أرشيف وسم ‘ E20 ’

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2012

All eyes on Lotus for high speed double header

All eyes will be on Lotus' already-competitive black and gold E20 at high speed Spa and Monza. Technical boss James Allison confirmed recently the Enstone based team intended to debut its so-called 'double DRS' system in Belgium. Sky television pundit Ted Kravitz said the device, so far only tested in Friday practice sessions, works at any point of a circuit over 150mph. Historic Spa and Monza, the F1 double-header taking place over the next two weekends, are among the fastest circuits on the calendar. "They […]

Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2012

Grosjean hoping upgrades pay off

Romain Grosjean is hoping that planned upgrades to the Lotus E20 will boost the team when F1 returns in Belgium next weekend. Grosjean sits eighth in the championship, level on points with Jenson Button. "It’s going to be good. I hope the upgrades to the car are going to make the difference. If we’d had the pace we  displayed at Budapest on a more normal track with better places to overtake we could have taken the win. Spa is a more regular circuit with good […]

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2012

Raikkonen: It would be great to win at Spa for a fifth time

After a strong second position last time out in Budapest, Kimi Räikkönen arrives at one his very favourite circuits - where he already has four wins to his name - with everything to play for. You were second in Budapest before the summer break ; how good would it be to get that elusive win at Spa? Usually I’ve achieved good results at the Belgian Grand Prix, but what’s happened before doesn’t help me right now. Saying that though it doesn’t do any harm either. […]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Piquet jr slams driver lineup at Lotus

Nelson Piquet Jr has slammed the driver lineup of his former Formula One team. Scoring just 19 points in his 28 races for the works Renault team in 2008 and 2009, the now 27-year-old Brazilian turned to Nascar racing after leaving F1 amid the 'crashgate' scandal. Enstone based Renault is now Genii-owned Lotus, and while Piquet says the black and gold E20 is a "very good car", he evidently has no admiration for the men at the wheel. His main target is Romain Grosjean, the […]

Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Raikkonen a real threat in 2012 says Whitmarsh

Martin Whitmarsh, a former boss of the famous Finn some years ago, has admitted he has been impressed by Kimi Raikkonen in 2012. The pair worked together between 2002 and 2006, when the now 32-year-old won nine grands prix for McLaren. Raikkonen switched to Ferrari in 2007, winning nine more races and the title, but after 2009 he quit Formula One to go rallying and Nascar racing. He has returned to F1 with Lotus this year, and despite not yet adding to his tally of […]

Posted on Monday, August 6, 2012

Lotus pushing to debut 'double DRS' at Spa

Technical boss James Allison has confirmed speculation Lotus intends to debut its so-called 'double DRS' system in Belgium next month. On British broadcaster Sky's 'F1 Show', television pundit Ted Kravitz explained that - unlike Mercedes' pioneering device - the Lotus version is in fact not attached to the rear wing DRS. He said Lotus actually calls it the "F-duct". "(In a race) you can only use DRS at one point on the circuit, where they'll have this straightline speed boost at pretty much any point […]

Posted on Friday, July 27, 2012

Grosjean not upset about 'super DRS' snub

Romain Grosjean insists he is not upset about not getting his hands on Lotus' new 'super DRS' system. Last week at Hockenheim, only Kimi Raikkonen's black and gold E20 was fitted with the top speed-boosting prototype in practice. And the system will return to Raikkonen's car for more testing this weekend in Hungary. "We are definitely trying it again here," Frenchman Grosjean said in Hungary when asked about the Mercedes-like system. "Kimi will have it on his car, not me," he clarified, according to Auto […]

Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2012

Raikkonen: I think we’re finding the place where I want to be with the car

Speaking in Thursday’s FIA press conference, Kimi Räikkönen gave a qualified assessment of the Lotus E20 car in which he is making his return to Formula One. “We have a good package but we probably haven’t got the best out of it in all conditions at all races –but that’s up to us,” said the 2007 Champion. “We are still pretty happy but of course you want to do better. We wish to win races but it hasn’t happened so far; hopefully we can win […]

Posted on Friday, July 20, 2012

Raikkonen: We didn’t learn a lot today

Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean took to the Hockenheim circuit today for the first practice sessions ahead of Sunday’s German Grand Prix. In mixed wet and dry conditions the team assessed a number of aerodynamic developments as well as conducting the usual Friday programme. Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director - Technical programme notes : - Pirelli’s developmental hard tyre and the regular medium compound rubber were used in the morning. - The intermediate and wet tyres were used in the afternoon. - Aside from the […]

Posted on Friday, July 20, 2012

Lotus using 'double DRS' at Hockenheim

Lotus is testing a Mercedes-style 'double DRS' concept this weekend at Hockenheim. Britain's BBC, and Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, revealed on Friday that the system is currently featured only on Kimi Raikkonen's car. It is believed the concept is different to Mercedes', with air ducts running on either side of the engine intake, funnelling from front to rear. It is not clear whether the activation is linked to 'DRS', or whether the system simply triggers at a certain speed, but it is believed the […]

Posted on Monday, July 16, 2012

Rene Arnoux tips first F1 wins for Grosjean

Former grand prix winner Rene Arnoux has tipped his French countryman Romain Grosjean to win up to two races in 2012. The Swiss-born Grosjean struggled in his abortive 2009 debut but has shone so far this season after returning to the sport with Lotus' new management. "Grosjean has matured, he has a nice car, and he has done some great races," Arnoux, who won races in the 80s with Renault and Ferrari, is quoted by RMC. "I hope it continues to go well and he […]

Posted on Friday, July 13, 2012

Raikkonen: There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be fighting for another podium

He’s never won in Germany - whether in the European or German Grand Prix - the latter of which has seen Kimi Räikkönen retire six times. Can this finally be the year for the Iceman at Hockenheim? Do you have everything you need to be successful at Hockenheim? Yes. We’ve got a good car, we understand the tyres quite well, we’ve shown that we can be fast and race well... there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be fighting for another podium. What is it about […]