Lotus team boss Eric Boullier concedes that the team didn’t expect to be in a position to win in Australia last weekend.
The car had looked good in testing, but a compromised qualifying session appeared to have cost the Finn any shot at victory in the season opener.
“We weren’t expecting a win,” Boullier told this blog. “We were pretty confident that we could fight for the podium, but to win is great. At least it’s done now, not like last year – when do you win, when do you win? Now we can concentrate on the championship.
“We knew the car was good on tyres, which was the purpose of the design of the car, but from that point we didn’t know what to expect.”
Boullier says that while Kimi’s rise from seventh was impressive, his grid position was not representative, and it would be wrong to draw any conclusions about the car’s merits over one lap.
“We were not in the right position on the grid. We could have qualified higher on the grid definitely, but we did small mistakes in the qualy, not enough track time let’s say to exploit the tyres, but it doesn’t matter because in the end we could recover in the race.
“Last year we could see that we compromised one lap pace, so actually we worked very hard this year to make sure the car is delivering more pace on one lap, while keeping the same strengths.”
He says the team had no worries about being able to complete the long middle stint that in effect won Raikkonen the race.
“No doubts even if we were in the same position last year in China and we had some issues. Now we were quite confident that we could do it, but the second stint of Kimi was the key, and the first one as well, to be able to last long enough on the supersoft. It was long enough and it was fast enough.”
Zitat von SonnyIs Kimi still affiliated with Angry Birds? Or was that 2012 only?
I'm sure the hat will be "updated" throughout the year. If I buy a hat, it will probably be when I attend a GP.
The Lotus merchandise looks so much better than last year. The red colour really makes the shirts/jackets look great!
I agree, the red might not look that good on the car, but it actually looks great on the merchandise.
The look of the car is quickly becoming pleasing to my eye. Especially the front wing. I like how they painted the different layers of the front wing a different colour.
What is also interesting to note in that picture is the degree of front wing flex. I've looked at quite a few pictures from the weekend, and the Lotus wing looks to be flexing as much as any..
Zitat von SonnyIs Kimi still affiliated with Angry Birds? Or was that 2012 only?
I'm sure the hat will be "updated" throughout the year. If I buy a hat, it will probably be when I attend a GP.
The Lotus merchandise looks so much better than last year. The red colour really makes the shirts/jackets look great!
I agree, the red might not look that good on the car, but it actually looks great on the merchandise.
The look of the car is quickly becoming pleasing to my eye. Especially the front wing. I like how they painted the different layers of the front wing a different colour.
What is also interesting to note in that picture is the degree of front wing flex. I've looked at quite a few pictures from the weekend, and the Lotus wing looks to be flexing as much as any..
I do agree there as well. I dont fancy the side view with the big red parts on the side pods that much. But from the front like that, the Lotus looks the prettiest to me. (Vanity panel or not). I dont like the look of the high noses, and everyone else's noses (expect for Red Bull) are very bulky this year. For me the Lotus has a much more pleasing and elegant appearance, and as you said the way the front wing is painted gives it a nice touch. It looks a bit menacing.
The red on the sidepods isn't dreadful or anything, I just liked last year's look at bit better. But the car's overall looks is growing on me.
Many people have been taking note of the front wing flex and the rake. Lotus has been doing a lot of work on the suspension it wouldn't surprise me if they might have found something there.
I'm surprised they still have the "bulky" vents on both sides of the engine air intake. I thought this may have been extra body work (i.e. to conceal vents/air ducts for their DDRS). It just doesn't look correct when you look at the car. If anything, it seems it would be an obstruction to air flow. Maybe Lotus had air flow separation around the engine air intake and this was their solution? " title="dunno" />
Zitat First race and immediately a new front wing for Lotus On Lotus E21 At GP Australia
As if it was still 2012, Lotus have kicked off the new season by introducing a brand new front wing on their E21. The team has been focusing on front wing development for years, and with seemingly great results, as performance has steadily improved in recent seasons.
The new front represents another fairly major step, with modified endplates and a more flat stacked panel. The most interesting feature of the front wing may however be the thickness of the lower flap, painted in black on the new version. While this is likely designed to make better use of the ground effect of the front wing, it also enables for the element to be ballasted, a common practice in F1 as it's an area that enabled weight to be positioned very close to the ground and a far forward as possible, enhancing its effect while not having a negative impact on the height of the car's centre of gravity. By Tomba on 17-03-2013 | Aerodynamics
Zitat Can Lotus-team’s money-box keep up with Kimi’s speed? The Racing Nerd March 21, 2013 No Comments
Translated by Nicole
Kimi Räikkönen, the face of Lotus, is in a superior stitch. Both on the track and in sponsor negotiations. He won’t hinder them to officially become one of the top teams. But how does the team’s marketing department keep up with Kimi’s speed and can they ensure enough of money when the technical development competition starts for real after a few races?
Räikkönen said many times during Australian GP-weekend, that “We have the people, tools and the ideas but it would help if we had more money…”. A sympathetic sales pitch, especially right after the victory. But at the same time incredibly efficient.
Lotus has indicated in a flashy way what they are selling. The car has two bright-red areas; the sidepontoon and the engine cover, above the air-intake. The texts on those areas will disappear immediately after the right deal is closed. And neither driver used a cap in FIA:s official photo of drivers. Also the team’s name lacked a sponsor.
Even Red Bull has a main sponsor. The team is called Infiniti Red Bull Racing because of the Renault-Nissan alliance. And since Red Bull has chosen their label, Louts has a firm position as an ambassador of the Renault-brand although the teams use the same engines.
Marketing co-operation with a car label is a huge media. Räikkönen alone’s marketing value for sponsors is rising steeply after he was in Renault’s latest huge international ad-campaign. There is a lot to sell but there is also challenge enough.
The name Lotus is still problematic. A F1-team doesn’t actually own a name, only the right to use it. That’s why they have to separately ask for permission from Proton if they want to sell someting related to the name.
Ever since last year there’s been speculations about Honeywell being very close in making a deal with Lotus. They have waited long and hard in the F1-circles for the announcement, but for some reason there hasn’t been anything heard, although Räikkönen’s victory in Abu Dhabi was supposed to seal the deal.
McLaren showing up on the same fishing ground – since their co-operation with Vodafone ends this season – increased the challenge. Honeywell would suit McLaren well, but fortunately for Lotus they also have Telmex as an option, who paid for Sergio Perez’ career.
Lotus is behind McLaren with their sponsor packages. The team has closed smaller deals all through the winter. They have for example CNBC-channel who is specialized in business life and funding and the record company Columbia. These contracts have a significant value for the main sponsor to-be.
The contract Lotus is trying to close is worth about 30 million euros. That money could give the package mentioned above. Today at least. Since the value grew significantly due to Räikkönen’s victory.
Last year the price would had been much smaller. Lotus-team’s representants discussed actively even with Finnish companies. Back then they could at least consider it, but not anymore.
One doesn’t need to be worried, but the clock is ticking. It’s time to close the deal.
Zitat Lotus fit new sidepods and exhausts On Lotus E21 At GP Malaysia
Lotus have started the season in anger with an impressive amount of car developments. Already at Australia the team brought a new front wing, while this time in Malaysia there is another new front wing, along with this heavily modified sidepod bodywork, fitted only on Kimi Raikkonen's car. Raikkonen will continue the weekend with the new layout but Romain Grosjean will have to wait until the next race as the team were unable to get two pieces ready.
The new sidepods are a rather large update to the car, all aimed at better getting the exhaust gases to where the team wants them to be. The upper side of the sidepod has been lowered slightly, creating a wide channel that aims to pull air onto the exhaust exit. In combination with this is the modified exhaust channel, which features a steep edge just above the actual exhaust while the outer side has been raised, similar to what the exhaust channel on the Red Bull RB9 looks like.
Note the yellow flow line in the image, indicating what is likely to be the airflow above the sidepod and subsequently the flow of the exhausts. It is effectively the downward flow of the air above the sidepod that helps bend the exhaust gases down - which are blown out of an upward exhaust pipe.
The fact that the new exhaust channel is from inconel also shows the time pressure the team was on to get this part as soon as possible on the car. The metallic parts are much quicker to manufacture but respresent a slight weight penalty compared to a carbon fibre version.
Also note the metallic strake just ahead of the rear wheel which further helps guide exhaust gases to the gap between the rear wheel's inner sidewall and the outer edge of the diffuser. It is in this area where the highly energetic exhaust flow is used to bleed underneath the floor and seal off its edges. By Tomba on 22-03-2013 | Aerodynamics
ZitatPAUL SEABY DELIGHTED WITH TEAM EFFORT IN OPENING ROUNDS With the 2013 Formula 1 season already in full flow, there’s no time to relax as the team prepares for the next double-header in China and Bahrain. Race Team Manager Paul Seaby gives us his view on a busy start to the year…
HERE WE ARE, BACK AT BASE FOLLOWING THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS OF THE SEASON; HOW HAVE THINGS GONE FOR THE RACE TEAM SO FAR? The work produced by the race team over these past few weeks has been fantastic. This was most notable in Malaysia where we had to remove the gearboxes from both cars after qualifying, in addition to carrying out repairs to the bodywork and floors. That the drivers were able to go straight out and comfortably completed a race distance – without any install laps to check over these repairs – demonstrates what a thorough and effective job the crew managed to do under a great deal of pressure.
PIT STOPS WERE A BIT OF A MIXED BAG DURING THE LAST RACE; HOW ARE THESE COMING ALONG? You’re right; for some reason as a team we lost our mojo a little over the Malaysia weekend. On Friday our practice stops were as good as they ever have been, but from Saturday onwards we were struggling to string good stops together. The switch from wet to dry conditions and subsequent front wing flap adjustments didn’t help, but even taking that into consideration it still wasn’t our best weekend. We have to take that on the chin, put everyone through their paces with some more practice at Enstone, and work hard to get back to where we should be and deserve to be. Similar to a football team; when we are good praise is due, and when we aren’t we need to face up to that as a unit, work hard together and get ourselves back on song.
NEXT STOP CHINA; WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF TURNING THINGS AROUND BETWEEN THESE FLYAWAY RACES? The priority on pack up is efficiency; getting everything dismantled and shipped off in the most effective way possible. In Australia we were held up by a couple of hours in the aftermath of the win; but that’s certainly not a delay we’ll ever complain about! Believe it or not, the biggest hurdle we faced heading away from Malaysia is the damp. If any metallic equipment gets packed into the freight without adequate cleaning and protection it will be rusted by the time it arrives, and corrosion of course breaks parts.
SPEAKING OF THE MALAYSIAN CLIMATE, HOW TOUGH IS IT FOR THE TEAM TO MAINTAIN PEAK PERFORMANCE LEVELS IN THOSE LEVELS OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY? It’s tough going without doubt. We make sure everyone is kept hydrated by packing in plenty of water and supplements, but no matter what your fitness levels, working in a garage which sits at around thirty-five degrees is hard work; particularly when the cars are fresh from the track and kicking off extreme levels of additional heat.
IS THERE ONE THING THAT STANDS OUT TO YOU AS A HIGHLIGHT IN TERMS OF THE TEAM’S PERFORMANCE THUS FAR IN 2013? For me, the biggest positive has been the manner in which the team has reacted to any issues which have arisen. The way we operate as a unit – identifying, reporting and resolving problems with the car – has been top notch. From the team back at Enstone helping us work through each issue, to the crew at the track who have worked their socks off to get the cars built; everyone has put in a sterling effort to give both drivers a package that is not only competitive, but reliable over a race distance.
WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES HEADING INTO THE NEXT DOUBLE-HEADER? One of the main objectives is to make sure both drivers have the latest parts available to them. Romain of course was running without the latest spec exhaust system and related bodywork in Malaysia, and there will be further additions to come for both cars on top of that. We’re also aiming to get more from the car in qualifying trim. We know the E21 is strong in terms of race pace, but it goes without saying that better grid positions give the drivers a better chance of achieving top results. If we can bring everything together, there’s a good chance we’ll be competitive again in China.
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