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Romain Grosjean finished sixth and Kimi Räikkönen seventh in today’s Malaysian Grand Prix from the Sepang International Circuit. A wet but rapidly drying track saw all competitors start on Pirelli’s intermediate tyres, with both Romain and Kimi moving to medium then hard compound dry tyres as the race progressed. Kimi keeps up his run of consecutive points finishes but falls to second in the Drivers’ Championship, behind today’s race winner Sebastian Vettel. The team maintains second position in the Cosntructors’ Championship, with third placed Ferrari on an equal 40 points. Kimi and Romain both started on new intermediate wet tyres. Kimi pitted for new medium tyres on lap 6, scrubbed mediums on lap 19 then new hard tyres on lap 34. Romain pitted for new medium tyres on laps 7 and 20 then new hard tyres on lap 35. Kimi Räikkönen, P7, E21-03 “Although the car felt very good on Friday, yesterday and today have been pretty difficult. Since Saturday morning it has not been behaving as we expected for some reason, especially in the wet where we really struggled for grip. It was a tough race and I lost part of my front wing at the start which didn’t help, but at least we scored a few points which is better than coming away with nothing. If we can get the car back to how it was in Australia then I’m sure we’ll be at the front again.” Romain Grosjean, P6, E21-01 “I think we can be quite happy with the result today. It was a tough race, starting wet and finishing dry, but that’s what you expect in Malaysia. I spent a lot of time stuck behind Felipe [Massa] in the middle phase of the race and I’m sure if I could have passed him earlier then I would have stayed ahead, but by the end my tyres were finished so it was best just to let him through. It’s not the result we would have wanted at the beginning of the weekend, but at the end of the day it’s more points for the team and we’ll try to come back stronger in Shanghai.” Eric Boullier, Team Principal "It’s not been the best day for us, but when you take into account our qualifying positions and the difficult start for both drivers I think the points we take for sixth and seventh is a solid result. Unfortunately with the conditions today we didn’t see the full potential of the car, and the time we lost at the start was always going to be difficult to catch up. To finish within a reasonable distance of the leaders was a good effort from both drivers and also the team in terms of our strategy. With a normal weekend I’m sure we can expect some stronger results.” James Allison, Technical Director “This weekend feels like a case of what might have been. We had a car on Friday which looked extremely promising, but unfortunately that didn’t translate into the sort of result we’d expect. Qualifying tenth and eleventh – particularly in the wet – was not an ideal start, with the consequence that within seven laps we were around thirty seconds from the front. Our progress thereafter was actually quite respectable so it’s frustrating to have lost touch with the race at such an early stage, but I’m confident we’ll be delivering some stronger results in the coming races.” Ricardo Penteado, Renault Sport F1 Team Support Leader “A double points finish today for the team after some good racing. Sepang is a hard challenge for the engines with high top speeds needed for the straights and low speed driveability for the hairpin turns, plus managing the fuel consumption is tricky considering the changeable weather. We moved to a second engine this weekend to give more flexibility later in the season – looking at how tight things are at the front having this margin could be useful later on.”

Kimi Räikkönen set the seventh fastest time in a rain affected qualifying session for tomorrow’s Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang. The Finn will however start from tenth after receiving a three place grid penalty for blocking Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg. Romain Grosjean placed eleventh after the rain scuppered his Q2 lap on new tyres; forcing him to abort his final attempt. Kimi Räikkönen, E21-03 – Q: P7, 1:52.970. FP3: P5, 1:36.806. “We weren’t quick enough on the intermediates so I don’t think we could have found much more time in the wet today. For sure I wanted more but it is what it is and I hope we’ll do better on Sunday. It’s obviously disappointing to lose three places on the grid, but we’ll have to see what happens in the race. I have no idea what the weather will do, but it will be the same for everyone.” Romain Grosjean, E21-01 – Q: P11, 1:37.636. FP3: P14, 1:37.690. “The car felt better today for sure and we were looking good after free practice earlier this afternoon. We should have easily had both cars in the top ten, but unfortunately the skies opened at just the wrong time for me. My first run in Q2 was on scrubbed tyres and then as soon as we came in to fit the new ones it started raining, so for now they stay new. It’s a shame but there’s a long race ahead of us tomorrow and we now have extra sets of fresh dry tyres in our pocket so hopefully we can use them well.” James Allison, Technical Director: “It’s likely to be a stern test of driver and team.” What do we say about today? It was a disappointing qualifying session for us. Rather like in Melbourne, we haven’t placed our cars in the sort of positions our dry pace merits. Like last time, rain disturbed qualifying and we’re not as effective in the wet as we are in the dry. That was qualifying; the race is tomorrow and we have potential for both drivers to put in strong performances. What weather considerations are there for tomorrow? Unfortunately, it looks like the weather could be much like today, with further wet conditions. This sort of variable weather is what we frequently see in Malaysia and it’s likely to be a stern test of driver and team, in that it’s very difficult to make the correct strategy choice as the conditions develop. We haven’t shone yet in the wet, but the higher fuel loads we will use tomorrow may make it easier for us to build heat in the intermediate tyre. How are we placed if it stays dry? We are looking good on dry pace, especially on heavy fuel loads, so if someone could devise and deploy an effective anti-rain dance we’d be well-placed for a good result. A common Malaysia scenario is a dry track followed by extreme rain, followed by a safety car and it’s in these conditions that bold decisions can bring big rewards. The trick is making the correct bold decision.

Kimi Räikkönen topped the times on the first day of running as the second round of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship – the Malaysian Grand Prix – got underway at the Sepang International Circuit. Kimi set a 1min 36.569secs lap in an afternoon session which was interrupted by a minor rain shower, while Romain Grosjean was sixth fastest. The team evaluated new front wings on both cars with a new exhaust and related bodywork also featuring on Kimi’s car. Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director – Technical programme notes - We evaluated a new front wing on both cars. - Kimi ran with a new exhaust and outlet package in both sessions. - Pirelli’s hard (orange) compound tyre was used in the first session, the hard and medium (white) dry tyres as well as the intermediate (green) in the afternoon. - The second session saw rain-interrupted long runs on both tyre compounds. What we learned today: - The E21 ran reliably, giving strong performance on all tyres and in all weather conditions. - The new front wing works well and will be retained for the rest of the weekend. - The new exhaust package works well and will remain on Kimi’s car for the rest of the weekend. Kimi Räikkönen, E21-03 Free practice 1: P2, 1:37.003, 15 laps Free practice 2: P1, 1:36.569, 28 laps Kimi: “It was a pretty good day. We tried changing a few things on the car and made progress with where we wanted to be at the end of the sessions. We had some running in the wet which you often get around here and the car feels fine. We ran pretty heavy today so I don’t know how we’ll be when everyone is light for qualifying, but I’m happy with where we are and expect we’ll be reasonable tomorrow.” Romain Grosjean, E21-01 Free practice 1: P10, 1:37.915 17 laps Free practice 2: P6, 1:37.206, 26 laps Romain: “We’re still working on the setup of the car as it’s not quite right for me and it’s difficult to understand why exactly. The new front wing does feel better than the one before so that helps. Kimi was running an updated aero package which looks to be an improvement so we know there’s more pace to come in that area, but there are still things we can do with the current specification once I get everything working for me. It was pretty hot out there – quite a contrast to Melbourne – but I felt comfortable and I’m looking forward to making some improvements tomorrow before we head into qualifying.” James Allison, Technical Director: “I’m happy with our day’s work. We came here this week seeking reassurance that our car would be equally as competitive in a very different set of conditions to what we saw in Australia, and the early indications are that it looks reasonably useful. The upgrades we’ve trialled today also appear to be working well. Although both drivers ran the new front wing, Romain was at somewhat of a disadvantage in not having the latest exhaust variation and related bodywork on his car, so he can take heart from a healthy position on the time sheets. The only slight interruption to proceedings was a compromise to our long run programme once the rain arrived, but this actually proved to be pretty useful in itself as we now have a better understanding of the crossover point for the intermediate tyres. Overall it’s been a very productive day.”

LOTUS CARS MALAYSIA today announced the official opening of the first LOTUS Flagship Showroom and Centre in Malaysia, strategically located in Sungai Penchala. In conjunction of the opening, LOTUS also unveiled two of its latest stars, the Exige S and Elise S for the Malaysian market. The opening of the showroom and launch of the Exige S and Elise S was officiated by PROTON Advisor YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was accompanied by Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd Khamil Jamil, the Executive Chairman of PROTON. LOTUS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PROTON Holdings Berhad. Part of DRB-HICOM’s plans to revive LOTUS, the Flagship Showroom and Centre is built on 10,520m² of land, and offers a complete LOTUS experience with a Showroom, a Customer Interactive Block, and a Service Centre, where owners will be able to service, and obtain the spare parts for their Lotus cars. The Showroom covers an area of approximately 1,060m², and consists of sale areas for new and pre-owned Lotus cars. Elegant and minimalist, the Showroom was designed to convey the heritage of the LOTUS brand. Retail areas for Lotus car accessories, Lotus Originals merchandise, a delivery room, and open deck garden and customers lounge are also located in the Showroom building. The advanced and fully-equipped LOTUS Service Centre is approximately 1,009m² in size and will offer the highest level of customer service to current and future Lotus owners. The Service Centre is able to accommodate up to 20 cars a day and 480 cars a month. According to Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd Khamil, when DRB-HICOM first took over PROTON and all its subsidiaries, including LOTUS, one of the Group’s top priorities was to look into reviving the LOTUS brand. “We have many times affirmed our commitment to the future of this brand, and with the launch of Malaysia’s first LOTUS Flagship Showroom today, we are again reiterating our commitment to the future of LOTUS.” “There are currently about 140 LOTUS Cars showrooms around the world, and approximately 65 percent are 3S Showrooms, but what makes this Flagship Showroom extra special is the 372m2 Customer Interactive Block, which was designed for Lotus customers in mind,” he added. “A ‘LOTUS home’ for owners, this is where owners will be able to get together and ‘hang out’. This are will also be used to coordinate LOTUS events such as Lotus Convoys, Races, and Defensive and Advanced Driver Trainings.” The opening also marked the official launch of LOTUS’ latest power players, the supercharged Exige S and Elise S. Already making waves globally, the powerful Exige S was recently awarded the coveted Car of The Year title by EVO magazine, while the Elise S – the latest addition to the Elise range, is perfect for the enthusiast wanting to enjoy the thrill of the ride with even better performance, without compromising on weight. “These cars represent the best that LOTUS has to offer right now, and I can truly say that the best is yet to come. For LOTUS to remain competitive and relevant, it will be necessary for us to introduce more and more exciting products to our customers in the future,” acknowledged Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd Khamil, who added that the way for LOTUS moving forward is to launch products sensibly, and with due regards to proper compliance of quality, cost and delivery. ABOUT THE CARS Lotus Exige S The new Exige S is the ultimate in focused sports cars. Capable of reaching 0-100 km/h in 3.96 seconds, it not only boasts impressive stats, but is recognised by experts as a benchmark of superior ride and handling. Its dynamic performance is also enhanced by the 345hp (350 PS) supercharged 3.5 V6 engine. Technical Specifications ENGINE Mid mounted, transverse 3.5 litre 24valve DOHC V6 dual VVT-I equipped with Harrop HTV 1320 Supercharger utilising Eaton TVS Technology TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual gearbox with sports ratios Constant mesh helical gears and open differentials PERFORMANCE 0-100 km/h 3.96 seconds Max speed 170 mph (274 km/h) Max power 345 hp at 7000 rpm (350 PS) (258 kW) Max torque 295 lbft at 4500 rpm (400 Nm) Fuel consumption mpg (I/100km) with manual gearbox Urban 19.5 (14.5) Extra Urban 37.2 (7.6) Combined 28.0 (10.1) CO2 emissions (manual) 236 g/km Unladen vehicle mass 1176 kg Lotus Elise S The latest addition to the popular Elise range is the new supercharged S model. With its soft top and big personality, the car is perfect for city drives or countryside escapades. Its 1.8 litre supercharged engine, which delivers 217 hp / 220 PS, marries speed, versatility and fun in one sporty package. Technical Specifications ENGINE Mid-mounted, transverse, 1798cm3, 2ZR-FE inline 4 cylinder DOHC 16-valve Dual VVT-I with Magnuson R900 supercharger utilising Eaton TVS™ technology TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual gearbox with sports ratios Constant mesh helical gears and open differentials PERFORMANCE 0-100 km/h 4.6 seconds Max speed 145 mph (234 km/h) Max power 217 hp at 6800 rpm (163 kW) (220 PS) Max torque 184 lbft at 4600 rpm (250 Nm) Fuel consumption mpg (I/100km) with manual gearbox Urban 27.3 (10.3) Extra Urban 47.6 (5.9) Combined 37.5 (7.5) CO2 emissions (manual) 175 g/km Unladen vehicle mass 924 kg