewarded for the drag up Raidillon and for the Kemmel Straight which follows.

If engine power is rewarded, then the aerodynamic efficiency of a car is highlighted for all to see as sufficient downforce is required without too much detrimental drag.

The Ardennes location gives the track its undulation nature, and it also lends the circuit another aspect for which it is renowned; the weather.

Rain is a frequent visitor to the circuit and due to the track length it's possible for one part to be soaking wet, and another bone dry. The long length of a lap also brutally highlights those who get it right – and those who get it wrong – with their tyre choice when conditions are variable. Seven kilometres at Spa on the wrong tyres will send any driver from hero to zero in front of remorseless eyes.

There is seldom a dull race at Spa, and it terms of wins Michael Schumacher heads the table with six to his name. Schumacher made his F1 debut in Spa in 1991, and this year 20 years on he will race again.

After Schumacher, it's Ayrton Senna – uncle of LRGP driver Bruno – who comes next with five, with Jim Clark and Kimi Räikkönen on four. Juan Manual Fangio and Damon Hill have three wins apiece, whilst Ascari, Emerson Fittipaldi, Niki Lauda and Alain Prost have a brace each.

An Enstone team has won the race, taking honours in the 1992 and 1995 race in the Benetton guise, with Michael Schumacher at the wheel.

For 2011? Who's to say?

http://www.lotusrena...pecial-Spa.html

BS: Well, it is going to be a big challenge to come back into the middle of the season – or a bit later than the middle of the season – into racing but I have been participating in all the meetings with the engineers so I have been very much up to date with what is going on in the team. The Friday in Hungary was very useful for me to get a feel for the car and get a feel for how the car can go. But, of course, it is going to be a big uphill battle to get up to the level of these guys who have been racing for 11 races now. The fact that it is here, in Spa, is very special. It is my favourite circuit and a circuit that historically I have done very well on so I am really looking forward to it. I hope I can progress fast and hopefully do a good job for these guys because it is the best way to appreciate the opportunity that they are giving me.

And, of course, you've driven a Formula One car around here quite recently in May. There is, I believe, photographic evidence of that.

BS: Yes, it was also good too. Every time you can drive the car recently it makes it easier for you to learn. It was for a demonstration, only a few laps, but still great to have a better reference than from my previous references and hopefully this time it will be a more serious run.

What can you expect from yourself really this weekend?

BS: It is hard to say. Friday was very tough, Friday in Hungary was really, really difficult but again I only had one set of tyres. I know I will be having to learn how to deal with the tyres from the first set all the way to the sets in qualifying and then again learning how to deal with the tyres for the race as that will be my first experience with the Pirelli tyres on high fuel going to low fuel. All this experience I don't have so if I can be anywhere near Petrov that would be a good reference.

http://www.lotusrena...o-be-a-big.html

Lotus Renault GP is pleased to announce that Bruno Senna will race alongside Vitaly Petrov at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

Bruno will attend the Official FIA Press Conference tomorrow at 15.00.

A press release with further details on the matter will be issued tomorrow morning.

http://www.lotusrena...-for-Lotus.html

It's the first Grand Prix back after the summer break – what are your expectations?

The Belgian Grand Prix is a big race. I hope our new upgrades will be working well and then we will see where we are in terms of performance, but I know Spa-Francorchamps very well. I had a strong race there last year. It's one of the best and most challenging tracks you face as a driver because you have a number of different corners, ups and downs, and the weather can change at any given moment! One corner can be wet and on the other side of the track it could be dry. You never know what to expect in Spa, but I hope that we will be much more prepared and ready for this weekend. That is crucial in order to turn our season around, and I'm confident we can do just that.

How important is the mid-season break in allowing a driver to reflect on what's happened?

I think it's important for the team to have a break, as it allows time to understand why a team is performing how it is. In our case, it was important to know why our performance level had dropped, and I think we've done that. From my side of things, it was also a chance to recharge the batteries. After an intense first half of the season, I was quite tired but now after some time off I am ready to fight hard.

Looking back, how can you summarise the first half of the season, and what are your ambitions for what's to come?

The first half of the season was not as successful as we had hoped; we clearly lost some performance on the car as we reached the European races. The team needed some time to understand why we had the problems, and I think we've established that now. Our eyes are firmly fixed on the future and the races that lie in our wake. As we near the end of the season, the endurance of everyone involved will play a bigger and bigger role, and hopefully we will be one of the best-prepared teams in that regard.

So far in 2011, you've scored more points than during the whole of last season – what has been the secret to this?

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly why, but I believe we prepared well pre-season, and our strong start in Australia and Malaysia evidently helped. I'm hungrier than ever to get back to scoring points – it's what I enjoy.

Spa-Francorchamps is a legendary circuit - are there any characteristics you particularly enjoy?

I don't have a favourite corner. Of course it's quite important to drive at Eau Rouge with full throttle. It is a famous and much-loved circuit, so it would mean a lot to get a good result there.

http://www.lotusrena...lgian-GP-I.html

It was a tough weekend in Budapest, but Spa offers the perfect chance for the team to return to its early-season form…

Yes, Budapest was evidently a very testing weekend for us; it was in fact one of the most difficult weekends we could have had before the August factory shutdown. Having said that, we're approaching the Belgian Grand Prix with some developments to the car which, we hope, will benefit us greatly. In addition, our upgraded wind tunnel (now 60%) has been fully operational since the beginning of June. I'm confident that we will now start to see the effect of these car updates, because we want a result that will put the smile back on our faces.

What are the upgrades we can expect to see?

It's a complete package including a new floor, a re-worked exhaust and a different rear suspension arrangement; it really will be quite comprehensive and I hope we will see results from these enhancements.

The team took its summer break – are you feeling revitalised?

Definitely, it's good to have this pause because the season starts very early. The car is assembled in January, followed by all the testing and travel so it is good for the guys to have this rest for a fortnight in August. It's good to be refreshed, to recharge the batteries for what lies ahead and to come back and finish the business.

What are your expectation levels going into this Grand Prix?

Our expectations are still to finish with both cars in the top 10. We need to catch up with Mercedes GP, who has replaced us in fourth position. In Spa we will see if the upgrades are enough to do this, but I hope they will be.

Eight races left – what can you hope for from the remainder of the season?

We are now at a point where we switch a lot of our resources to next year's car, which of course adds new challenges. Crucially, we need to see what impact our upgrades have at the forthcoming races in Spa, Monza and Singapore. It is this, above all else, that will be the key indicator in how fruitful the remainder of our season is. We're back and we're looking forward to finding out.

http://www.lotusrena...gian-GP-We.html

Which areas of the car are crucial for a good performance at Spa-Francorchamps?

In general, the features that make a car quick at one circuit tend to make it quick at all circuits. Those features are good aerodynamic performance, good engine performance, good use of the tyres and fast drivers. From circuit to circuit the relative contribution of each of these parameters waxes and wanes, but the fundamentals are always the same. For Spa, the features which have somewhat higher prominence than normal are engine power and aerodynamic performance.

What new developments should be in place for Spa?

We will bring a new floor, a reworked exhaust, modifications to the rear brake duct, various detailed changes around the bargeboard region and a different rear suspension arrangement. None of the changes are individually huge, but together they are a fair package.

What was learnt at the Hungaroring?

We discovered, to our cost, the upper limit of the exhaust temperature that our car is capable of withstanding. We have made adjustments to our procedure and our design to avoid a repeat of the failure we saw in Hungary.

How difficult a circuit is Spa to engineer, as the lap is long with many different facets…

It is a long lap, and there is a lot going on, but in truth all the circuits represent a significant engineering challenge. Spa has a long lap, but only has the same number of corners as Monaco – which is one of the shortest circuits. What Spa does offer, however, is a glorious challenge for the drivers, unpredictable weather and an excellent spectacle for the fans.

What's the development strategy for the latter part of the season?

Around this time of year the majority of the team's aerodynamic resources have transferred to the next season's car. We will deliver upgrades to the car for the next three to four races as a result of research performed prior to the summer break, but after that the changes will become more modest.

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1. Engine

An engine with a strong top end is needed. This is especially the case for the drag up Raidillon and the Kemmel Straight which follows because it runs slightly uphill all the way to turn five. Good horsepower is rewarded in many sections of a lap, due particularly to its undulating nature.

2. Brakes

There are not many braking demands so, as a result, the focus is on keeping the brakes warm to ensure immediate efficiency when they are required. There are three major braking areas - into the first corner, into the turn 5 chicane, and then into the former bus stop chicane. These sections also offer the principal overtaking opportunities.

3. Suspension

This is primarily a high speed circuit and there isn't much use of the kerbs, so the suspension is tailored to high-speed balance rather than low-speed travel.

4. Rear Wing

It's very much an aerodynamic efficiency circuit where you need a reasonable amount of downforce without too much detrimental drag. A similar amount of rear wing to Canada is run, which constitutes a medium downforce setting.

5. Tyres

Pirelli are taking the soft and medium tyre which could spice things up a little, as it is a circuit that places many demands on the tyres. Also, the weather in the Ardennes can be very variable, even over the course of one lap.

6. Front Wing

In contrast to lower speed tracks, comparably more front wing is used which helps diminish understeer in the high speed corners.

• The start is uphill, meaning drivers must hold their cars on the brakes; making a smooth getaway is sometimes an issue.
• Tight first corner which is frequently the scene of first lap fracas, leading into the downhill section. Heavy braking down to 60 kph.
• Down Eau Rouge and into Raidillion with an extreme suspension compression as the relief changes from downhill to uphill. Good engine power required for the uphill drag.
• Flat out into the start of the Kemmel Straight or the long drag down to Les Combes.
• High speeds of 330 kph – one of the highest of the season – before braking down to 3^rd gear and 140 kph for the right hander.
• Rivage provides a challenge as it's a medium speed 180 degree corner, heading straight into turn 9; good balance and change of direction are required.
• Pouhon is a high speed left-hander, with entry at nearly 300 kph.
• Turn 14 is taken at 140 kph. Cars accelerate through Curve Paul Frere, which is taken 100 kph faster, leading into the flat-out turns 16 and 17.
• High speed section needs good car balance and strong aerodynamic efficiency, Speeds of around 300 kph achieved.
• Heavy braking into the chicane after a prolonged high speed section; brakes need to be ready instantly. Provides a good overtaking opportunity.

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