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#31 Kevin Weeda (USA) – Christophe Bouchut (FRA) #32 Thomas Holzer (DEU) – Dominik Kraihamer (AUT) – Jan Charouz (CZE) After a two-month break, Lotus Praga LMP2 was back in action at the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Sao Paulo. The weekend started off very promising during both free practice sessions on Friday. The team completed a total of 78 laps on the 4,309 kilometer long circuit in Interlagos. The target in both sessions was to collect data about the different tyre compounds in preparation for the race. Thomas Holzer (Driver #32) commented: “We were running trouble free on Friday and were able to do many laps. We could improve the car and the setup continuously and I was quite happy with the balance of the car.” In the third and final free practice before qualifying, Lotus Praga LMP2 continued its upwards trend and improved its lap times. The hilly and bumpy track suited the Lotus Praga T128 LMP2 cars and everyone in the team was confident of showing a good performance in the qualifying session. Christophe Bouchut and Kevin Weeda were behind the wheel of car #31, Dominik Kraihamer and Thomas Holzer were in the hot seat of the sister car #32 during qualifying. With an average lap time of 1:28.556, car #32 qualified fifth in LMP2 class and with an average lap time of 1:30.169, car #31 qualified in position 7. Lotus Praga LMP2 was happy with the result and the performance of the drivers. Kevin Weeda (Driver #31) showed a strong performance and improved his lap times in all practice sessions. The American did his best lap time in qualifying and was very happy: “It is good to be back in the race car after a long break. The sessions on Friday and Saturday were good for us and we didn’t have any problems. We tried different set-ups and tyre compounds and the car was well prepared for the race. It is a shame that my team mate Christophe Bouchut only could do one fast lap in qualifying as he was traffic. Maybe we could have had a better result. But I am very happy with our progress and that I did my best lap time in my first qualifying.” The 6 Hours of Sao Paulo started off well for car #32 and after some laps, Dominik Kraihamer was running in fourth position in LMP2 class. After 35 minutes, however, the race ended prematurely for car #32 after a crash with a LMP1 car. Dominik Kraihamer commented: “I turned into curve 3 and lost the rear of the car. I tried to catch it and I went straight, but then it happened. It was a pity that the LMP1 car was next to me at that moment. I am very sorry for the team as we could have had a good race.” Christophe Bouchut in car #31 had to do an unplanned pit stop early in the race. The car was taken back inside the garage after a gearbox issue. The team tried to fix it and Bouchut was able to go out on track again. Unfortunately, the Frenchman had to box again and it took until 90 minutes before the end of the race, until the gearbox was fixed and Kevin Weeda could go out again. The American did some laps to check the car, but the team lost too much time in the garage. As a consequence, car #31 was not classified. Christophe Bouchut commented: “It is a shame that we had problems with the gearbox during the race. In the sessions before, the balance of the car was good and we could improve ourselves continuously. We wanted to run as much as possible to collect mileage and valuable data for the next races. However, with the issues in the race, it was not possible to have a good result.” Lotus Praga LMP2 is disappointed with the outcome of the race but pleased with the performance and progress of the car and drivers over the weekend. At the fifth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Austin (22nd September), the team wants to fight back and to improve again.

Lotus Praga LMP2 is back in action at the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. After a two-month break, the team is heading to Brazil for the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo. The Autodromo José Carlos Pace in Interlagos is located between two large artificial lakes situated on the outskirts of Sao Paulo city. The 4,309 km lap is a physical challenge for the drivers, who have to race anti-clockwise. The high altitude of the track and the low air density will make it difficult for the car and the drivers as well. The race starts on Sunday, 01st September, at 12:00 hours local time (17:00 hours CEST). Kevin Weeda, Race Driver #31: “I had a nice summer break and I am ready and looking forward to getting back in the Lotus Praga LMP2 car at Interlagos. The circuit is interesting and very challenging as it runs anti-clockwise and you are quiet active during the whole lap. As it runs in the opposite direction, your neck muscles get a good workout. We are hopeful for a good result as our new car is continually improving and we are progressing in the right direction.” Thomas Holzer, Race Driver #32: “I am looking forward to racing in Interlagos. The track is difficult because you don’t get a chance to rest and even the start-finish-straight is a bend. Our pace at Le Mans was good and hopefully we can keep on progressing. I hope that we can have a good result and I am looking forward to being back in the car.”

#31 Thomas Holzer (GER) – Mirco Schultis (GER) – Luca Moro (ITA) #32 Kevin Weeda (USA) – James Rossiter (GBR) – Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) Race #32 Position 6 (LMP2) #31 Position 8 (LMP2) Lotus showed a strong performance at the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo and finished the race with both cars. Vitantonio Liuzzi (#32) was starting the race and was fighting for positions with other cars. The Italian driver climbed up to third position, when he handed over the Lotus LMP2 to his team mate. After six hours, Liuzzi crossed the finish line in sixth position. Car #31 kept out of trouble during the race and finished in eigth position in LMP2 category. The result does not represent the real performance Lotus was showing today. Car #32 lost valuable time in the garage after an unreasonable decision by the marshals regarding the headlights. Nevertheless, Lotus is building on this great performance and is looking forward to the next round in Bahrain. Thomas Holzer, Race driver #31: “I am happy with today’s outcome of the race. Our car was running without any problems during the whole weekend and we were improving continuously. I want to thank to the whole team for the great job they did and I hope that we can tie on this performance in the next races.” Vitantonio Liuzzi, Race driver #32: “I am happy with our race performance today. We could have had a podium finish, but a decision made by the marshals ended our dreams. However, we proved that we can fight for the podium and this is what is important for us. We are going to Bahrain with a positive feeling and I am sure that we can have another strong performance.”

#31 Thomas Holzer (GER) – Mirco Schultis (GER) – Luca Moro (ITA) #32 Kevin Weeda (USA) – James Rossiter (GBR) – Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) Free Practice 3 #32 Position 4 (LMP2) Lap time 1:27.399 (Liuzzi) #31 Position 10 (LMP2) Lap time 1:28.757 (Holzer) Qualifying #32 Position 5 (LMP2) Lap time 1:27.338 (Liuzzi) #31 Position 10 (LMP2) Lap time 1:28.958 (Holzer) Lotus showed a good performance in qualifying for the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo. Vitantonio Liuzzi (#32) and Thomas Holzer (#31) qualified their Lotus LMP2 cars in fifth and tenth position respectively at today’s qualifying in Interlagos. The Italian was just three tenths off the pole position in LMP2 class, which is a good result for the team. The track conditions have changed a lot compared to the practice in the morning and the track temperature was very high. Consequently, the balance of the car was different, so it was difficult to set a better lap time. The race will start tomorrow at 12:00 o’clock local time. Thomas Holzer, Race driver #31: “We were concentrating on the race setup for the car, the qualifying result is not so important for us. The track has changed a lot compared to the morning session, so it was quite tricky to drive. It is going to be a long race tomorrow and a lot can happen.” Vitantonio Liuzzi, Race driver #32: “We didn’t bring out the best of the car today. We could not improve in the second part of the qualifying when the track was quicker because we used the tyres too much in the beginning. We could have done better, but we are just three tenths off of pole position in LMP2 category. It was my first qualifying and I will learn from this.”

#31 Thomas Holzer (GER) – Mirco Schultis (GER) – Luca Moro (ITA) #32 Kevin Weeda (USA) – James Rossiter (GBR) – Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) Free Practice 1 #32 Position 2 (LMP2) Lap time 1:28.951 (Liuzzi) #31 Position 10 (LMP2) Lap time 1:31.187 (Holzer) Free Practice 2 #32 Position 6 (LMP2) Lap time 1:28.234 (Rossiter) #31 Position 10 (LMP2) Lap time 1:30.136 (Holzer) Lotus was in action at the first day at the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo. The first practice took place under mixed weather conditions. In the beginning, it started to drizzle but the track dried up until the end of session. Vitantonio Liuzzi in car # 32 set the second best lap time in LMP2 class and ninth overall. In the afternoon practice, it was dry most of the time and the programme was fulfilled entirely. James Rossiter (#32) was in position 6 in the LMP2 category and Thomas Holzer (#31) in position 10 respectively. Thomas Holzer, Race driver #31: “It was good to be back in the car and to get some mileage in Interlagos today. The car felt good and we could improve our lap times continuously. Unfortunately, there is a lot of traffic out there, so it is very important to be in the right place at the right time to set an ideal lap time. Now, we will analyze the collected data and work on the setup for the race. There is still room for improvement, but I am confident that we can have a good performance in the race.” Vitantonio Liuzzi, Race driver #32: “It was a positive day for us here in Interlagos and I am happy that I could do more laps in the Lotus LMP2. It was a good morning session for us and we were able to set the second best lap time of the LMP2 cars. The second practice was also good and we could try different settings on the car. I hope that we can improve tomorrow and have a good qualifying result.”

Lotus is ready for the second half of the inaugural season of the FIA World Endurance Championship that kicks off with the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo. The Autodromo José Carlos Pace in Interlagos is located between two large artificial lakes situated on the outskirts of Sao Paulo city. The 4,309 km lap is a physical challenge for the drivers, who have to race anti-clockwise. The high altitude of the track and the low air density will also make it difficult for the car and the drivers. Like in Silverstone, Lotus will compete with two of its LMP2 cars. This time Thomas Holzer, Mirco Schultis and Luca Moro will run the black and gold coloured car number 31. Kevin Weeda, James Rossiter and Vitantonio Liuzzi will be at the wheel of car number 32. The race starts on Saturday, 15th September 2012, at 12:00 o’clock local time. Thomas Holzer, Race Driver #31: “The Autodromo José Carlos Pace is another race track I have never driven before. But I was told it is a very challenging circuit for a driver because you race anti-clockwise and the surface is very bumpy. The hilly layout makes it even harder to stay focused until the end of the race. I am looking forward to the race in Brazil and I hope that we can make some further progress.” Vitantonio Liuzzi, Race Driver #32: “I know the track in Interlagos very well. It is a mix of medium and low speed corners and the second sector is very twisty. The circuit runs anti-clockwise and is very bumpy. These are the two factors why it is a very demanding layout for the drivers, especially for their necks. It is going to be a big challenge to stay focused throughout the stint. I am looking forward to the race and I hope to get some more track time.”