Lotus, the E21, Kimi and Romain!

[phil1993]

New thread opened for all things to do with Lotus, Kimi Raikkonen and anything else to do with the team from Enstone!

Kimi: I want more!
http://www.f1zone.net/news/kimi-i-want-more/14745/

While Grosjean believes Lotus is now a big team
http://www.f1zone.net/news/grosjean-bel ... eam/14746/

[François]

Well, it's more or less the same team that won the WDC/WCC in 2005/2006 and two races in late 2008 - granted, without Alonso/Symonds/Briatore (which, as for the latter, is for the best), but still with the Renault engine, a convincing driver line-up and secure funding. A big team, most certainly, and I see no reason why they couldn't win a race this year.

Their inability to fight for the top spot in qualifying is hurting them. Räikkönen used to produce some stunning comeback drives (who can forget Suzuka 2005?) but on several occasions this year, he seems to have shown a slight reluctancy to go for it and fully commit to an overtaking move: when attacking Vettel in Bahrain, and at least a couple times at Valencia for example. He keeps racking up the points and claiming decent or even very good results, but he'll need to be more aggressive when it counts if he wants to fight for top honours. Alonso has shown that relentless, uncompromising drives can, given the right circumstances, help you win a race from absolutely nowhere on the grid.

Grosjean, on the other hand, has been amazing in many respects, even though he has made mistakes and gotten caught up in costly incidents. His aggression has sometimes gotten him into trouble but has also produced some stunning moves which have put him in the position to aim for great results. He needs to find the right balance but I believe he's got enormous potential. He could be the one to score Lotus's first win in 2012, even though I'm pretty confident Kimi will end up higher in the driver standings.

[iceman1]

Audio Interviews with Both drivers before the free practices.

Kimi Raikkonen: http://www.mediafire.com/?ibvaszcfjucmw3f

Romain Grosjean: http://www.mediafire.com/?229ejc2zey7rvic

Join the discussion of The British GP here

F1Zone covering the event from the paddock this year

[Vida]

thank you!

[Suomileijona]

Thank you very much, Iceman!!

[ourafilmes]

Thank you Iceman!

[Ferrari92]

Thanks

[iceman1]

Hurray!! Raikkonen visited the factory today.

[Suomileijona]

Thank you very much, Iceman1!

Kimi's hair must be too long again. He is wearing a beanie guring the summer!

[sportingcp]

To be honest it seems Lotus does have 'Win' capable car but both driver are never able to do it. Give the credit when it is deserved ;) .. I would still put Grosjean ahead of many for this race for great Recovery and Tyre management.

I don´t agree. I think they are doing very well and the problem is the team that is screwing up a bit the strategy and also a bit of bad luck. In Valencia they thought Alonso would have problems with the tyres he didn´t. In Spain, Kimi would win the race if Lotus made him stop earlier. Just two examples. But well as I said it´s difficult to know what is the real potential of the car and if the drivers are driving acording to that potential. In my opinion they are doing pretty great in taking the best car offers (specially in race), and it´s the team who needs to improve their strategies and pitstops.

[mikhailv]

Lotus has had one of the most consistently great cars all season. Bahrain was theirs to win. Barcelona was theirs to win. Valencia was theirs to win.

They didnt. Kimi hesitated to overtake Vettel who left a cars gap but kimi wouldnt take the risk. Barcelona the team screwed up. Valencia Grosjean had a failure and yet again kimi failed to overtake, he just hung back and waited for lewis' tyres to go off and hoped Alonso's would too.

The team is terrible. They are incapable of winning. I still maintain they will not win a race this year. Either kimi doesnt have the b*** yet due to being rusty to make an overtake and take a risk, or grosjean crashes/freak failure.

[donald29]

I can't remember the last time a team had a car as good as Lotus but failed to win a race. Toyota had a great car at times in 09, but also had some low moments such as being the slowest team at Monaco. The Lotus this season has been consistently good, probably overall the second best car behind Red Bull given how Ferrari struggled at the start of the season and McLaren have also struggled at times.

[sportingcp]

Lotus has had one of the most consistently great cars all season. Bahrain was theirs to win. Barcelona was theirs to win. Valencia was theirs to win.

They didnt. Kimi hesitated to overtake Vettel who left a cars gap but kimi wouldnt take the risk. Barcelona the team screwed up. Valencia Grosjean had a failure and yet again kimi failed to overtake, he just hung back and waited for lewis' tyres to go off and hoped Alonso's would too.

The team is terrible. They are incapable of winning. I still maintain they will not win a race this year. Either kimi doesnt have the b*** yet due to being rusty to make an overtake and take a risk, or grosjean crashes/freak failure.

I understand that you don´t like the team or the people who are in charge but it doesn´t make sense to say they have a very good car and then that they are terrible. They are not incapable of winning like you said there were races they should have won and made mistakes, and like I said, I think it was more the team fault than the drivers. But they deserve credit for making this competitive car. McLaren for example this year made worse mistakes and they are perfectly capable of winning, Mercedes also. If Lotus have a good car and a good pair of drivers like they do, it´s obvious they have the possibility to win races.

[mikhailv]

regarfless of the previous team.


Lotus shouldve won at least 1 race. Mclaren have made mistakes but won 2 races more thsn lotus. Yup theyve jumped mclaren i. the constructors. I expect Mclaren to respond as theyve only had 1 driver scoring in what 6 races now?

Lotus lost victories because the team is rubbish. Built a good car, great. But the minds at the track are abysmal. The team is rubbish because they are lead by bankers. Yeah you can change the b to a w and get the same result. The drivers and the team just cant pull it together. one faulters always. Its unfortunate because I want kimi to win a race. Wouldnt mind grosjean neither. But they both need to pull it together and i fear that they have missed 4 chances and now they will not win now. Ferrari was shocking, RB and Mclaren were equal with lotus, mercedes werent with them. In the topsy turvy start Lotus had a chance to shine but instead failed to do so.

If kimi can nail spa id be very happy. But its rarely warm there and lotus come alive when its very warm

[Mar]

I´ve missed the other post . By looking at the time and positions Grosjean won only in 10/15 laps i had the impression he was doing really, really an incredible job, but looking at Mar´s post I admit there is a point, and Romain managed in some way to essentialy take some advantages because of the Schumacher train. So maybe it was not that good, but still was impressive (again look at how he got rid of Button and Rosberg, if i´m not mistaken, next Hamilton and then opening the gap easily). He had the tyres advantage but Lewis also add in that part.

Kimi also did a good race and if he wasn´t behind some other cars, that cost him some time, he could have reached a podium. Lotus have two very good drivers, there were doubts about Kimi because of his 2 years of absence and Grosjean had to prove a lot but they are showing their quality doing a very good job.

To be honest it seems Lotus does have 'Win' capable car but both driver are never able to do it. Give the credit when it is deserved ;) .. I would still put Grosjean ahead of many for this race for great Recovery and Tyre management.

Any video of Grosjean and Paul di Resta incident ?

Or maybe it's the opposite, you are seeing a team where the drivers are constantly driving fast, while the others have in reality better cars but just have weekends on and off

That team was nowhere not so long ago, they have changed almost nothing in the technical department and the car has nothing "special" on it, not a strange nose, no special exhausts, nothing of those things the "top" teams have, nor have they the budget the other teams have to keep on developing the car. It's not that illogical that the drivers are one of the reasons they are looking well in every circuit.

Seriously, they need to do something about qualifying, not just in the tyre heating issue, but also in the mechanical department (already two qualifyings ruined for Räikkönen because of a broken car, and it was costly, for example). They show a great pace on track, but the further behind you start, the more work you have to do in the race, and with so many cars so close, it can cost one race after another.

An improvement in the tactical department would also be pretty important, they are also a bit weak there.

Of all possible things, probably the drivers are the last ones that can be blamed for the lack of wins. They have a nice little couple there.