Romain Grosjean does not get carried away after Mugello

Ultimately benefiting from two days of testing instead of just one, after his team decided it would be more productive to conduct their Mugello tests with only one driver following the rain that soaked the Italian circuit on Tuesday, Romain Grosjean topped the timesheet twice, sharing it with Kamui Kobayashi on Wednesday before reclaiming the lead on Thursday: « We conducted a specific program to evaluate the elements. So, being faster than our competitors without really trying to ‘set times’ is satisfying. I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made here in Italy, and I can’t wait to see how it translates into lap times in Barcelona. »

The performances of Lotus at Mugello as well as during the Bahrain Grand Prix have obviously not gone unnoticed and have hardly remained without comments in the paddock: « If you look at all the races and testing, then the Lotus is the most consistent car on the grid » observes Mark Webber in the pages of Auto Motor und Sport.

Will it, however, be enough to make Lotus a serious contender in the title race? Romain Grosjean remains cautious: “Honestly, we are not thinking about that at the moment. Our goal is the fourth place in the constructors’ championship, and that is what we are focused on. There are some big teams, and we want to beat them, but it’s never easy in such a competitive field. For me personally, it’s my first season in Formula One, and my priority this year is to score good points for the team and build on that. If we find ourselves on the podium again, it will be fantastic, and of course, if we take another step forward, it would be even better, but there is still a long way to go and a lot of work to do,” confides the Geneva native, who recently defined victory as the next step after his podium in Bahrain.

Nevertheless, the French driver leaves Mugello brimming with confidence at the wheel of a Lotus E20 that continues to showcase its full potential: « The car behaves better as we continue to work on it, which is obviously great because it means we are on the right track with the modifications we’re making. We also have a much better understanding of how the E20 functions now compared to the start of the season, which gives us a better idea of what can help us exploit more of its potential. The most important point for me is that the car performs well with a range of different settings and under different conditions: it is easy to drive, and that makes everything else easier. »

For Alan Permane, track operations director, the Mugello tests have been interesting: « After analyzing yesterday’s data, we conducted further successive tests on our suspension setups. […] We also evaluated some underbody developments for Barcelona, as well as a rear suspension upgrade installed later in the day. Mugello is quite tough on the tires, not from a wear standpoint but rather because of the high speeds that generate significant heat. This has taught us interesting things that we can take into account for the remainder of the season. Furthermore, Mugello is an excellent circuit for aerodynamic evaluation, and the time spent here has been very beneficial. »