From these pictures it does seem like Lotus has a very short wheelbase. I think that really goes well with Kimi's driving style. Of course you can always tell perfectly from these types pictures.
@Olga: I wasn't that uptimistic until I read your post, I'm glad your having a good time. I wish I could be there with you guys!
Nicole's latest translations:
ZitatKimi's new gun
Iltasanomat 29.1.2013 (paper edition)
Lotus presented their new car. IS Urheilu presents the changes made to Kimi Räikkönen's ride:
Passive DRS
Mercedes invented the so called DRS-system before last season. The system linked to the opening backwing is now banned, but a so called passive DRS is still allowed. Lotus, Mercedes, Red Bull and Sauber tried that one out already during the second half of last season. However no team has yet got the mechanism so reliable that it could have been used in a race. It's evaluated that it would increase the speed on straights and fast corners about 5-8 kilometers per hour. The passive DRS was not installed in the presentation car.
A more robust chassis
They have had to pay extra attention to the strenght of the new chassis in Lotus technical department, because FIA ordered once again more strict crash tests. The F1-car has to get through the new tests both from the sides and from the back.
More red
Kimi Räikkönen's car has got clearly more red color on the side, the engine cover and on both front- and backwings. They still hope in the Lotus-camp that Honeywell would decide to become their main sponsor. They have left room for the ads in places where it says at the moment "Kimi" and "Genii" on a red surface.
Different tires
Pirelli has changed this season's tires into more softer. The tires are consumed faster so that they can once again bring back the element of surprise with more pitstops. Pirelli's boss Hembery believes that the laptimes will improve from 0,5 - 0,8 seconds just because of the tires.
New sponsors
Burn's logo is visible at the front of the frontwing and also on the sides. A much smaller sponsor is the American tv-channel CNBC.
Heavier car
They raised the F1-car's plus the driver's minimum weight from 640 kg to 642 kg, because the new tires weigh more than before. The rear tires weigh 700 gram and the front tires weigh 300 gram more than they did last season.
Stronger frontwing
The teams have constantly searched for an aerodynamic advantage with different inventions that make the front wings more flexible. This season teams have to make sure that the front wings are stronger, because FIA will in the future do tests measuring the strain of the wings from two different places.
Lotus hasn't removed their step-like front which almost every F1-car had last season. Now the teams are allowed to add a small sloping plate just for cosmetic reasons. According to James Allison the team will cover up the step only if it's a better solution aerodynamically.
Nobody will dominate
by Janne Aittoniemi
How fast is the new Lotus? The upcoming tests will say something about the speed of Kimi's car, but we will get the final answer only in the first GP.
However we are justified to expect that Räikkönen and Lotus will remain in the top group. They haven't made big changes to the rules and teams have to direct a huge part of their recources for the turbo car that comes in 2014 at an early stage. The more the development work is focused on this season's car, the more the design of the completely new car suffers.
That's why it's probable that no team will dominate this season and that there won't be any big changes. This is sort of a gap year for teams but definitely not for drivers or spectators.
Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren will still be strong - Lotus also, unless their financial situation gets significantly worse. The strongest rise to the top might come from Lewis Hamilton, since he is now in Mercedes who has a bigger budget.
The team who best understands how the tires behave will once again be very strong. Pirelli's tires will warm up much faster than they did last year. It suits Räikkönen brilliantly, since he could now get rid of his problems in qualification due to the new tires.
Jenson Button and McLaren have fired the opening salvo of the 2013 world championship, stunning rivals with the pace of the new MP4-28 at Jerez.
Despite a technical problem, by the end of Tuesday’s action Briton Button was almost a second clear of the rest of the field, headed by Mark Webber in the new Red Bull.
“I was surprised when I saw the (laptime on the) dash,” Button said, “but the time doesn’t mean anything.”
Perhaps not, but the competition was nonetheless impressed.
“I could have gone at Red Bull’s pace, but not Button’s,” Felipe Massa, who was otherwise happy with Ferrari’s new F138, is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.
Brazil’s O Estado de S.Paulo quoted Massa as saying Button’s pace was “incredible”.
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel has won the last three titles on the trot, but it was Button who won the last race of the season last November.
Australian Webber, therefore, admitted Red Bull has work to do.
“We’re not having a grand prix tomorrow, thank god, so we’ll work hard,” he said.
“We don’t know all the variables (of Button’s lap), but it was definitely very, very strong,” Webber added.
“(1 minute) 18.8 is really not a slow lap at Jerez with Pirelli tyres.”
Lotus’ Romain Grosjean, whose technical boss James Allison on Tuesday said the new black E21 is “swift”, commented: “It (Button’s lap) is a very fast time.
“But it’s only winter testing,” the Frenchman is quoted by Finland’s MTV3 broadcaster.
Some wondered if Button had used DRS throughout the lap, but he is quoted by Italy’s Autosprint: “All the teams have agreed to use DRS only on the two straights.”
It was a less impressive start for Mercedes, with Nico Rosberg getting in only 14 laps before an electrical problem caused a fire.
The German therefore held back a definitive analysis of the W04, but insisted: “I can guarantee you it (the car) will be a big step forward.”
Massa hailed the 2013 Ferrari by saying it is on “another planet” compared to the team’s slow start last season, but at least one trackside observer was not impressed.
“It is not as catastrophic as last year,” commentator Marc Surer told Speed Week, “but if you watched Massa today you could see he was having to make a lot of movement with the steering.”
Grosjean was happy with his car, telling O Estado de S.Paulo Lotus has “another good car” on its hands, while Nico Hulkenberg was musing whether Sauber will – yet again – have the ‘surprise’ package of the season.
“Maybe it’s a little early to say that,” said the German, “but it was a positive day.”
2012 runner-up Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, spent Tuesday training on a road bicycle in a desert country, moving Niki Lauda to tell RTL he “cannot understand” the Spaniard’s decision to sit out Jerez.
I am surprised that everyone is acting so surprised about Button's lap time it is a good time but really the tyres alone are suppose to be 0.5 seconds faster then last year. Then there is the fuel loads to consider, I am pretty sure other team and Mclaren as well could go much faster.
Well, Pirelli guy said these tyres are 0.5-0.8 seconds faster than last years tyres and Button seemed to be very satisfied to the tyres.I would imagine Kimi is also . Lotus looks good, reports from track side have been saying Lotus is well balanced and nailed to the track in tricky places too. But then again ,would they do something completely wrong after last years car? I do think the same guys are up there again but this year I believe Button and Kimi will be harder just because of the tyres. Kimi liked Michelins and the one feature those tyres had was softer side of the tyre, it behaved differently. Now they say new Pirellis have that feature too.
Zitat von AppletreeWell, Pirelli guy said these tyres are 0.5-0.8 seconds faster than last years tyres and Button seemed to be very satisfied to the tyres.I would imagine Kimi is also . Lotus looks good, reports from track side have been saying Lotus is well balanced and nailed to the track in tricky places too. But then again ,would they do something completely wrong after last years car? I do think the same guys are up there again but this year I believe Button and Kimi will be harder just because of the tyres. Kimi liked Michelins and the one feature those tyres had was softer side of the tyre, it behaved differently. Now they say new Pirellis have that feature too.
Yes that is true, from everything we've heard the new tyres should suit Kimi better. I was just surprised that Webber said Red Bull would not have been able to such a fast lap as Button did yesterday. He must be bluffing.
Zitat von Sonnyfor the updates and thoughts boudica! I'm too busy during the day this week to follow..
Can't wait for Kimi to get in the car tomorrow!
Aww it is shame that you are to busy to follow more closely. I also cant wait to see how Kimi does, I am sure he will do long runs and so on which is what I am really waiting for. 99% of the stints right now is only 5 laps or less, there is not much to read into that. So I guess you are not missing that much right now.
first of all, lovely weather! clear and so sunny!!!
lotus was kind of late to show up again after gro's first lap...but i was standing on a terrace right over their garage and i could see Allison going and checking his laptop screen, all smiling and happy, so i thought it cant be that bad.... We walked a lot around the paddock, lotus has the most impressive motorhome set up, like no other team they even have a kind of a suite flat set up on a second floor level...i guess Kimi can hide there and not be bothered by anyone ....we saw all the drivers and many people like Wolff, Boullier, Martin, Lopez, Sauber, Fry...
Chilton's crash happened in front of our eyes, always scary as every crash...
In the evening we saw Kulta, who was very happy, said "we have a good car!" and Allison who was again really happy and said he hopes they do have a good car ( we even saw him sliding from a stair rail like a kid! )
tomorrow we'll hang around the circuit again and then, Thursday!!!! Kimi!!!
Couldn't be happier to hear you are having fun! Please pass this along to YiNing as well!
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Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:40 am
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