Grosjean and Räikkönen want to bounce back in Montreal

After leaving Monaco with only two small points added to their tally, marking their worst performance of the season, the Lotus team approaches the Canadian Grand Prix with the ambition to turn the page: “Our car has been competitive all season and both our drivers have proven they can make it to the podium in this highly competitive season. Yes, we are coming off a disappointing weekend in Monaco, but we have overcome worse than this,” says Eric Boullier, director of the British team. The Frenchman hopes that Montreal will crown a seventh different winner this season, preferably with a black and gold combination: “Both Kimi and Romain are capable of it, and the E20 has shown winning pace. But winning a Grand Prix is not the easiest task in the world. I don’t imagine we will have a different winner at every race this year. A hierarchy should emerge soon. Let’s look to Montreal. It is the first circuit of the season with low downforce, and the E20 should be comfortable there. Our 500th race was not the best, but I hope the 501st will be!”

In Montreal, Kimi Räikkönen has already tasted champagne and victory laurels: « I have always liked this Grand Prix. I won in Montreal in 2005, so I have good memories there. The city itself is one of the best places on the calendar. As for the circuit, I like its acceleration/braking profile and the challenges it offers. » The Lotus E20 should therefore feel at ease according to him, on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve: « The car needs to be good under braking to succeed in Canada; it’s a very demanding circuit in that domain. You can also ride the curbs here, and our car handles them very well. Furthermore, the surface is not the same everywhere on the track, and it can change over the course of the race weekend. This means changes in grip, and that’s another interesting challenge to solve. »

But the main concern for the British team lies in the tires, as proven in their race in the Principality: « For most of the race, the ground temperature was in the 30s, which is not unusual. Since the beginning of the season, several circuits have offered similar conditions, and they have not caused any issues in keeping the tires within their operating window. The most unusual aspect in Monaco is probably the very smooth surface, much more so than on other circuits. However, the E20 generally performed better on harder asphalt, » explains James Allison, technical director of the Enstone team. For the Briton, the Gilles Villeneuve circuit should thus provide good indications in this area: « Montreal offers a complete contrast with Monaco. However, it’s another circuit that falls within the range of the softest tracks, and it will give us the opportunity to determine if this parameter really affected our performance in Monaco. It will also allow us to see if we can succeed in these kinds of circumstances. »

But the tires are not the only challenges that await the Lotus drivers in Montreal: « One of the key elements is to properly adjust our braking system, with very important cooling to be able to survive on this very tough track with the brakes. Fortunately, the brakes have always performed well on the car since the beginning of the year, they have not caused any problems, » says James Allison.

Kimi Räikkönen reminds us that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve often features lively races, which require knowing how to navigate them: « It’s a street circuit, but there are places where overtaking is possible. So, it’s not necessary to bet everything on qualifying like in Monaco. The safety car also frequently appears in the race. So much so that there’s probably never been a Canadian Grand Prix without its intervention. It’s almost certain to happen again this year. This peculiarity complicates strategies because you cannot know when the safety car will be deployed. If it is deployed, you have to hope that it’s at the right timing for you. »

For Romain Grosjean, the challenge will be even greater as he will be discovering the Canadian circuit for the first time: “I’m looking forward to seeing it because many drivers have told me they really enjoy it. It’s also a circuit that can ‘bite’ you, as we’ve seen over the years with the famous ‘Wall of Champions’. Even if I’m not a Formula 1 champion, I will pay the utmost respect to that part of the track!” Grosjean also believes that the Lotus E20 will help him tackle the challenges he faces in Montreal: “In recent years, I feel like I’ve been constantly learning new circuits, so I think I have to have a good approach! This season, one factor that’s helping me a lot is the E20 with its good nature. We have an excellent setup base that allows us to quickly move on to seeking performance and details rather than wasting time correcting balance imperfections or other handling issues. I work very closely with the team and my engineers to understand the demands of a new circuit. There are always aspects of a circuit that can resemble another. In the end, it’s just about getting in the car and driving fast.”

But the Frenchman, who arrived in Canada on Monday to acclimatize to the time difference, thinks he should enjoy Montreal: « It’s a city circuit, and generally, I like this kind of track. In Monaco, I found the right rhythm. I like the feeling of driving close to the walls. There are very long straight lines and heavy braking. The surface also poses challenges, as we’ve observed in previous seasons. Also, it will be interesting to see what the grip level will be. Finally, the weather can be quite variable in Montreal, as it was last year. I am sure this Grand Prix will offer me a very exciting challenge. » The native of Geneva will primarily seek to forget his Monaco disappointment and the ensuing frustration, as the Lotus driver now only wants one thing, « to get back in the car, bounce back, and have a real race! »

In Monaco, Kimi Räikkönen was not particularly festive either, losing a precious hour and a half of track time due to a steering problem, which should not occur again in Montreal: Monaco requires a specific steering setup. This requires different suspension components to allow for a sufficient turning radius. Additionally, we tried a more precise setup for Kimi. These are things that are impossible to test beforehand, so they were tried during the first practice session. But it quickly became apparent that it wasn’t going to work. The modification requires a lot of time, and we had to start immediately during this session. […] The basic steering setup has already allowed Kimi to get on the podium, but we continue to work to refine it and match it exactly to his wishes, says James Allison. The Finn confirms that he is comfortable with the basic steering setup but also wants to continue working with the team on a particular point, which does not prevent him from thinking that Lotus will soon step onto the top step of the podium. And why not as soon as Montreal?

From the official press release published by Lotus