The Hungarian Grand Prix Friday Practice sessions saw Lotus Racing finish the day just under one second ahead of their nearest rival and complete a total of 88 laps, despite a hydraulics problem on Heikki's car which curtailed his running in the afternoon session.

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP1: 22 laps, best time 1.25.032, 19th / FP2: 37 laps, 1.24.553, 19th "It was a good, trouble free Friday session, so I'm very happy with how it went. We did a lot of work on the setup so generally the car balance hasn't been too bad. Obviously it's a bumpy circuit which evolves all the time, so it's important to follow up the evolution. We've also been able to evaluate the tyres, which is important for both qualifying tomorrow and for the race on Sunday."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) FP1: 23 laps, best time 1.25.210, 20th / FP2: 5 laps, 1.27.705, 24th "The track is good and there's a great atmosphere out there. This morning we were able to complete the programme without any problems, but when I went out this afternoon we almost immediately had a mechanical issue that unfortunately the boys couldn't fix, so we lost the afternoon session. That's the way it goes sometimes, but I'm sure that we'll be ok tomorrow. It's still too early to say how well suited the car is to the track, I'd have obviously had a better idea if I'd been able to run this afternoon, but this morning was pretty encouraging, and it's really not too bad at all when we look at our direct competitors."

Jody Egginton, Chief Engineer: "Mixed fortunes today – with Jarno we completed today's tasks and put a lot of mileage on the option tyre, so we've got a lot of good data from that. Heikki was very unlucky to have a car problem which prevented him from putting in any decent time this afternoon – we tried to resolve it but the time beat us. Despite that we got a lot of valuable information from them both this morning, and more from Jarno this afternoon, so I think we'll be in pretty good shape tomorrow."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "A reasonable day although we had a hydraulic issue on Heikki's car which unfortunately limited his running in the second session. With Jarno we were able to complete the full programme, and the cars look like they are where we expect them to be and we have to make sure we have a reliable Saturday and Sunday."

DuPont Refinish has become an Official Technical Supplier to the Lotus Racing Formula One™ team with immediate effect. The agreement, signed at the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim on Sunday 25 July 2010, sees the paint manufacturer provide full technical support to Lotus Racing, the fastest new team in the 2010 FIA Formula One™ World Championship. Over 600 million global TV viewers will see the DuPont Refinish liquid logo on the team's T127 race cars during each Grand Prix for the rest of the season, as well as on the team transporter trucks, the team motorhome and in the Lotus Racing garage at race-tracks around the world.

The paint used on Formula One™ cars plays a very important role in the car's performance both on and off track, which is why DuPont Refinish and its high-tech paint systems is an ideal paint partner for Lotus Racing. Important criteria are low weight, combined with optimum thickness, thermal stability, resistance to mechanical stresses such as stone chips and debris, and colour brilliance to ensure the cars look their best for television audiences and spectators. The Lotus Racing T127 race cars, and the trucks that transport them to races around the world, have all been painted in the already iconic Lotus Racing green and yellow livery with the highly productive DuPont Refinish paint systems. The fast drying properties of the paint also perfectly complement the world of Formula One™ where it is crucial to get the cars back on track as quickly as possible after any body damage.

Tony Fernandes, Lotus Racing Team Principal, comments, "I'm delighted that a company of the calibre of DuPont Refinish has joined us as an Official Technical Supplier. It is a very good example of how far Lotus Racing has already come in our short life that we are attracting such prestigious brands to work with us, and we are all excited about the commercial and brand benefits we will bring each other."

Michael Maier, DuPont Refinish brand manager, comments, "We are obviously delighted to be supporting Lotus Racing and we hope to keep working together to achieve first-class results."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "After a disappointing end to the Hockenheim Grand Prix we're looking forward to Hungary. Always an interesting race, it's obviously very difficult to pass and the tight, twisty layout should suit the characteristics of the T127 very well. Traditionally it's very hot and dusty early on with lots of track evolution. We're still in tenth place as the best of the new teams, and this should be a circuit that suits us, so we need to maintain our strong qualifying form, maintain our reliability and look for a two car finish."

Riad Asmat, Chief Executive Officer: "After the Hockenheim result we're looking forward to next weekend in Hungary. We'll pick ourselves up and do what we do best – work hard, focus on the positives and make sure we keep pushing towards the teams ahead. Funnily enough, what happened in Germany actually brings out the best in our team – the passion, the camaraderie and the spirit within everyone in the team, at the factory and at the races – we're all determined to keep looking ahead and not let setbacks hold us back, and Hungary gives us another chance to take a step forward, and that's what we'll do."

Heikki Kovalainen, Car No. 19: "I've got great memories of Hungary. It's where I scored my first victory, which is obviously the highlight of my career so far, so I'm always looking forward to going there, particularly as there's very strong Finnish support out around the track - it's almost like a home race for me. This year the challenge is obviously different, but we've made good progress at every race so far, and we're well prepared for Hungary so there's no reason why we can't take another step forward this weekend.

"The track itself is obviously hard to pass on, but it's satisfying to find a setup that allows you to get the most out of the car as the track evolves, and then nail it in qualifying – as a driver that's a good feeling. In the race, it's easy to get stuck behind someone, because of the nature of the track, so pitstops become even more critical. With that in mind it's good to see how everyone in the team, the pitcrew, the engineers and everyone in the garage, can make a real difference to your race performance, even more than normal. As a driver that's also very satisfying as it shows how important everyone in the garage is, so hopefully we'll be able to put that into practice this weekend."

Jarno Trulli, Car No. 18: "It'll be good to get back in the car straight away after a frustrating end to the German Grand Prix. After what had been a really strong weekend, it was obviously not the way we wanted the race to go, so hopefully Hungary will be better luck for us! The Hungaroring is a very twisty track, bumpy and hard to pass on, and not one you can get a great rhythm on. We'll be running the full downforce package, and as it's normally very tough – hot and very long, it's a real physical challenge. But I'm feeling good, and we keep progressing, so I'm looking forward to the weekend."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) "I made a very good start and then suddenly I lost the gearbox and unfortunately that was it. We tried to reset it in the pit and I went out again but it didn't work, so I think it was a mechanical issue with the box that brought the race to an early end. It's very frustrating because I was having a very good weekend, probably the best of the whole season so far, and it's like the luck just isn't with me. We've got another chance next weekend so I hope the luck changes there."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) "A disappointing end but it was just one of those things that can happen when you're having to let cars past. It was my mistake but I didn't see the Sauber coming. I thought I was letting the Williams past, and didn't see the Sauber so I closed the door and that was the end of the race. It's a shame because I was running pretty well until then."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "Ultimately a very disappointing day. Jarno lost second gear and had to retire and Heikki had to retire after contact with de la Rosa. Both cars made good starts – we started Jarno on the harder tyre and Heikki on the options to split the strategies, but Jarno's race was over before he'd really started. Heikki drove a strong race and was comfortably leading the battle of the new teams before contact forced him to retire. Despite this it was still a strong showing from us, and now we move on to Hungary."

Kamarudin Meranun, Deputy Team Principal: "It's frustrating because we'd had a good weekend, in practice and qualifying. Very unfortunate for Jarno, and Heikki was doing well so it's disappointing to see he couldn't finish the race, not due to a mechanical issue, but because of an incident that was out of our control. So, even though it's sad, we'll pull through, and we'll do a better job in Hungary."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP3: 10 laps, best time 1.19.607, 19th / QUALIFYING: 18th, 12 laps, 1.17.583 - "I've had a great weekend so far. I've had no troubles with the car and I've been able to work on getting the right balance, and being comfortable with how the car feels in all the sessions. You can see from the lap time today just how good it's been, so I'm really happy, but obviously we always have work to do, and the satisfaction comes from putting in the work and seeing results like the lap today. Tomorrow it's all about pushing the guys ahead and getting both cars home again, so that's where the focus is now."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) FP3: 11 laps, best time 1.19.193, 18th / QUALIFYING: 19th, 11 laps, 1.18.300 – "It's been quite a difficult weekend for me so far - it seems to be a bit harder than normal and I'm not sure why. The balance was ok today but the grip levels felt poor and I wasn't able to get the best out of the tyres on either run. It felt like I was getting more out of them on the third lap each time, so we need to analyse that and see what's behind it. Despite this we're still in a good position. Jarno did a great lap and I got ahead of Glock pretty comfortably, so there's everything to fight for tomorrow."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "Mixed feelings today. A very good job from Jarno who was pretty happy with the balance of his car, but disappointing for Heikki who lost 3/10ths in a straight line to Jarno and we'll have to look at the reasons for that. Overall he hasn't been happy with the balance all weekend and I think the team didn't do a good enough job on his car before qualifying. However, on the positive side we finished the best of the new teams, and we're looking to take this form into the race tomorrow with a strong double finish."

Kamarudin Meranun, Deputy Team Principal: "It's very exciting to see us finish 18th and 19th, and we'll be going up another position on the grid due to Sutil's penalty. I'm sorry for Heikki, but very happy for Jarno and I'm sure Heikki will put in a very strong performance tomorrow – we're firmly ahead of the new teams and closer than ever to those ahead, so it's a good day!"

Fairuz Fauzy (Chassis T127-01) FP1: 27 laps, best time 1.30.938, 21st "First of all I was very happy to be back in the car. The conditions weren't great, but that was the same for everyone, so we all had to deal with the fact it was pouring with rain, and then started drying out, then raining again. But I found myself getting more comfortable with every lap. Once I'd got the tyre temperatures up I could push, and the car was reliable throughout, so we got through the programme, which is obviously what we set out to do. I think I could have gone quicker still, but I'm pleased with my input today and can't wait to get back in the car again!"

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP1: 17 laps, best time 1.29.280, 15th / FP2: 34 laps, 1.20.008, 20th "It was a positive day today. We put in a lot of laps in both sessions and I think the car is behaving pretty well here. The track's improved throughout the day and after getting a decent amount of running in I'm confident we can deliver a good result tomorrow."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) FP2: 37 laps, 1.20.377, 22nd "The main thing today is that we have had good reliability all day, but it was a bit disappointing as I couldn't find a good balance, so we've got work to do on that tomorrow."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "A useful day for us with no real problems with either car. Jarno's final run was brought to an early end with a small problem with his fuel pump, but apart from that it was a trouble free session. Fairuz did an excellent job this morning in the wet session, running well on both the full wets and the inters. Considering the limited running he's had in the car he should be very pleased with his day's work. In the afternoon we were able to work on the dry setup and I think we found a clear direction towards the end of the session and there's definitely more performance to come tomorrow."

Riad Asmat, Lotus Racing CEO: "Firstly it was good to see Fairuz put in a very good morning's work in what were pretty tricky conditions. He did exactly what we asked of him and it's great to see he got a decent run compared to the limited track time he had at Silverstone. We've got a fair amount to come tomorrow in terms of pace, and the team will work hard to build on the progress we've been making throughout the season, so let's see what happens tomorrow."

Dieter Gass, Lotus Racing Sporting Director "We're all looking forward to Hockenheim. Obviously the circuit is quite different now from how it used to be in the past - then, it was an extremely difficult circuit on which to find a decent set up – long straights that took you into the forest and then slow corners in the Motodrom stadium section meant it was hard to find a suitable compromise between downforce and grip – you don't have to make such a big compromise anymore because the straights simply aren't as long now. But, you still don't run maximum downforce here – you take a bit of wing off to take account of the straight, and give the driver the chance to overtake at the end of that, in turn six.

"I think our car will suit the circuit well. You have a different speed profile than Silverstone, which didn't really suit our car, but in Hockenheim I think we'll be better off. We had a big update package in Silverstone which we couldn't exploit fully as we were lacking running and setup time, so we'll be looking to get the best out of that in the Friday and Saturday practice sessions. We'll be able to play with the ballast a bit more here as well, which will help us find a better balance, and the team have spent some time in the factory this week practicing pitstops, so we should see the times come down in Germany. All in all it should be a good weekend."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) "Germany's always a good race – Hockenheim's usually hot and the fans make sure there's a great atmosphere around the whole circuit. The stadium section in particular is amazing – with all the horns blowing, the flags flying and the odd flare being set off, it feels like you are in a football stadium or something. That makes it a great place to watch from if you're a spectator, and for the drivers it's cool - we can see all the fans packed into the stands and it looks pretty hardcore.

"The circuit itself is pretty good. You can overtake at the end of the long straight at the hairpin but there aren't many other places where you can get past. It's relatively hard on tyres and in the past the heat has made the tyres blister, but we shouldn't get any of those problems with this year's tyres. Bridgestone are bringing a super soft and a hard, so there should be a clear performance difference between the two – we'll see how that shapes up over the weekend."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) "Hockenheim has some real history and in its old guise it demanded a lot from the drivers, in terms of setup, driving and in getting all the little details right. However, now it's a more conventional circuit, and while I like it, I preferred the old layout. I was on the podium there a while back, and I won the German F3 Championship there many years ago, so it does hold a lot of good memories for me. It's always hot when we go there, and the fans are very passionate, so I hope we can put on a good show for them, and show what Lotus Racing is all about."

Riad Asmat, Lotus Racing CEO "Firstly it was great to see Fairuz in the car in Silverstone on Friday; testing is obviously extremely limited so it was good for him to get some experience and practice in the car. He certainly deserved his time in the cockpit but mechanical problems unfortunately meant he didn't get as much track time car as he could have – we are running him in FP1 in Hockenheim instead of Hungary, so he's getting another chance to show what he can do a week early and it'll be good to see him back on track again in Germany.

"I was in the car with Tony on the way to Silverstone on Saturday when he reminded me that it was at the British Grand Prix in 2009 that he first met Mike and the Lotus Racing dream began. He was quite nostalgic and was telling me that a year ago he couldn't drive in certain places around the track without the sticker on his car, whereas now he is a Team Principal he can go everywhere! Well, almost… He has built so much out of the dreams he has pursued, with success of course, and he believes that Lotus Racing is another opportunity that will be a success. Last weekend was a year to the day that this adventure began, and now we're already looking five years down the road and how far we can go."

Fairuz had already been confirmed to drive in FP1 at the British, Hungarian, Singapore and Abu Dhabi races, but, after mechanical issues cut short his run at Silverstone, the team has decided to bring forward his Hungary run to Germany. This gives him the chance to bring another valuable perspective to the team's on-track development as soon as possible, and on a track that should suit the Lotus Racing T127.

Lotus Racing Team Principal Tony Fernandes commented: "It's an exciting day for all of us in the Lotus Racing team – being able to tell Fairuz he has another Friday run a week before he thought he'd be back in the car is a great way to start the week, and we all know he'll deliver for us, both on track and in the feedback he'll provide the team. He's an inspiration to young drivers around the world, proving that being determined to make your dreams come true can make very exciting things happen!"

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) 16th "I finished the Grand Prix and managed to fight with the other teams after a pretty difficult weekend, so I'm very happy. It's just great for the whole team as they worked really hard with some difficult problems, but the work paid off. My pace felt very good, especially when you consider that I didn't have a chance to work on any set up changes, and I had to get used to the new section of the track in qualifying and during the first part of the race, so I think we all did a pretty good job!"

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) 17th "I think my pace was good all the way through the race, but there was constant traffic in front of me. I lost my position on the first lap, which was frustrating, as I then got held up quite a bit. I don't mind being a lap down, but it's just a shame I couldn't really push. Overall I'm very pleased that we managed to finish where we did and it has been a good day for the team here at Silverstone."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer "Today's been good - a strong two car finish is a great return on the all the hard work that's been put in, so well done to the whole team for that, and once again we're best of the news teams. Apologies to Heikki as we had a problem in his pitstop which dropped him behind the Virgin, but he drove a great race in the second half and managed to regain his place.

"Jarno had a very solid race to make sure we had a two car finish and keep ourselves best of the new teams. The only negative was the safety car which came at the wrong time for us, because we'd just pitted and it meant we dropped a lap down. But other than that it was a good strong Sunday, so well done to everyone in the team."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal "I'm absolutely delighted. This has been a great day - a two car finish is just what I've been wanting for the last few races, so I'm very very happy! Obviously the pitstops didn't go to plan, but we recovered well and everything played out for us in the end. I think Heikki's pace was very good and he raced really well, despite the unfortunate pitstop, and we got two cars home which really was the main thing. It was also a real honour for Hazel Chapman to come today and she's brought us something very special – our motorhome is a very welcoming place for everyone in the team, and all our guests, so I'd like to thank her for coming along and instilling a bit of that old-school Team Lotus spirit in our home."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) Qualified 19th, 1.34.405, 9 laps "I'm pleased because I'm in the position I targeted for qualifying, but even though we're the fastest of the new teams, that wasn't my best qualifying session this year. It was pretty tricky out there today – it was windier than in FP3 and I found the balance wasn't quite where it had been this morning. Nevertheless, we're in a good position and good shape for tomorrow. The car feels good on the heavier fuel load, so I think we'll be ok. I also want to say that Jarno did a great job out there – to be within half a second after the bad luck he's had all weekend is great, and I hope we can get both cars home tomorrow. That's the main goal, so let's see what happens."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) Qualified 21st, 1.34.864, 10 laps "I'm pretty happy with my result to be honest – I managed to learn the circuit very quickly, almost having to do so during qualifying as the problems I had on Friday and Saturday meant I've had very little time on track! Qualifying was the first time I managed to really push the car, as a hydraulics problem had cut short FP3, so, overall, I'm happy and my position is better than I expected."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer "I have mixed feelings after qualifying. Again we had some mechanical problems with Jarno this morning, which meant that going into qualifying he had only completed 12 laps over the whole weekend on the new circuit layout, so he had a very difficult task in front of him and did a good job to be as close in time to his team mate as he was.

"Heikki had traffic on both his runs, which was a shame as he could have got a little more out of the car had he had a clear run, but he was ahead of the other new teams so that's a positive. Overall it's been quite a difficult weekend so far but we're looking forward to the race tomorrow and are focusing on getting both cars to the finish."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal "We did as well as we could have expected with not a lot of running this weekend, but well done to Heikki who probably could have gone faster if he had not hit so much traffic. Jarno did exceptionally well, having only run a few laps all weekend, and that's what his pace, experience and knowledge gives us. It was great to see the Lotus Racing flags in the crowd, and a lot of green and yellow shirts and caps. Tomorrow, hopefully, we can make them proud, bring two cars home and put on a show worthy of the efforts of the team."

AirAsia X CEO, Azran Osman-Rani and Lotus Racing CEO, Riad Asmat were on hand for the photo call at the Lotus Racing garage along with drivers Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen. Next to them was the Lotus Racing T127 displaying the freshly placed AirAsia logos on the car.

This announcement is very timely, given that AirAsia X flies directly to a number of destinations where races take place in the current Formula 1™ calendar such as the UK (via Stansted), Melbourne, Malaysia and Shanghai (via Hangzhou). Soon, Korea and Japan can be added to the list as the destinations are soon to be a part of the airline's rapid growth.

Commenting on the partnership, Azran states, "Teaming up with Lotus Racing is an exciting step for AirAsia X. We admire Lotus Racing as a team which always strives for excellence, a trait similar to that of AirAsia X. Furthermore, as we expand our route network, it is essential that we build our global platform, and a great way to do so is via involvement in Formula One™. Particularly in our upcoming markets of Korea and Japan later this year, and France in early 2011, all of which host legs on the Formula One™ calendar.

"There were people who once doubted AirAsia X's low cost long haul model, questioning whether it could survive in the current global travel market. We proved them wrong by becoming one of the best in the world! Lotus Racing too had their fair share of skepticism. No one thought the team could even make it to the grid in such a short period of time, let alone be worthy contenders on the track. But they silenced the critics not only by producing the cars on time for the race season, but also by becoming serious contenders in the competition. There's a lot that we can learn from each other, and we look forward to this relationship with Lotus Racing, taking AirAsia X further into the realms of sports sponsorship," Azran said.

Riad Asmat, Lotus Racing CEO, added his thoughts, saying: "We are extremely proud to welcome AirAsia X into the Lotus Racing family and are very excited about working together in partnership over the coming seasons. We are both growing fast, and the natural synergies between our two companies will provide us with many very exciting opportunities for Lotus Racing fans and AirAsia X passengers alike – frankly, we can't wait to get started!"

Partnerships such as with the UK British MotoGP in June (the inaugural AirAsia British Grand Prix), also held at Silverstone, is another example of how powerful sports sponsorships can be as both branding and commercial tools for AirAsia.

AirAsia X's relationship with sports sponsorship began in 2009 with the announcement of being 'Proud Sponsors' of the Oakland Raiders, one of the most prolific teams in the National Football League (NFL) in the United States. The airline also sponsors the Gold Coast Airport Marathon which took place earlier this month, with CEO Azran leading a team of 20 staff runners, as well as providing sponsorship to two runners from Cambodia and Singapore in a bid to enhance the accessibility of Australia to all ASEAN communities through use of their sister airline, low-cost short-haul AirAsia.

Sports sponsorship is very important to AirAsia and AirAsia X, being the most homogeneous mass market which unites countless communities. Through sports sponsorship, AirAsia and AirAsia X is able to not only fulfill the larger vision of the airline by making dreams come true, but also to establish its brand's equity value - a significant part of its branding effort, enabling AirAsia to become a household brand.

About AirAsia and AirAsia X

AirAsia, the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia, services the most extensive network with approximately 132 routes covering destinations in Asia, Australia and Europe. Within 8 years of operations, AirAsia has carried more than 92 million guests and grown its fleet from just two aircraft to approximately 96. The airline today is proud to be a truly Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) airline with established operations based in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, servicing a network stretching across all Asean countries, China, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Australia. This is further complemented by AirAsia X, its low-cost long-haul affiliate carrier that currently flies to destinations in China, Australia, Taipei and the UK. AirAsia is the regional carrier with the largest destination network and highest flight frequencies. AirAsia was named World's Best Low Cost Airline in the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax for two consecutive years in 2009 and 2010.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) FP1: 16 laps, best time 1.36.747, 19th / FP2: 25 laps, 1.35.465, 19th "It felt fine out there today. I had just one problem at the end with the power steering, but that was the only issue with my car. I'm not sure this circuit suits our car as well as it does with some of the top cars, but compared to the other new teams I think we're in good shape.

"The new layout is nothing like the old circuit – now it feels like it's pretty straightforward. It's quite bumpy, and the corners are pretty simple, not like the old circuit where you got on the throttle and could find a really good line through the corners. I have no problem with the circuit, I just preferred the old one. "

Fairuz Fauzy (Chassis T127-04) FP1: 11 laps, best time 1.39.510, 23rd "First it was just great to be out on track at Silverstone – it was such an honour, and something that will stay with me for ever. We had a bit of a problem with the engine at the start of the session, which was a little unexpected, but the team did an amazing job to change the engine during the session in less than an hour. This meant I had a good 40 minutes with the car, and in that time I could see we've made some big steps forward."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP2: 3 laps, 1.42.901, 24th "I can't say much about today really – we had a problem with the gearbox that the guys spent most of the session trying to fix, but then it was clear it couldn't be done in time for today so we'll just focus on tomorrow, and hope the luck changes."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "It's great to be back at Silverstone, but it was a difficult first day at the office for us. We had Fairuz driving for the first session and unfortunately, just before the session started, we had an airbox fire which meant we had to change the engine. This obviously limited his running but when we were able to get him out for the second half of the session, he once again did a great job, taking the car through all the engine tests, so thanks to him.

"With Jarno, we'd had to change the gearbox between the sessions, but unfortunately a bearing failure that we were unable to fix brought his session to an early end, so apologies to him for that. We'll work hard to put it right tomorrow.

"Heikki ran through his whole programme without any real problems, but he had to stop at the end of the session with a hydraulics problem. We could see from his times that, performance-wise, we're looking good - we've just got to make sure we run reliably through the next couple of days."

Dell's technology solutions have already been integrated across the company to form a robust infrastructure to support the business. This solution is comprised of:

- Dedicated supercomputer hardware and software to power the team's Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) systems, used to simulate aerodynamic behaviour in a virtual environment

- The latest Dell PowerEdgeTM servers and a network infrastructure to meet all the team's factory requirements and offer top security

- Trackside servers and a network infrastructure to run all computer requirements on-site at races and tests

- Cutting edge notebooks supported by Dell SaaS to enable end user computing on-the-go

Bill Peters, Lotus Racing's Head of IT: "One of the first priorities in creating our team from the ground up was to identify a technology partner who could provide a variety of IT solutions for us as soon as possible, and one who could be flexible enough to meet our demands both at the factory and at the track. With less than 22 weeks build time, that's a big ask, but Dell were our only choice for the role. Dell delivered in terms of hardware, software and most importantly in terms of support and adaptability. I am very pleased that the mission critical work we have done together over the past six months can formally be recognised today on the eve of the British Grand Prix."

Stephen Murdoch, VP & GM of Large Enterprise, EMEA, Dell: "We're thrilled to be working with Lotus Racing to provide a high performance and reliable end-to-end IT solution to help drive the business both on and off the track. What we've already achieved together in a short period of time has been phenomenal and we are excited about the role Dell can play in supporting the organization's future growth enabling Lotus Racing to focus on what it does best - achieve excellence in racing."

LG, the Korean electronics giant which is now in its second year as an active supporter of F1™, is now very visible both on and off track with Lotus Racing. At the team's UK factory, as well as the garages at each race, and the motorhome taken to every European race, LG screens play an integral role in the communication of data and moving image content to team members and guests, providing state of the art images that both inform and entertain throughout all aspects of the team's development.

Andrew Barrett, VP Global Sponsorship for LG Electronics commented on the successful start to the relationship with Lotus Racing, saying: "Just a few races into our partnership with Lotus Racing and we were already enjoying the benefits of a team association. With Lotus Racing's help, we have significantly enhanced our Formula 1™ online programs, our at-track guest experiences, and our away from track promotions and events. If the speed and impact of these programs are any indication, we can expect even greater benefits to flow LG's way in the months to come."

Lotus Racing's Head of IT, Bill Peters, is also delighted with the contribution LG have already made to the team's growth: "As soon as LG came on board we started working together to identify the areas that would give us immediate benefits, and quickly had screens integrated into the garages, motorhome and factory. We obviously need to focus our budget wherever we can on making our car as fast as possible, and our partnership with LG immediately solved a logistical challenge, and integrated class-leading technology into the very heart of the team, both at our permanent base, and away at races – frankly it couldn't have started any better!"

Heikki Kovalainen, Chassis T127-01 "The first sector of the circuit is the best sector on the whole F1™ calendar - lots of fast bits that require maximum commitment. I haven't driven the new part yet but I've heard it's going to be great and we have some more updates coming that I hope will keep moving us closer to those ahead and further away from the other new teams.

"The fans are always fantastic at Silverstone. You can see from the campsites all around the area that they are big followers of F1™ and they are always really nice and friendly. The Classic Team Lotus Festival at Snetterton really showed just how much support the British people give us so it's going to be great to race on home soil and see a lot of Lotus Racing flags waving in the grandstands!"

Jarno Trulli, Chassis T127–04: "Silverstone will definitely be another important weekend for us, the first time a Lotus has raced in F1™ in the UK for a long time, and our second home race. I think we'll have a lot of support there, and I hope we'll do well – the British fans are very knowledgeable and there's always a lot of them, so it'll be a great show, whatever happens. There's a new layout, and it'll be very interesting to see how quick that's going to be – we'll be looking at how it affects the tyres and what strategies and setups will be best for us, so all in all I'm looking forward to getting over there."

Fairuz Fauzy: "I know Silverstone very well, both from racing there numerous times in the past, and also because I live right next to the circuit. I'm very excited about getting out on track in front of my friends, family and fans, and it'll be a real honour to not only be one of the first F1™ cars to try out the new layout, but also to be able to bring the Lotus marque back to its spiritual home. The new layout looks very quick, and it'll be very interesting to see how best to attack it, so I'll do the best job I can to help the team maximise the upgrades we've put on the car at one of my favourite tracks in the world."

Mike Gascoyne: "We're looking to take another step forward this weekend, with an update package that will give us another chance to take the fight to the teams ahead. We have a number of lightweight parts across the car that, among other benefits, will help us use the ballast more effectively, giving our drivers a better chance to optimise balance and setup. We also have the last major aero modifications of the season, including a new floor and various bodywork updates, and then the design team's attention turns to next year's car. It's a very exciting time for Lotus Racing, and our second home race of the season will be a great occasion for everyone associated with our team, and a great chance for the fans to see us in competitive action for the first time in the UK."

Tony Fernandes: "Silverstone is obviously an important race for us, and it's going to be very busy for everyone in the team. A lot of the guys at the factory will be in the stands, alongside our growing army of fans, and it's great that we're giving them the chance to see our green and yellow cars taking the fight to the established midfield teams at the home of motor racing. It's a great honour for us to welcome Hazel Chapman in on Sunday - she's going to officially open our new motorhome, and that'll be a great occasion for all of us – I hope we can continue to do justice to Colin's legacy as we find more pace, lighten the car and grow as a team, and with Hazel and Clive Chapman at Silverstone with us I think we're in very good company at our second home race."

Fairuz is understandably excited about the challenge ahead, starting with the team's second home race at Silverstone this weekend: "First I want to thank Tony, Mike and the whole team for the chance to get back in the car. I really can't wait to see how far we've moved forward since I was last out on track, and I'm very proud to have been given the chance to play another active role in our continuing development. I did the shakedown of chassis 04 at Snetterton a couple of weeks ago, but obviously couldn't really push there, so it'll be great to get back out and add whatever I can to help the team keep moving towards the midfield. To start out at Silverstone is going to be very special indeed – I live literally a few metres from the track, so I'll have a lot of friends, family and fans there to cheer me and the whole team on, and it'll be great to be among the first F1 cars to try out the new section. I'm also really looking forward to the other three races, particularly Singapore as there is a unique challenge to racing under the lights, but also because there will be a lot of fans there from Malaysia and Singapore, and it'll be great to put on a good show for them."

Mike Gascoyne is also looking forward to seeing Fairuz in the car: "Every time Fairuz has been out on track for us he's done a great job, and taking part in four more races is a just reward for the contribution he's already made to the establishment and growth of our team. It's another chance for us to learn more about how to get the most out of him in the car, as well as providing us with another invaluable viewpoint on the characteristics of our car."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "I'm absolutely delighted Fairuz will back in the hot seat at four more races – he's done an excellent job for us whenever he's been out on track, and his enthusiasm and input throughout race weekends, whether he's in or out of the car, has made him a real asset to the whole team. But for me it's not just about the fact he'll be taking part in those Friday sessions – it's also important to see that Fairuz is proving that hard work, perseverance and dedication can make dreams come true, whoever you are, and wherever you are in the world. Everyone in Malaysia is behind him, and Zulfahmi Khairuddin in MotoGP 125, another Malaysian flying the flag in international motorsport, and they are proving that talent and dedication can take you right to the very top. Fahmi will be adding more points to his tally very soon, and while Fairuz isn't yet in a position to score points, his technical input will provide us with more very useful data, and that's obviously very important. Equally important is the inspirational role he continues to play which will, I believe, also help us take another step forward, and I'd like to thank him for that as well."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) Qualified 19th, finished 21st "I don't know exactly what happened at the beginning as I managed to get away from the mess at the front but I was hit from the back and at the same time lost my front wing. It all happened during the first lap, so I thought it was the end of the race for me, but I managed to get back to the pits, and the mechanics did a great job to fix the car. I went out but had a gearbox problem, so more good work from the boys got me back out and I was then able to run to the end. I did the whole race with one set of tyres, and I felt that the pace throughout was very good. The handling was great, so I'm happy about the performance and when I pushed I was able to put in some really good lap times."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) Qualified 20th, DNF "First of all it's good news that both of us are ok. Mark had a hardcore flight, and it could have ended up much worse, so it's good we're both fine. It's such a shame the race ended that early – I was going really well, pulling away from the guys behind by about half a second a lap, and with Mark we were racing for position so I was always going to defend. I didn't do anything wrong and he just ran into me. I think he missed his braking point and he ran into me at a very bad angle – his front tyre hit my right rear and he took off. I had to make a mandatory visit to the medical centre, and shook hands with Mark there, but I'm absolutely fine, and glad Mark is too."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "Obviously it was a very disappointing end to our 500th race. Jarno got hit at the start, and we had to change the nose. He also took a hit at the back, and that caused a gearbox problem. We were able to fix that and send him out again, although he was three laps down. He was held up by some of the other slower cars, but at the end of the race he was able to push and really show the car's pace.

"Heikki had an accident with Webber - he was defending his line and racing for position, and that's what we will always do in that situation. It's just a great shame, and we're very glad that neither driver was hurt."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "Heikki's accident is part of racing. It's a shame as both cars are coming on really well, but there is some good to take out of this. Despite being hit, Jarno managed to finish the race, and at the end it was great to hear him say 'the car is bloody good!'

"Overall it's been a very positive weekend, with a good Qualifying session and lots of very positive meetings and good decisions made for next year. It's also been a pleasure having the Chapman family here, and now we're all looking forward to bringing Lotus Racing back to the UK and racing in front of the British fans."

We've put up a couple of great new films on line – for a look back at last weekend's Classic Team Lotus Festival and to mark the 500th Grand Prix Lotus has competed in go to: Classic Team Lotus Festival, and take a look at Jarno's Valencia preview on our YouTube channel - go to Jarno's Valencia preview on YouTube

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP3: 20 laps, best time 1.41.428, 20th / Qualifying: 19th, 1.40.658, 11 laps "I'm feeling quite a lot happier now - things have been getting better all weekend now I have the new chassis, and as I've not had any real problems I've been able to work on the setup, which obviously helped today. I do still have a bit of an issue with the brakes, but it feels like a new start from where I've been and I'm pleased with the performance today. We are another step ahead of the teams behind and I think we'll be ok tomorrow."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) FP3: 19 laps, best time 1.41.303, 19th / Qualifying: 20th, 1.40.882, 11 laps "It was a little disappointing for me out there today. I didn't feel as comfortable as I did yesterday, when I was very happy with the car. Today it seems I had to fight the car a bit, and I really had to attack to get some good times. But it's ok. I'm not too worried, and tomorrow I will push again and try to bring the car home to the end of the race."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "I'm very pleased with Qualifying today – it was a very solid effort from the whole team. We were actually 2.5 seconds off the quickest time in Q1, and percentage wise that's our best performance of the year so far. We've moved further away from the competition behind us, so overall it was a very solid performance, with the whole team continuing to move forward. Now we'll have to match that with a two car finish in the race tomorrow."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "There's a lot of good points that have come out of today – the main one is that we've finished quite comfortably ahead of Virgin and HRT, and it was great to hear Jarno happy over the radio – his new chassis looks like it may have brought about a change in luck, so let's hope that continues tomorrow. Our engineers tell me we've taken another step forward today, and hopefully we'll get even more out of the new Cosworth engine in the race - it's very encouraging to see the performance of both of the Cosworth powered Williams cars today, so hopefully we can keep pushing like them and get both cars home tomorrow."

We've put up a couple of great new films on line – for a look back at last weekend's Classic Team Lotus Festival and to mark the 500th Grand Prix Lotus has competed in go to: Classic Team Lotus Festival, and take a look at Jarno's Valencia preview on our YouTube channel - go to Jarno's Valencia preview on YouTube

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) FP1: 21 laps, best time 1.44.491, 19th / FP2: 31 laps, best time 1.42.467, 19th "I feel really good. It's been an excellent Friday. We've made really good progress with the car, and every set up change we made seemed to be pushing us in the right direction, and in the end the tyres seemed to be working well over the long run. The track itself is good, it's nice – a semi street circuit, but with a little more room than Monaco! It's smooth, with quite a good grip level and all in all it's quite good fun.

"I did arrive late today because of the French strikes - we had to drive down from Geneva and arrived early this morning. But I feel fine - it's just one night with a little less sleep than usual, so it's no big deal. My physio Petri and I shared the driving, so I feel absolutely fine.

"For Qualifying tomorrow, we're going to try to push it to the maximum. Our aim is to get closer to the back of the established teams as much as we possibly can so I'm always pushing, always to the maximum, and let's see where we are tomorrow afternoon!"

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP1: 18 laps, best time 1.47.285, 22nd / FP2: 30 laps, best time 1.42.993, 20th "It was a better day for me today after some of the luck I've been having. I had one or two gremlins, but it was a good day to shakedown the new chassis properly and make sure everything was working well. We got a good idea of where we want to be on the setup and the direction for Saturday and Sunday, so I think this was much better for me. On track there was good grip out there this afternoon, and the car felt good, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "It was a good day for us. Obviously the first session was dominated by tyres and the condition of the track, with a lot of graining on the fronts, but, as expected, the track cleaned up and we were able to get through the whole program with no real issues on either car. We've got a lot of data from today and I think we're where we expected to be, but I think there's more to come from the car, so I'm optimistic about our performance over the weekend."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "I'll be in Spain tomorrow to join Clive Chapman, his family and the whole team to enjoy this momentous race. I wanted to come in today, but couldn't get a seat on AirAsiaX so I've had to jump on board one of the competition's planes to get me in, but I'm very excited about the weekend ahead, particularly after the very solid start today. It's been good to see our reliability return on both cars today, and I'm hopeful we can put in a good showing tomorrow and on Sunday."

Clive Chapman: "Of course the 500th Grand Prix for the Lotus marque is a significant landmark, and it was nice that Lotus Racing thought to invite my mother to attend - after all, Hazel Chapman is the person with the closest association to the Team Lotus history. Much as she wanted to accept, regretfully she decided against it, so I'll be there with my family representing Classic Team Lotus and my father's legacy.

"The fact my mother won't be in Valencia this weekend made it all the more special that she was with all the Team Lotus F1™ cars and the Lotus Racing T127 at the Classic Team Lotus Festival last weekend at Snetterton. It was a great moment for my family and me to see my mum and their grandma standing at the front of the 35 Lotus F1™ cars, and then to be joined by the Lotus Racing drivers. The 'Valencia installation lap' conducted at Snetterton by the T127 was another highlight of the day for everyone there.

"Much as it is nice that Lotus Racing is celebrating 500th Grand Prix, I am sure the most important thing about the weekend for the team is that it is another race and the next opportunity to continue to make progress towards the established teams. It was exciting to watch Montreal qualifying, when Heikki almost pipped the Sauber, and I for one would swap the 500th landmark for the landmark of outqualifying an established team in normal circumstances. Fingers crossed!"

Lotus Racing will be celebrating the 500th race across the whole race weekend. The T127's of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen will both be carrying a specially created "500" logo on their engine covers, and the team's garages will also show off the logo that celebrates their heritage. An extended edition of Lotus Racing Notes, the team's race-by-race newsletter, will be available online and in very-limited-edition hard copy from Thursday, as is a new podcast, and in the merchandise stands and online, "500" Lotus Racing team shirts and other memorabilia will be on sale. In the motorhome, the Lotus Racing catering team have been putting together a menu that each day features one of the favourite dishes of Lotus legends, including Sir Stirling Moss and Colin Chapman – more details will be announced each day…..

Jarno Trulli: "I'm really looking forward to Valencia. It's a circuit I like, and I enjoy the race there - It's always warm, and it's a beautiful city. I'm in the new chassis (T127-04) from this race, and hopefully that will bring me some better luck over the race weekend – in Canada I was really flying until the retirement, so I hope I can carry that through to this weekend and see the chequered flag. That's obviously important, but this weekend is also all about the 500th race for Lotus. It'll be very special to help take that famous name to such a milestone, and I'm very honoured to be part of it. I met Hazel Chapman on Sunday at the Classic Team Lotus Festival, and that was very special for me, particularly as I had the chance to drive Elio De Angelis' T91 in front of the crowds, and that felt great."

Heikki Kovalainen: "The last few races have been very positive for our team, we've been making progress every weekend and the plan is to carry on pushing. For Valencia, and for the rest of the season, we're not looking back at the other new teams – we lapped them in Canada so we're looking to keep taking the fight to the guys ahead, and I think we can do that. This is obviously an historic weekend for Lotus, and for Lotus Racing, and I think we're starting to do justice to what's gone before us – it's fantastic that we can celebrate such a great milestone in Valencia, and it'll be an honour to be part of that.

"On the race itself - the track is a street circuit, but there is quite a lot more room on track than in Monaco or Singapore, so it's more of a semi-street circuit. You can hit the kerbs harder, and find a better balance between the straight-line speed and the grip in the corners, but this makes finding the right downforce level crucial. It's always hot there, and getting the best out of the tyres will be important – we have the super-soft tyres there so we'll work on getting the best out of them on Friday and Saturday. I think we'll put on a good show, and give Clive Chapman and his family, and all the Lotus fans something to cheer for!"

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "I'm really looking forward to this weekend, and am excited about both celebrating the 500th race Lotus has competed in, and helping add another chapter to one of motorsport's greatest stories. We've already come a long way this season, and have much further to go until we can add more glory to the Lotus legend, but I and the whole team are very proud to be in a position to help the Lotus name reach this landmark moment, and it'll be great to celebrate that with Clive, Tony and the whole team.

"For the race, we have a few more updates to the car to help us keep pushing forward, so we're not letting up on the challenge to take the race to the cars in front. I'm confident we'll put on a good performance in Valencia – we've got the right drivers to cope with the demands of the circuit itself, and the car keeps improving with every new step we take, so I think this will be another chance to pressure the midfield, and make good on the promise we showed in Canada."

Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus Cosworth T127-01) 16th, best lap 1.20.654 "It's been a great weekend, and I'm really pleased for the whole team with the result today. We finished ahead of Petrov and lapped the other new guys, and although it was hard work managing the tyres, it's still great to show what we can do. The race itself was tough, but it's all about the result – I didn't have any technical problems with the car, but the rear wasn't working quite as I'd have liked, and I think that was down to the tyre wear."

Jarno Trulli (Lotus Cosworth T127-03) DNF best lap 1.20.791 "It's such a shame I had to pull over - I had a great start and then I was really flying during the race. We got the strategy right on the tyres, and my pace was good - I was keeping up with the boys in front, and I was overtaking our other rivals. But then I felt a vibration that caused a problem with the braking system and I had to pull over. Still - we have to move on. It's another learning curve for the team and I think it's great to see that in the race I could really push and was putting in some very good lap times."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "I think overall we can be very happy with the race, and the whole weekend. The one disappointment was obviously Jarno's problem - we will have to look at it in more detail, but it looks as though the vibration put paid to his race. Before he pulled over he was absolutely flying and the strategy would have really paid out for him, so that's a plus. Heikki drove a fantastic race, fighting all the way with the guys in front, and kept it up right to the end to keep Petrov behind him.

"I think this weekend has been a massive step forward for the whole team. Rather than being just one of the new teams, we actually got stuck in and raced the teams ahead, which is what we wanted to do, so congratulations and thank you to the whole team for getting us to this position. In the end we lapped both of the other new teams, so it was a great effort, and again, well done!"

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "I'm very happy with the result today, and the whole weekend's work. We got 42 laps from Jarno and Heikki drove an absolute cracker - beating a Renault was great, and Heikki did really well to hold him off, but the main aim for us is to get both cars home, and we'll keep working on that back at the factory and at the track. Now we go to Valencia where we'll be celebrating the 500th F1™ race Lotus has competed in, and the ninth for Lotus Racing."

Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus Cosworth T127-01) - FP3: 16 laps, 20th, 1.19.447 / Qualifying: 19th, 1.18.237, 12 laps "I've felt like I've done a few good qualifying laps this year, but this one was really good. I've had a decent balance all weekend, and yesterday I didn't have any problems, so I could find a good setup and had the confidence to push. We just need to find a little bit more to really take the fight to the guys in front, but tomorrow I think we can race them, I think we can have a go. I thought I had Kamui for a while, but he just got in front at the end, but you always find a little bit more when you think you can get the guy ahead and that shows how far we've come. Today shows we're making progress all the time – we were only two tenths away from Sauber today which is just great for the whole team."

Jarno Trulli (Lotus Cosworth T127-03) - FP3: 15 laps, 19th, 1.19.013 / Qualifying: 20th, 1.18.698, 11 laps "It's been tricky this weekend as I haven't managed to complete that many laps and haven't been able to find a setup I'm really comfortable with. We went with the primes to begin with today, and I could see that I was close to the guys in front, so I took the gamble and went for the options at the end, but unfortunately it didn't work out. The aim tomorrow is to finish the race, and I'm optimistic we can do that, so let's see what I can do."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "It's been a very strong qualifying for the team today. The big question was tyre choice; both drivers did their first run on the harder tyre, and Heikki decided to stay with that, while Jarno switched to the option. I think Heikki managed to get a lot out of it, and it's a sign of how far we've come that we came very close to out-qualifying one of the Saubers - it would have been another great step forward for us to beat one of the established teams in a straight fight, and we're nearly there.

"Jarno didn't quite get the lap time out of the option tyre on his last run, and I think we as a team have to take responsibility for that – his lack of running yesterday really hurt his chances, especially on the options, so we have to say sorry to him for that. But overall it was a great performance from the whole team. Looking at tomorrow, this is always one of the unpredictable races, so you never know, but our aim will be to get the two cars to the finish"

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "It's funny – a really good qualifying session for us, but really this weekend is all about getting cars across the finish line on Sunday. Having said that, today was another big step forward for us as we were just 2.34 seconds off the outright pace in Q1 and to be so close to a Sauber in qualifying is absolutely great, but also a bit frustrating as it would have been even better to beat an established team, and that shows just how far we've come in such a short time. Heikki did a fantastic job to push Kamui so hard, and Jarno also performed extremely well to stay ahead of the other new teams, particularly bearing in mind how little running he had yesterday. Tomorrow's all about seeing the chequered flag, and that's what we're really focussing on, but I also think we can take the fight to the guys ahead, and I can't wait to see how it pans out – bring it on!"

Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus Cosworth T127-01 / FP1: 24 laps, 19th, 1.21.869 / FP2: 35 laps, 19th, 1.19.969): "Both sessions were pretty good today. The circuit obviously has not been used for a little while and it was quite dirty to start with, and even at the end of the second session the grip level was still quite low, but it's definitely improving though! It felt a bit like a Rally Finland stage first thing this morning, so it could only get better from there!

"I think the team did a really good job today, improving the balance and keeping us going in the right direction all the time. The low downforce package seems to be working really well, which is very encouraging, and again, we're not far away from the Toro Rossos. Maybe tomorrow in qualifying, I'll be able to have a go at challenging them, and see what happens. We're going to focus on keeping the rear of the car under control, and I think we are getting there with that, so, from my side of the garage, things are working out really well."

Jarno Trulli (Lotus Cosworth T127-03 / FP1: 12 laps, 21st, 1.22.543 / FP2: 11 laps, 22nd,1.21.346): "It's been a difficult day but I'll move on from this and I still feel positive – after all, this is still our first season, and we're only eight races in. I had a few laps, but not enough to get a setup I felt comfortable with. I could feel that both the hard and the soft tyres suffered bad degradation, but after today I want to thank the team for working very hard to fix the problems on my car, and we'll see if the luck will change tomorrow."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "It was difficult today – a couple of reliability problems curtailed Jarno's running, but with Heikki we completed everything we wanted to, so that's a plus. The tyre performance is always difficult on the first day here, but especially so today, so we'll have to see how that develops tomorrow – it could be interesting. Overall, Heikki's performance was good, but apologies to Jarno for the issues – despite those, I'm sure we can get both cars up where we want them tomorrow."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "It was obviously a bit of a tough session out there, a dirty track and a couple of issues for Jarno, but we still showed we keep picking up speed, finishing FP2 just over three seconds off the outright pace. Both Jarno and Heikki are upbeat, and the main aim now is to bring both cars home on Sunday – if we do that I'll be very happy."

Heikki Kovalainen: "I'm really looking forward to Canada. Montreal is an amazing city and everyone there really loves the fact they have a race on their doorsteps. It's pretty impressive how the whole place almost becomes like a festival – some streets are closed for parties, events and all sorts of things, and everyone really gets behind the whole race. With the circuit being practically in the city it's hard to escape the noise and goings on, but I love it.

"The circuit itself is a real challenge, for the cars and the drivers. Braking is very important because there are long straights and it's the second hardest circuit on the brakes in the whole season – cooling them is a priority and getting your braking points right is the key to a good lap. There's always a lot of action in the braking zones, so we'll see how we get on in the race. Riding the kerbs well is also critical, so it's important to set up the car for them, and we'll focus on that on Friday."

Jarno Trulli: "Canada's a funny one for me - even though I love Canada - the track, the people and the city - the race itself has never loved me! It's a great challenge, and I've always performed pretty well there, but I've never had much luck there, so maybe that will change this year.

"As it's a temporary circuit it's a major challenge the whole way round. There's the constant threat of the walls and it's critical not to make any mistakes. You have to have confidence in the car and a good setup gives you the chance to push, but you've got to be perfect the whole time, otherwise it will bite you. It's also very quick, and hard on brakes, so the cooling and the stability under braking are both important, and I think we're pretty good in both areas, so we should be ok. Our car has been performing better and better over the last few races, so we'll see what happens when we get out there, but I think we'll continue to move away from the other new guys, and towards those ahead."

Mike Gascoyne: "Canada's a race we all look forward to. It's a great city and a great race and we're all glad to be going back to Montreal. It's a temporary circuit where you often see quite a few people hit the wall, bringing out the safety car more than it's usually seen. It's one of those races where it's possible to pick up points, and we've got to put ourselves in a position to do that. We've got two very experienced drivers in the car which will help us be there at the finish and that's the primary goal. It's going to be hard on brakes, but we've had no problems in that area. We're also bringing a few more new parts, including a low downforce package specifically for Canada, so overall we want to build on the performances we've been putting in, aim for bullet-proof reliability, and have two cars see the flag."

Tony Fernandes: "It's been a busy couple of weeks since Turkey for the team and they've been working very hard in the factory, particularly focusing on our reliability. We have to aim to get two cars home whenever we can and consistent reliability is the key to doing that. We have developed well in a number of important areas, but so far reliability is one where we need to work harder – I hope Canada's where we can turn that around.

"It's one of the great races on the calendar, and we're all looking forward to getting out there. North America's an important area for us, particularly bearing in mind CNN is one of our partners and the heritage Lotus has on the continent, so I hope we put on a good show in Montreal. The steps we've taken so far this season should help us do that, and we've also just announced how we've strengthened the senior technical team, so the building blocks for the future are in place for us to keep moving forward."