4: Four different drivers have won the Turkish Grand Prix

45: Gear changes in a lap of Istanbul Park

85: In km/h this is the highest apex speed at Turn 12

310: The top speed in km/h down the back straight

3.5: This is the highest g-force the drivers experience in the lap at Turn 8 for 6.5 seconds

16: The percentage of the lap spent braking

65.6: That's the percentage of the lap spent at full throttle

300: In km/h this is the highest apex speed at Turn 11

Bruno, how have you enjoyed your weekend at the second WSR of the 2011 season in Spa?

BS: It's been great fun for me, I've been driving the car up and down the iconic circuit doing some donuts, burning some rubber and making some noise. Generally, we've been able to get some people to see the car up close. I was also able to get up close with the fans, have some photos taken, sign some autographs for them so all in all it's been quite a different experience for anyone who doesn't have the chance to get to Formula 1 races.

Have you been able to get out on the track on both days?

BS: I got out onto the track three times on Saturday and three times on Sunday. You know, Spa is one of my favourite circuits - Eau Rouge is a very challenging corner normally, but it's even more so when you're taking it from the wrong way around at 270km per hour.

WSR is a very popular series, with around 100,000 fans attending each of the weekends. How did your demo appearance go down with the fans there?

BS: Everybody was enjoying it, there was a great response to it. A lot of fans came into the paddock, where there were a lot of F1 cars. I think it was a great success.

You say Spa-Francorchamps is one of your favourite circuits, it is known as quite a challenging one too. What is it about the circuit that appeals to you?

BS: By its nature, it's a very high speed circuit and attacking it pays dividends. Most of the other circuits are technical, but this is one of the classic ones where the harder you push the more lap time you can take off so it's really is great to drive on the track and to push the limits of the car.

World Series by Renault is known as a breeding ground for future F1 stars - have you seen any drivers there who you think will be appearing in Formula 1 over the next few years?

BS: There are quite a few drivers who are doing very well in World Series, there is a strong fight for each race and the championship is going to be quite tight so I think there'll be some good competition throughout the year and we'll see some of them coming up to Formula 1 for sure.

Off to Turkey next week, how do you think LRGP are doing so far and what are your predictions of how things will go as we enter the European races?

BS: I think we had a very good start to the Championship, then maybe a tricky weekend strategically in China. But we're learning pretty well how to understand the techniques and we can do quite well over the next few races. Turkey will be another challenging weekend with a very high tyre wear and challenging track, so we'll see how the strategy and the tyres will play this coming weekend.

Three races in, Nick explains how he's been settling into the team since his arrival.

Nick, three races in, can you summarise your feelings on how things have been going so far this season?

It's been a bit up and down. On the positive side, the car is very innovative and it is quick. It is also responding well to set-up changes, it has got a good straightline speed and has already proved to be competitive on different track layouts. We've already achieved two podiums from three races, which is a real plus. But on the other side, we haven't yet fulfilled our potential and I hope both we, as a team, and I can improve on that. The first three races gave us a good picture of our strengths and weaknesses, and with the break we've just had we've been able to analyse where we can improve further.

Do you feel you are coping well with the new additions to F1 this season, namely the Drag Reduction System (DRS) and the return of KERS?

Well, like with everything, the more you use it the easier it gets but we're still working on getting the perfect switch positions which we should have ready for Turkey. I think it's all working fine and going to plan, even though I'm not a fan of the rear wing because I don't particularly like things which artificially aim to improve racing. The biggest difference is the tyres. With the rear wing active and the car in front having similar tyres, overtaking might still be difficult which is exactly as what was planned with DRS, however if you have fresher tyres it might be much easier to overtake. I think we've seen far more overtaking than in the past.

How are you settling into the team?

Everything has gone so fast since February, which means that it's been a very quick learning process. I joined the team for most of the winter tests and then went straight to the first race. It's an ongoing challenge to have everything working perfectly at once but having said this, I'm impressed by the quality of the relationship we've built up over just a few weeks. People at Lotus Renault GP really want the driver to feel comfortable in the car and they give you a lot of confidence. They've really listened, as have I, and this has helped us develop constructively as a team. Above all, I'm really enjoying this open, two-way approach that we have.

Looking ahead to Turkey, you'll no doubt be looking to come back strongly?

Definitely, yes. I think we've shown over the first three races that we have a good car and Istanbul could be very interesting because it is the first European race and a lot of teams will bring updates, including us. Hopefully we'll be able to give a good performance again.

Russia's first F1 podium man describes the team's progress and looks forward to the start of the European races.

Vitaly, the Turkish GP marks the start of the European season in the Formula 1 calendar - how would you summarise the first part of the season?

We have made real progress this year with the design of the car and innovations and it looks very strong. We have had some good races and took two podiums. We've also had some bad luck but we've still remained strong. Things are looking good for us I think. I'm pleased with my performance so far and with the results we have obtained but we need to stay focused and continue to work at the same rate.

What are your memories of Istanbul Park?

I have very good memories from Istanbul Park, I like racing there. I had some big successes in GP2 there (winning in 2009). My first race there as a Formula 1 driver in 2010 was also memorable, as it was the first time I entered Q3 in qualifying and then I had a good race with great battles with both the Ferrari's – unfortunately I didn't score any points in the end due to a puncture but my race was still very good.

What particular characteristics does Istanbul Part circuit offer?

I like the layout of the circuit; it has a lot of slow and fast corners, a good mix of everything but at the same time quite a technical circuit, we all know about the famous Turn 8 in Istanbul. Another aspect is that it is quite a wide track which makes it quite safe. Also, the track allows overtaking manœuvres are possible so that should help make a great race.

You are currently 7^th in the Drivers' Championship, what are your ambitions for the Turkish GP?

I will of course do the best we possibly can to get the best possible result. We're expecting upgrades for Turkey which is good, and of course the other teams will react too and work hard to beat us. We'll be doubling our efforts in order to catch the teams in front. You never know what can happen during a race weekend but both my team and I will fight hard.

He will now spend a few quiet days in Monaco before going to Viarregio in Italy, to the team doctor's headquarters, at the end of the week, probably.

In a message to the fans last Thursday, Robert said: "As soon as I leave hospital, I'll head to my home in Monaco for a short period of rest. Then I'll move to Dr Ceccarelli ‘s facilities in Italy where I will start a deep rehabilitation programme and a preliminary soft training programme. The two programmes will gradually cross over based on the speed of my recovery.”

Robert, just over 10 weeks on from your accident – how are you feeling?

Robert Kubica: I am starting to feel a lot better now. My recovery is moving in the right direction: my strength and weight are increasing day on day and as a result I will leave the Santa Corona hospital very soon.

When exactly will you leave the hospital?

Robert Kubica: I don't have a precise date as yet but I hope to be able to leave within the next 10 days.

Concerning the injury to your hand, how is the mobility now?

Robert Kubica: The mobility of my hand is limited but this is pretty normal in this kind of situation, because the connected arm muscles are still very weak due to the long period of immobility. Things are definitely improving day by day.

Can you tell us a little bit about your rehabilitation programme?

Robert Kubica: As soon as I leave hospital, I'll head to my home in Monaco for a short period of rest. Then I'll move to Dr. Ceccarelli 's facilities in Italy where I will start a deep rehabilitation program and a preliminary soft training programme. The two programmes will gradually cross over based on the speed of my recovery.

There's been an amazing reaction from the fans – how has the response helped your recovery?

Robert Kubica: I must admit that it's been overwhelming and, yes, it's helped me a lot. I really didn't realise that quite this many fans were supporting me. I'm very flattered and I promise them that, when I'm back, I'll give them my absolute best.

Have you been staying in regular touch with the team since you've been away?

Robert Kubica: Yes, of course. Especially since the season started, I've been liaising with my engineers on what's been going on over race weekends. They are sending me the race reports so I can remain up to date and fully informed, as if I were there at the tracks. Eric Boullier is also in constant contact, keeping up to date with my general condition.

Have you watched all the races so far this year, and what are you making of the new season and LRGP's performances so far?

Robert Kubica: Yes I've watched them, and there is no doubt that it's been a strong start to the season. The potential of the car, which I already noticed in the February Valencia test, seems to be confirmed. As usual, it's now important that the development done in Enstone continues to produce consistent updates for maintaining this level of performance. The guys did a great job with this car and I'm sure they'll continue to improve.

Finally, what messages would you like to pass on to your supporters in the Formula 1 world?

Robert Kubica: Well, just continue to enjoy the F1 show even though I'm not there at the moment. From my side, I'll try to use my difficult experience to come back as strong as I possibly can.

Vitaly, it has been a challenging weekend but you showed good determination on Sunday and scored two points…

It hasn't been a great race but nonetheless we took two points and any point is still important for the team, especially at this stage of the season.

The team has been unlucky during qualifying in Shanghai; however your lap in Q2 showed that the car is very quick… Is is encouraging for the races to come ?

Yes, it is clear that our car is very strong. We improved it through P1, P2 and for qualifying so we know which areas to work on and what we need to do. We must continue to work hard, however, because we're not where we want to be yet.

Three races into the season, what conclusions can you draw from the team so far?

So far, I think that the team has hugely improved compared to last year and the car is much nicer to drive. The balance suits me very well. We must still work on how to maximise the new Pirelli tyres. The team is doing a fantastic job. We have done two podiums so far this season, so I hope that we can fight back in Turkey.

What's your view on the DRS system and the re-introduction of KERS?

KERS saved my life on Sunday (smiles), it saved my position a few times during the race plus it enabled me to do some overtaking. When you fight in a group with two other cars, it is tough to use the rear wing (DRS) but it definitely provides an advantage.

Finally, looking ahead to Turkey, how much do you enjoy racing in Istanbul Park?

I very much like this circuit and have some good racing memories with a few good GP2 races (he won in Istanbul in 2009). My race there last year was also quite exciting so I'm looking forward to going back to Istanbul.

As the sun sets in China this evening, it would be difficult to say we were inspired by our on-track performance this weekend however it is not all bad. Two podiums from the first two races is a strong start, and there is no doubt the R31 is fast (as was once again proven during Vitaly's Q2 yesterday afternoon). As it proved, we had an unlucky end to qualifying.

Spirits, however are not dampened - we know we can compete at the top end of the grid and we'll now look ahead to amend for a less than spectacular result this weekend.

And with the hope of a top end finish this weekend no longer possible, thoughts now turn to the first European Race of the season in what we once knew as Constantinople (nowadays, Istanbul). The Istanbul Park circuit is actually on the Asian side of the city, but the next round of the 2011 F1 season is in fact considered the official start of the European swing of races.

Equipment is swiftly packed up by our team, and freighted to Enstone in time for the next trip. The general feeling in the camp is that this is now a time to reflect and prepare for the next challenge. We've started the season and we've started it well, but all thoughts are on a quick return to form in just under three weeks' time.

Car upgrades will be on the way, the team will be fresh from the Easter break and there is a real feeling at LRGP that a lot can be achieved this season with two drivers fighting fair and square for the points. And with Mercedes beginning to perform this weekend in Shanghai, it is going to be an even more interesting battle in Turkey, with the competition getting even hotter.

For now Asia, goodbye.

• Both Vitaly and Nick ran two-stop strategies.

• Vitaly started on softs, took another set of softs on lap 17, and switched to hards on lap 37

• Nick also started on softs, took more softs on lap 18, then finally ran the hards from lap 30

Vitaly Petrov, P9, R31-01

"To be P9 and take two points for the team is still good, given that we did not qualify in high positions. However, we are still a bit disappointed that we did not challenge higher up the order and gain even more points. The strategy was OK, but we must now see where we can improve. We will analyse the data and see what went wrong, and we will try to repeat the results we had in Australia and Malaysia when we reach Turkey."

Nick Heidfeld, P12, R31-04

"I'm not happy with where I finished, even though I started P16. The start was very poor, but I went aggressive into the first corner and made up a few places. After a few laps I started having problems with the KERS and couldn't use the full power all the time, which made overtaking and defending quite difficult. I think our pace in the second stint on the soft tyre was not too bad, but it was still hard to attack the cars ahead of me. That's why we made an early stop for hard tyres in the hope that we could get some clean air and jump the cars ahead of me. Unfortunately Perez and Sutil stopped on the same lap, and it meant I couldn't really show our pace in the final stint."

Eric Boullier, Team Principal and Managing Director

"Starting where we did, it was always going to be difficult to repeat the results we have had already this season. In the end, it turned out to be quite a frustrating afternoon for us and we didn't really make the progress we expected in the race. Part of the reason was that overtaking was not as easy as we thought it would be, even with the DRS. Also, we need to review our strategy because it wasn't easy to make the calls today and it's clear you need to switch tyres at exactly the right moment. Still, it's good to pick up more points with Vitaly and we now have three weeks to regroup before Turkey to make sure we can be fighting closer to the front."

Alan Permane, Chief Race Engineer

"It was a tricky day for us, which wasn't helped by our poor qualifying yesterday, but ultimately we struggled for pace and both drivers found it quite difficult to overtake. Vitaly didn't make a great start and he was stuck in traffic during his first stint. At that point we were thinking about whether to do two or three stops, but when he finally found some clean air his pace looked reasonable and we decided it was best to do two stops. However, he struggled for pace on the soft tyres during his middle stint. As for Nick, we chose to run the same tyre strategy as Vitaly, but he struggled with KERS overheating problems, which meant the system could only be used intermittently and made it even more difficult for him to come through the field."

Ricardo Penteado, LRGP Engine Support Leader, Renault Sport F1

"A long and hard race for the team, with battles on every lap for both drivers – including the last one! We can be pleased to be in the top ten after the difficulties yesterday. Vitaly and Nick gave it everything and both finished up on their starting positions, with Vitaly taking some more valuable points in 9^th. Temperatures were significantly higher than yesterday but the R31-RS27 chassis-engine package performed well, although we know that we are capable of finishing higher than 9^th and 12^th."

• Did you know?

The R31 had the fastest straightline speed this afternoon with Nick clocking 322.6 km/h and Vitaly 322.5 km/h.

• Vitaly’s car was halted when the air supply to the engine was cut off, causing the engine to lose power. At the moment we believe there is no reason to change the engine.

• Both Nick and Vitaly used one set of hard and soft tyres in Q1. Nick used two sets of softs in Q2, while Vitaly used one set.

Vitaly Petrov, P10, R31-01, 1:35:149

“I am very disappointed with what happened after having just completed a very fast lap which put me in fourth position at the end of Q2. The car lost power so I stopped on the side of the track. The track was getting quicker and my times were up from this morning, things were going very well. Because of the power failure, I couldn’t move off the track and so that was the end of my qualifying. The positive thing is the car was looking fast and I hope I can make up some ground tomorrow from P10 on the grid.”

Nick Heidfeld, P16, R31-04, 1:36.611

“It’s quite frustrating to be starting from P16 because I don’t think it’s a fair reflection of our pace. We were always going to do one run on the soft tyres in Q2, but the red flag made the last few minutes on Q2 very busy. You really needed to be first in the queue at the end of the pit lane because there was not much time to get around and cross the line before the end of the session. I managed to do one final lap, but I was stuck in traffic and I couldn’t get a clean lap. As I said, our race pace is definitely better than our grid position, but starting from P16 is not going to be easy. I think it’s a track where you can overtake so hopefully I can make a good start, like in the previous two races, and fight for points.”

Alan Permane, Chief Engineer: “We know our car is fast off the line…there’s no reason why we can’t bring two cars home in the points”

Alan, first of all, what happened with Vitaly’s car in Q2?

We are still investigating exactly what happened. It’s clear that he lost power and the engine died. We believe the air supply to the engine was cut off. It couldn’t be restarted and the car got stuck in gear, which is why he stopped on the track.

Nick was an unfortunate victim of the red flag – why was he running so late in the session?

Nick’s time from Q1 suggested that it might be difficult for him to make it through to Q3. That’s why we wanted to run right at the end of Q2 to take advantage of the maximum track evolution. As it happened, Vitaly’s car brought out the red flags at exactly the wrong moment, and Nick then got caught up in the traffic in the busy rush at the end of Q2.

Nonetheless, the car has looked quite competitive this weekend. That must give you some encouragement for the race?

I think we can expect to see our pace being relatively better in the race, even compared to Vitaly’s good qualifying pace. We know our car is fast off the line; we’ve got very good straight-line speed and the R31 looks after its tyres well. There’s no reason why we can’t bring two cars home in the points.

What is the situation with tyres for the race?

Our poor qualifying performance leaves us with more tyre options than we would normally have. We’ve effectively saved an extra set of soft tyres on each car, which are available for the race.

• Did you know?

The Shanghai International Circuit (SIC) was inspired from the Chinese character ‘shang’ – the first character in the name of the host city, which means “above

Fandom in the Far East is like nowhere else in the world – think the Beatles in London in the 1960s, but even more. Fandom is such a big subculture in this part of Asia and with the F1 show in town, there are fans everywhere !

Whilst we saw it with our very own Bruno Senna visiting a Kuala Lumpur shopping mall, we saw it here only yesterday as our podium-pair Nick and Vitaly signed autographs for local F1 fanatics out on the pit lane. Often in the comfort zone of the paddock, drivers are away from the thousands of fans waiting outside the gates just for that one photo on for that elusive hero's signature. The culture of fandom really dawns on you when you step away from the enclosed paddock world or the hotel. The public love a star, and this week the stars are here in abundance. World Champions Vettel, Button, Hamilton, Alonso, not to mention Michael Schumacher are all here and are admired by all those who come to watch. They see it on TV, and only once a year is the sport of Formula 1 in their very own back yard.

There are autograph sessions and there are autograph sessions, and yesterday Nick and Vitaly were in high demand as they spent fifteen minutes meeting those who one day would like to be them. Fans leant up against the railings, desperate for a place at the front so they could get that cherished photo or signature in their programme. These opportunities don't come along very often, and it means a lot to all those out there who have queued up for the very opportunity.

Even when Nick returned to his hotel from some TV duties in the centre of Shanghai two days ago, the fans shouted out for attention – they knew where the F1 hotel was and they wouldn't let anything get in their way to miss their favourite driver. When the drivers come to town, the cherished chance to see their idol is considered the golden ticket.

Alan Permane, Chief Engineer - Technical programme notes

• A fairly typical Friday session for us today – running hard tyres in the first practice session, and both hards and softs in the second, some long running with both cars on high fuel.

• Very unusual for Nick to have two incidents like that, which put us back a bit but we'll recover from that tomorrow.

• There was a little too much understeer on Vitaly's car in the morning and oversteer on Nick's car so we had some set-up work to do on both cars and improved things throughout the day.

What we learned today:

• Tyres are performing relatively well, somewhere between the degradation of Melbourne and Malaysia.

• Track was dusty and dirty, particularly off line, but we expect it to clear up over the weekend.

Nick Heidfeld, R31-01

Free practice 1: P5, 1:40.987, 5 laps

Free practice 2: P8, 1.38.805, 26 laps

Nick: "Today obviously wasn't what we wanted, after I spun off in the first session and then again in the second which were both my fault. I hope it's a good omen because in Malaysia we also didn't have many laps on the Friday and then we had a good result. Given that I only had five laps in the first session, it was surprising how fast I was, we were both in the top 10. There's still some more in the car but the gap is a bit bigger than we would have hoped for. As expected, we achieved quicker lap times when using the softs over the hards, and it was good that we managed to use both."

Vitaly Petrov, R31-04

Free practice 1: P9, 1:41.231, 16 laps

Free practice 2: P9, 1.38.859, 31 laps

Vitaly: "We managed to run the whole way through both sessions, and then we were able to work on some directions for set-up so we're quite happy with that. I think we need to be happy with today, of course not on the pace and the lap time as we can be quite a bit quicker. What is good is that we don't have any mechanical problems, we can still continue to work and push hard. The option tyres were a big improvement, as usual, with much more grip."

Did you know? The straight between turns 13 and 14 at the Shanghai International Circuit is 1.2 kilometres long.

Both Nick and Vitaly were at the track this morning for their track walk at 11:00am sharp, while for the afternoon it was time to complete a busy session of media interviews. Following our back-to-back podiums, there's been plenty of demand to speak to the men in black. In fact, Nick's media session turned into a proper media scrum with around 10 film crews waiting to get their quote of the day.

Once the media interviews were out of the way, it was time to go and meet some local Chinese fans for the autograph session. As ever, their enthusiasm knew no bounds and the fans gave the boys a very warm welcome.

Ordos is one of the most prosperous cities in China, with a strong economy built around natural resources, mining, petrochemicals and cashmere.

As part of the collaboration, LRGP plans to organise a roadshow in the province. The team will also help promote local road safety campaigns in the area, and the team's reserve driver, Ho-Pin Tung, will act as an ambassador for motorsport.

LRGP Team Principal and Managing Director, Eric Boullier: "We are delighted to be partnering with Ordos in what we hope will be a very successful project. Raising awareness of road safety in China is an extremely worthwhile cause and as a Formula 1 team we should do all we can to draw attention to this. Also, by bringing our F1 cars to Ordos, we can expose the sport to this important market further."

Ordos Vice Mayor, Bao Conming: "This collaboration with LRGP is exciting news and offers great potential to increase awareness of our city. Formula 1 is one of the biggest global sports and offers us a great channel through which to maximise our visibility. It will be very special to see Formula 1 cars driving in Ordos and we look forward to welcoming Lotus Renault GP very soon."

I'm happy for the entire team. It's been a mega effort and I feel we've really got the most out of the car in the last two races. Also, the car has scored podiums on two very different tracks and has performed well in the temperate conditions of Melbourne and the heat of Sepang. It all bodes well for the season ahead.

We saw the R31 demonstrate good race pace in Sepang - arguably stronger than its qualifying pace – what is you verdict?

We've seen that twice now. It was a characteristic of last year's car that it performed well on high fuel and the same seems to be true of the R31. But we still have work to do on both qualifying and race pace before we can call ourselves properly competitive.

Vitaly's accident in Malaysia saw significant damage to the steering column – what happened exactly?

Dropping the car from this height gives a substantial impact to the car (around 30g). The weight of the wheel, coupled with the weight of the driver's arms are greatly multiplied in such an impact and they were sufficient to cause the steering column to fracture where it emerged from the bearing on the dash bulkhead.

Is this damage something you expect from this sort of accident?

The car is not really designed to withstand an impact of this sort completely undamaged. We are looking at the data from the crash to decide whether or not we should modify our design cases accordingly.

Will Vitaly need to change chassis for this weekend's race in China?

We suffered some damage to the chassis around the front of the T-Tray mount – this is being repaired in Enstone and will be back to the circuit to act as a spare. So for this weekend, Nick will use chassis 4; Vitaly will use chassis 1. Vitaly will probably be back in his usual chassis for the next race in Turkey.

Can you update us on the situation with the uprights? Has the team fully resolved those issues now?

As we said at the time, the failures were as a result of a lower than expected set of material properties in the uprights that we had fitted for the first time on Friday morning. The Melbourne uprights ran without problems for the remainder of the weekend. As a precaution we are also redesigning the uprights to lower the stresses in the region around the failure. All being well the modified designs will be available in China.

The race in Sepang was full of action, largely due to the tyres and the impact of the DRS. How was it from the pit wall?

Calling a race like that is a very difficult job for our Strategist and Chief Engineer. To get all the major decisions right is really challenging, and I'm glad that I don't have to do it! It was good to see lots of overtaking and I think the FIA got the DRS settings just about right in Sepang. For China, they will need to choose the DRS activation point carefully because the DRS straight is around three hundred metres longer compared to Sepang.

What are your expectations for China? Will LRGP fighting at the front once again?

I certainly hope so and it's a circuit that should suit our car. We brought a reasonable upgrade package to Malaysia and will have some more aero tweaks for China.

Nick, you just got your first podium for LRGP. Tell us about your race…

NH: The start was fantastic. Good fun, in fact. In Australia I made up quite a few positions at the start but I didn't expect the same to happen when starting from sixth rather than 18^th. I actually found myself actually fighting with Sebastian (Vettel), who watched me in the mirror and just paced himself to keep me behind. After that I did the best I could but Sebastian was quite a bit quicker. Then, in the first stint, there were some drops of rain coming down and I called the box to say my tyres were going off and they said 'stay out, there might be rain coming so we don't want to do an extra pit-stop'. Then, our first pit-stop was not perfect, I lost one or two positions, but then I was a bit lucky with Fernando (Alonso) who damaged his front wing and had to do an extra pit-stop. I had some good pace later on, especially with the prime tyres, probably quite similar to the McLarens and I had to defend myself from Mark towards the end when he came closer and closer. But I think once he was behind me his tyres also started to degrade. I used my KERS just in places where I needed to defend and it was great to come third. The second podium for us. It is a great step forward from last season.

Was the race confusing to follow from the cockpit?

NH: No, not at all. I think it's easier if you have a good start from the back to see what the guys in front of you are doing. I was kind of lucky that there was enough space on the outside opening up for me so I could just concentrate on a good braking point. Not only did I have a good start, but also a good braking into turn one and I then managed to secure second position.

How much pressure did Mark Webber put on you at the end of the race?

NH: He came close, there were some big, big steps. I guess he was on quite fresh tyres but then he must have also started getting some degradation, and luckily that was enough to keep him behind me. On top of that, we had KERS and I tried to use it - not for the lap time but more for defending, and I don't think he had KERS, did he? Did he have problems towards the end? That's what I was told. That was a big help for us in defending.

Some quick cars in qualifying seemed quick in the race, and vice versa. How can this be explained?

NH: Some cars are better on the long runs than others. That's what will be even more crucial this year with the Pirelli tyres, because there's more degradation. It seems like we already had a better pace in the race in Melbourne than we had in qualifying. On top of that, I don't think this weekend was easy for us because we lost a lot of time on Friday and we definitely didn't have the perfect set-up so there's probably a bit more to gain there in the future.

Do you think Sebastian Vettel is the man to beat this season?

NH: I think that's obvious. He's been the quickest for the first two races. I think McLaren have done a very good job, having finished where they have in both the first two races, which was better than their winter testing. I also like the fact that I'm being asked, as a Lotus Renault driver, if we're the team to beat. Unfortunately, at the moment, I think we are a bit too far behind. On the other hand, we've made some good progress, finishing two races on the podium so hopefully we can keep the momentum going.

• Second podium in a row podium for LRGP

• Both drivers were on three stops: soft, soft, hard, hard

• Vitaly went off track on lap 49, and after his car hit the curb and took off, the steering column mount broke when landing

• LRGP is now placed fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, 26 points ahead of nearest rival

Nick Heidfeld, P3, R31-04

“I had a great start just like in Australia, and did not expect to make up so many positions. I moved up to P2, making up four places. After that I did my best to follow Sebastian (Vettel) but he was much quicker. Then, I noticed some drops of rain and my tyres were going off but I stayed out. I lost a couple of places at my first pit stop, but it’s clear we had really good pace and we were able to fight with the cars ahead. I got lucky with Fernando (Alonso) having a problem, but it was great fun fighting and getting ahead of Lewis (Hamilton). In the final few laps Mark (Webber) was close behind me but we had the pace to stay ahead. It’s another great result for Lotus Renault GP and it’s clear the team has taken a big step forward this year.”

Vitaly Petrov, DNF, R31-03

“First of all I am happy for the team as we got another podium, so we can consider this a great start to the season for us. It was a strong performance by the team in an unusual race. I made a small mistake which shouldn’t have had the consequences it had. I went wide and the car took off on the curb, landing hard. Both cars should have been in the points today, but the good news is that we clearly have the pace needed to compete this season.”

Eric Boullier, Team Principal and Managing Director

“That was a tough race with a lot of pit stops, a lot of strategy changes and honestly I don’t believe everything was going according to plan for anybody but as a team we reacted very well.I’m pleased of course for Nick but I’m also pleased for the whole team. It’s another great reward for us, especially after the tough start to the weekend. It’s good to be on the podium again, although it is disappointing to have lost one car with less than ten laps to go. There’s no doubt the car is competitive although it is not currently quick enough to be winning races. So, we need to push hard on the development side, but scoring two podiums in a row is definitely very satisfying.”

James Allison, Technical Director

“We thought it was going to be a blizzard of pit stops today, and so it turned out. It was a fantastic performance from the team, slightly lucky to get a podium but even without Alonso’s incident it would have been a very well deserved fourth place. Today’s result is fantastic for all the team here at the track and back in the factory. We’ve recovered from what was a very inauspicious start to the weekend and to have both cars run strongly in the race was great. Our competitiveness over the weekend got stronger and stronger. We’ve got plenty of work to do before China but the car performed well today and we can be pleased with that."

Riccardo Penteado, LRGP Engine Support Leader, Renault Sport F1

“It’s a fantastic result for LRGP to have its second consecutive podium. Congratulations to Nick and the whole team. Today both drivers drove a great race and it was a shame that Vitaly could not give the team the double points finish it deserved. Nick had an amazing start and held off Mark Webber in the closing stages under very heavy pressure. The result, and the 15 points it brings, shows just how well the chassis and the RS27 package is working at the moment. We didn’t have any issues from the engine side; the cooling systems all worked very well despite the high ambient heat and humid conditions we saw today. The KERS system also helped today and we’re pleased with the way everything went.”

• Did you know?

Nick’s 3rd position was the 100th podium of a Renault chassis. The first one was Jean-Pierre Jabouille in 1979 (French GP).

Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, will maintain his role as Chairman of the Sporting Regulations Working Group while Aldo Costa, Technical Director of Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, will be the new Chairman of the Technical Regulations Working Group.

All members placed on record their thanks to Stefano Domenicali and Ross Brawn, for their respective roles as FOTA Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Technical Regulations Working Group in 2010.

The special edition pen was a present from Group Lotus and Montegrappa – Italy’s premier pen manufacturer – given to Vitaly as a result of becoming the first ever Russian to stand on a Formula 1 podium in Melbourne two weeks ago. The gift, which was numbered Number 3 because of Vitaly’s recent 3rd position in the Australian GP, was given in timing with the 50th anniversary (April 12th) since Russian Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space in 1961.

Jean Alesi said: “As owner of Montegrappa, and to mark the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin in space, we were asked by the Kremlin to make 500 of the special edition pens. When we saw Vitaly’s excellent 3rd place finish in Melbourne, we decided we would give him the special Number 3 pen – it was ideal timing.

Vitaly Petrov said: “I want to thank Jean, Montegrappa and Group Lotus so much for giving me the very special Number 3 pen, which was a very unexpected gift. Everybody in Russia calls me the “Vyborg Rocket”, and now I have a special Number 3 rocket pen dedicated to my third place in Melbourne.”

Gino Rosato, Director of Corporate Operations-Group Lotus said: “All of us at Group Lotus are very proud of Vitaly’s result in Melbourne and we hope he continues his impressive form throughout the season.”

• Nick qualified on third row (6^th) and Vitaly the fourth row (8^th)

• Both drivers did one run for Q1, Q2 and Q3, allowing tyres to be preserved for tomorrow's race

• The two cars ran on option tyres (soft for the whole of qualifying) and times got faster in each of the qualifying sessions

Nick Heidfeld, P6, R31-04, 1:36.124

"I'm very satisfied as I think it's the maximum we could have achieved, especially looking back at Friday where we didn't do many laps at all and didn't have a lot of time to set up the car. It got faster and faster in qualifying today, but I have to say in Q1 I took it easy then I pushed a bit over the limit in Q2 and lost some time there, but in Q3 I found the golden middle and it was a good lap. Of course, I was a lot happier with the traffic here than I was in Australia."

Vitaly Petrov, P8, R31-03, 1:36.324

"To get in the top ten today is a good result considering the track time we lost yesterday. We worked hard on improving the set-up in final practice and in the end I had quite a good feeling with the car. For the race, anything can happen, but it's clear that looking after the tyres will be very important because the degradation is very high here. We will also have to watch what happens with the weather because there is a high risk of rain. I don't mind if it's wet or dry."

James Allison, Technical Director: "We can expect lots of pit action tomorrow"

James, sixth and eighth on the grid – surely that was hard to predict this time yesterday?

We certainly had a troubled day yesterday, but there was no reason to believe from yesterday's running that the car was struggling for pace so it's very nice to be sixth and eighth on the grid, very nice to have both our cars in the top ten only having had one in Melbourne.

Does today's result put you in a strong position for tomorrow?

It will do if we make a good start as both drivers are already in points-scoring positions. However, if we want to convert a promising qualifying into something very good then we're going to have to do well in what is certainly going to be an interesting race, whether that's with the risk of rain which is more than moderate and also with the fact that there's going to be a flurry of pit-stopping.

How do you think the tyres will hold up tomorrow, it what is likely to be wet conditions?

That's one of the things we have less of a feeling for than maybe some of our competitors because of yesterday's compromised running. However, from what little high fuel running we did manage yesterday, we seemed to be alright for our race pace even with a car balance which was far from satisfactory. However, with the balance we've achieved today, we believe the car will run well on its tyres tomorrow.

• Did you know?

Due to the heat and humidity in Sepang, the air density is 5% lower when compared to Melbourne, which has the effect of lowering the maximum downforce achieved by the cars.

Both cars encountered problems with their front suspension uprights in the first free practice session. After careful analysis, the team identified a material defect linked to a specific batch of components. For the afternoon session, the team reverted to a different batch and ran without any issues.

Alan Permane, Chief Engineer - Technical programme notes

• It was difficult to learn anything today. The issues this morning limited our mileage in both sessions and it's difficult to draw too many conclusions.

• Due to the lack of running, neither driver was able to make much progress with their set-up programmes and we have a lot of work to do to improve the handling.

James Allison, Technical Director

"Both Vitaly and Nick suffered failures under braking in the front uprights early in the first session. As a precaution we stopped running the cars until we had understood the problem. We quickly established that the two failed items had come from the same material batch and that nothing from this batch had run prior to today. It took a little longer to rule out other potential causes but once we were confident that the failures were related to a material problem we released the cars for the second half of afternoon practice where they ran without problem."

Nick Heidfeld, R31-01

Free practice 1: P7, 1:40.525, 6 laps

Free practice 2: P8, 1:38.570, 16 laps

Nick: "Because of the issues this morning, we didn't run very much at all today. We therefore had to prioritise what we did in the afternoon and we felt it was best to do a long run on the soft tyres. Although we didn't do many laps, we got some data and we learned a few things, especially about the high degradation rate of the softs. Considering that we did no real set-up work today, it's quite encouraging that I was in the top ten in both sessions. We now have to concentrate on making good progress in the final practice session tomorrow morning."

Vitaly Petrov, R31-03

Free practice 1: P24, 1:47.932, 4 laps

Free practice 2: P13, 1:39.267, 17 laps

Vitaly: "It wasn't the best day. The problem in the morning was quite a surprise and we decided not to run until late in the afternoon when we had understood things properly. When I did finally get out, the car felt fine, but the time we had was very limited and we didn't really manage to do any set-up work. As we expected, the degradation rates are very high here, especially for the soft tyres, but they definitely had more grip and were a couple of seconds quicker than the hard. However, tomorrow is a new day and I think we can still have a good weekend."

Did you know?

Nick and Vitaly are using sparkling golden suits this weekend. It's to allow them to stay a little cooler than they would otherwise be in their traditional black versions. Expect these suits to make several more appearances during the year – at the hotter races.

With Vitaly, Bruno and leading members of the LRGP team visiting the factory, Proton welcomed us with open arms. The visit to the plant included 3D screenings, viewings of the latest and future Proton cars and a fascinating look behind the scenes at the factory floor of one the leading automobile companies.

As Team Principal & Managing Director, Eric Boullier said: "All the people here at Proton have given us a very, very warm welcome and it was actually really interesting to share this visit with them and to experience the core of the activity whilst we're here in Malaysia. What was clear to see above all else were the impressive facilities here, and quite how much Proton is expanding."

For the team, the highlight of the tour was seeing the future Proton cars in the plant's Styling Milling Studio.

"We were lucky enough to be a part of the secret of the next models, which are going to be released soon. I think Proton is taking another step up (with these cars) and the public can expect something very, very nice."

So, watch this space then.

After a few meet and greets for the drivers, a spot of lunch was next with some of the company's lucky competition winners. Before heading off for the Sepang Circuit, the drivers were called in to sign a few more autographs and pose for a few more photos. With a queue half the length of the building, their popularity was clear for all to see.

It's tough being famous, boys!

- The Team and Processia Solutions have been partners since 2005.

- The new agreement runs until the end of 2012.

- Processia specializes in the implementation of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions and provides advanced software development services.

- By improving software communications, information transfer and data translation between departments, efficiency gains of up to 15% are predicted in some areas.

Lotus Renault GP is delighted to announce a new agreement with Processia Solutions, a technical partner since 2005. Processia Solutions, with offices in France, UK and Canada, specializes in the implementation of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions and provides advanced software development services. Their continuous contribution to Lotus Renault GP will help enhance integration and efficiency within the design, manufacture and race engineering departments of the team.

To design, build and successfully run a Formula 1 car requires a complex web of specialist technologies and software applications. Cutting edge design/manufacturing software must be integrated with excellent traceability inside the PLM systems and applications. The running of the car at race and test sessions requires bespoke, real time, software systems and technologies designed with Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) in mind. This enables the software developers to easily adapt to ever changing updates and systems which will be monitored on the car. In Formula 1, the unique challenge is making these technologies function in harmony, to produce the end product; a Formula 1 car capable of challenging for the World Championship.

Processia Solutions will continue to bring their expertise to the Design, Production and Race Engineering departments within Lotus Renault GP. This will optimize performance and free up valuable resources to pursue additional design and development projects.

Lotus Renault GP Technical Director James Allison: "Success in Formula One is heavily dependent upon innovation. Each season brings a more intense development battle than the last and the team that can bring developments to the circuit the fastest will prosper. Furthermore, as the sport enters an era of cost control agreements, there is an even higher premium placed on innovations that allow more work to be done for less cost. Processia help us fight on this often unsung but extremely important front by delivering innovations across a wide range of our processes, allowing us to get our designs to the track faster and more efficiently."

Processia Chief Executive Officer Vincent Fraser: "We are proud to extend our long term partnership with Lotus Renault GP, as it demonstrates Processia's ability to provide high-end bespoke engineering software development in the most demanding environments"

Processia Solutions is a leader in the field of PLM integration and bespoke engineering software development in North America and Europe. Processia Solutions is involved in multiple industries such as Motorsports, Aerospace, Automotive, Transportation, Energy and Consumer goods. Processia also provide a comprehensive suite of services including business consulting, solution design, software development, SOA integration and complete CAD/CAM/PLM implementation services. Processia Solutions is a global services partner of Dassault Systèmes.

The gold leaf elements will be made from 22 carat yellow gold and will appear on the front wing, sidepods and engine cover of the R31. Only two sets will be available for Nick and Vitaly, and will be used for qualifying and the race.

Production of the bodywork took place in a secret location at Enstone with special security measure being put in place. The golden parts will be shipped to Malaysia this weekend by a specialist security firm to ensure their safe arrival.

Eric Boullier: "I believe the R31 is already the best looking car on the grid, but we wanted to make it even more special for the Malaysian race. Asking the team to incorporate genuine gold in the livery was not without its challenges, but the guys have done an incredible job to get everything manufactured in time for next weekend."

James Allison: "Adding a precious metal to the car also brings weight – several hundred grams of pure gold per car to be precise, but it will act as ballast and the bodywork has been designed especially with this in mind. The only elements of the livery that will not be gold are those on the rear wing so that we don't impact on the efficiency of the DRS. Equally, we've taken special precautions to protect the bodywork around our novel exhaust system to make sure the gold elements don't melt around them."

Both R31s will be presented in their sparkling new bodywork on Thursday morning in the pitlane of the Sepang circuit for an official photocall with the team's drivers and management.

GL: It was a first class drive. Vitaly did not make a single mistake all weekend long, which was his priority this season. His podium was not the result of unusual circumstances: he's beaten the Ferraris and a Red Bull fair and square. Nick has been unlucky, his car was quite badly damaged after the first lap, but he's strong.

The Australian Grand Prix has also be a real team effort. Is the team getting stronger and stronger?

GL: There's no doubt about it. We managed a podium here last year, but today's result was much stronger. Vitaly earned his podium by right and our car looked even better on race pace than it had shown in qualifying. A good performance from the race team backed up Vitaly's efforts; the crew delivered clean stops and the strategy calls allowed us to sneak past Webber and hold our noses ahead of Alonso. I'm proud of our guys.

Any downside to the week-end ?

GL: Yes, one. I wasn't there to enjoy the result!

A lot of people doubted your choice this winter and said that Vitaly wasn't the best choice for the team…

GL: Well, we've proved them wrong, didn't we? As a country, Russia has been very strong in every sport, from an international point of view: football, athletics…. The only piece missing until now was a competitive racing driver. With Vitaly, Russia now has a fantastic ambassador and we are proud to have supported him.

Does yesterday's podium bring some commercial opportunities for the team?

GL: Genii Capital and Mangrove Capital Partners have been close to Russia for a long time now. When Vitaly arrived in Formula 1, we had to face two important tasks. The first one was to make him an accomplished driver in the space of a few months. With no testing allowed and the pressure you have to face when racing at the highest level, his progress has been impressive. Secondly, we had to "educate" Russia to Formula 1. There's been a lot of explaining to do, a sport culture to explain. I'm happy to say that both these processes were successful. Very few people knew what the sport was all about when Vitaly arrived onto the grid. Last season, TV figures in Russia have already doubled within 8 months. This is more than encouraging.

Will this be translated into new logos on the car soon?

GL: As you know, quite a few Russian companies are strong partners of Lotus Renault GP this year. They seem to enjoy what our platform offers and the visibility they get. I'm sure that Vitaly's showing in Melbourne will attract even more partners, especially as his performance did not look like a one off. I'm definitely optimistic.