The Lotus E22 ran well at Jerez!
Lotus indicated that the first run of the E22, driven by Pastor Maldonado, went quite well last Friday and Saturday, even though the team completed only one lap on the first day.
On February 7 and 8, the Lotus team debuted its new single-seater in Jerez for the season /f1/actualite/16930-la-lotus-e22-va-prendre-la-piste-a-jerez.html, the Lotus E22. Since then, little news has emerged regarding these tests. Several rumors have surfaced through specialized journalists: for instance, James Allen (BBC) stated in response to a comment on his site that Lotus completed only one lap, with no further details, while Craig Scarborough (Autosport/F1 Racing) and Bianca Garloff (Bild) reported on Twitter of a successful second day where Lotus nearly reached the 100km limit.
Autosport puts an end to speculation by indicating that Lotus did indeed cover the 100km distance allowed by the sporting regulations /f1/actualite/16930-la-lotus-e22-va-prendre-la-piste-a-jerez.html, as part of promotional tests, on Saturday, February 8, while Friday, February 7, saw the Enstone team complete only a single lap of the Jerez circuit. In total, the Lotus E22 completed approximately 23 laps over two days, more than Red Bull during the first winter testing.
A spokesperson for the British team also told Autosport that the preliminary running went well: « The chassis and the new Renault hybrid engine ran without major problems. » A relatively good piece of news for the French engine manufacturer who did not have much success during the first winter testing session, also at Jerez. On the driver’s side, it was Pastor Maldonado behind the wheel: « Pastor quickly got up to speed and is already well integrated into the team. »
« The car works well and the quality of design and construction is another step in the footsteps of the successful 2013 E21. » The Lotus E22 has already made headlines since 3D images were revealed on January 24, showcasing a front-end solution different from those seen notably at Jerez. A two-pronged solution deemed legal and clever by Charlie Whiting, FIA delegate.
Lotus will make its official debut this season during the upcoming Bahrain tests (from February 19 to 22, live and in full on MotorsInside), and there is no doubt that all eyes will be on the black, gold, and red team: « We are eager to start our testing program next week in Bahrain, where we will begin to see the potential of our new package, » concluded the team spokesperson.
Update at 18:30: Interviewed by Infosport +, Gérard Lopez, the owner and interim director of Lotus F1, reflected on these tests: « We were very well prepared and reached the limit of authorized kilometers on the second day. Without any issues, no overheating, software, hydraulic, or anything else problems. The car ran like clockwork, which is quite amazing when you look at what happened in Jerez the first time. We are ready to arrive in Bahrain and start running from the first hour of testing. We have no problem with either the chassis or the Renault engine. »
