Lotus F1 Team 2012

[Vitaterne]

I agree. Maybe we could use words E20 likes warmer track temperatures.

Strategy is weak this year at Lotus.

I can't understand why in Spain they kept Kimi when he was 2.0-2.5s per lap slower than ALO and MAL, to have better speed at last stint about 1s per lap. It was the race to win IMHO with better strategy... And why they lied to Kimi that he's 1.5s per lap quicker when he was 1.0s quicker? Do they believed Kimi was not interested in winning race?

The E20 was regularly posting lap times around 1.5 seconds faster, not all the time but both kimi and grojean where eating purple at the latter stages of the race, Why would they have reason to lie about laptimes? In hindsight its always easy to say that they should have let him attack earlier but at the time its always a risk. Although i agree, strategies have really been subpar for the lotus team these past couple of grand prix's.

[Red Schneider]

I said this in the race thread, but it looks like Lotus' big talk of beating Mercedes the last couple years is finally going to come to fruition.

WDC starting to look like a long shot on the other hand.

[raymondu999]

WDC/WCC? Mathematically they're in, but I doubt it. But 3rd in WCC and 5th, or even 4th in WDC is very plausible IMO

[munudeges]

If they had say an Alonso and a Vettel they would be winning by some wide margin right now.

[nacho]

According to Boullier they have an idea to improve qualifying. Interesting to see if this is mechanical/aerodynamic or a setup change.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Lotus has built a new solar powered driver in the loop simulator. From the sound of it, it's as good as the McLaren & Ferrari SIMs.




Article on the new sim & other things at JA on F1--> http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/07/l ... he-future/

[Ral]

I think Lotus need to hire someone to think outside the box for strategies during the race. They have the car, they have the drivers and even the pit-stop times are slowly coming down now. The only thing missing is the race strategies. More specifically, I think they're aiming too low and covering the wrong drivers.

Take Silverstone for example. If they'd covered Vettel instead of Massa, they would have ended up ahead of Massa and Schumacher with Kimi and he could have had a go at 3d at least.

Instead they covered Massa, predictably ended up behind him and Schumacher again and the big Lotus story of the weekend is Grosjaen's comeback drive rather than another podium for Kimi. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying and I don't think they are sabotaging Kimi in favour of Grosjaen, but I do think they're not helping themselves as a team to get the results they could get. It's like the ghost of China is lingering over them and they are now afraid to take chances. Deja vus of Sauber last year, stubbornly sticking with the "one stop less" strategy...

[ParanoiD]

Just sharing, worth a visit...

BLACK & GOLD – & GREEN: LOTUS F1 FACTORY TOUR
http://www.speedhunters.com/2012/07/lotus-formula-1-factory-tour/

[RB7ate9]

I think Lotus need to hire someone to think outside the box for strategies during the race. They have the car, they have the drivers and even the pit-stop times are slowly coming down now. The only thing missing is the race strategies. More specifically, I think they're aiming too low and covering the wrong drivers.

I agree with the strategy fault for Lotus this year, and I think part of it has to do with the lack of continuity for the drivers. Last year, with Petrov and Heidfeld, they were able to make good points at the start of the year, but trailed as the season went on (because of FEE? Petrov? Heidfeld? The Lotus-Name Fiasco? No importa). While their ending performance wasn't all that great, even that experience would've been good to pass on rather than just data. Especially with the driver's feeling of the tires as they approach the cliff matter more and more, not having that past dealing with the pirelli tires' eccentricity has negatively affected the strategy calls by drivers and the pit wall. While Grosjean and Kimi are, indeed, fast (no one doubts that Gro drove a great race and Silverstone and Kimi was robbed at least once this season from a great points finish due to tires), their inexperience with the variability of the pirelli compound has hindered the team when it's been up to the driver's to make that final call to pit or not.

That could very well be what's affecting STR this year, with two new drivers that haven't had the season-long run with last year's pirelli's, it could be a rude awakening in terms of race pace and strategy.

[RB7ate9]

Just sharing, worth a visit...

BLACK & GOLD – & GREEN: LOTUS F1 FACTORY TOUR
http://www.speedhunters.com/2012/07/lotus-formula-1-factory-tour/

Interesting to see the old Renault cars in the new Lotus livery (9th picture down). Can't say I like it when it comes to the pre-2009 cars. I enjoyed the Robin-egg blue letting you see all of the aero bits for the pre-2009 cars, particularly the double-decker front wing.

[SeijaKessen]

Just sharing, worth a visit...

BLACK & GOLD – & GREEN: LOTUS F1 FACTORY TOUR
http://www.speedhunters.com/2012/07/lotus-formula-1-factory-tour/

Interesting to see the old Renault cars in the new Lotus livery (9th picture down). Can't say I like it when it comes to the pre-2009 cars. I enjoyed the Robin-egg blue letting you see all of the aero bits for the pre-2009 cars, particularly the double-decker front wing.

Where's the illegal championship-winning car from 1994?

I find it interesting how they have the B193 and B195, but don't have the B194.

[stefan_]

I think nobody wants to go down the TC road again...

Nice article on Speedhunters though, I don't like seeing older cars in the new livery, but sponsorships are sponsorships, and I highly doubt that there are the actual chassis that raced.
I really like the CFD department.

[ParanoiD]

The fact that the factory was mostly underground and use much solar power turned me on

[raymondu999]

Ummm... thanks for letting us know?

[ParanoiD]

Ummm... thanks for letting us know?