Lotus: Grosjean believes that the E22 has “immense potential”

After an Australian Grand Prix that was more like a testing session under real conditions than an actual race, Romain Grosjean reflected on the official Lotus site about what could be learned during the weekend in Melbourne and what the next round in Malaysia holds, with the ambition of making significant progress.

« The race in Melbourne was typically a good, long test. It wasn’t easy for the guys, but I’m happy we did a lot of laps during the race. We gathered useful data, and we will now make progress using this data, » he indicated.

On what he learned in Australia, the Frenchman has no illusions but remains positive: « We still have a lot of work to do! Apart from the premature end, the Australian Grand Prix was positive. We learned more about the car in 44 laps of racing than during all the winter testing! The team has worked so hard and most of the changes have been in the right direction. It seemed good in the race but then we had the same problem as Pastor: the MGU-K stopped. But at least there is no mystery about what happened and we are working with Renault Sport F1 to resolve the issue.

For him, there are reasons for satisfaction: Overall, we are happy with the chassis, aerodynamic balance, traction, and fuel consumption. But there are also areas for improvement: Obviously, there is work to be done with energy management and recovery, and we know Renault is taking care of it. On our side, we know more about the setup and the direction we need to take to improve the car. The braking, for example, wasn’t perfect, but it also has to do with the tires. The new tires are really hard, and their usage characteristics have changed. We haven’t gotten the best out of them yet, but we will. There are many areas where we can make adjustments, but from now on, we have a clear setup base for Malaysia.

« Each time we solve a problem, we take a big step forward, whether it’s with the setup, the engine, or any other development. We have seen this with the other teams. » With so much room for improvement, everything remains to be done, and Lotus is hungry: « We feel hungry. We want to continue making big progress like in Australia, not just by one or two tenths, but by big chunks of seconds and obviously better reliability. We are going to prioritize and work as hard as possible. »

He also acknowledges in this regard the entire Lotus team and the mechanics, who will be, whatever happens, the unsung heroes behind the revival of the Enstone team: « The mechanics definitely needed rest after Australia. They worked long hours all weekend and still managed some of the fastest pit stops in the race. The guys were excellent, and with a work ethic like that, there’s no reason not to return to the top with this car and to unleash the vast potential of the E22. »

More generally, he also shared his thoughts on the impact of regulatory changes. And on the issue of driving style, Grosjean is not yet satisfied with the 2014 version: « It’s not as enjoyable as before, to be honest. There’s a lot of energy recovery to manage and optimize. You can’t race the entire Grand Prix at 90% like before, sometimes now you do it at 30%. We just have to get used to it. When you win, you like it and when you drop out, you don’t. At the moment, it’s a bit frustrating for the driver, but those are the rules, we will adapt and make the most of them. »

On the type of race expected in 2014, he believes that uncertainty remains and that nothing is set in stone: « It won’t be easy for anyone. We have seen some of the favorites drop out or have problems, and others who did not expect to be so well placed make a good impression. It’s a bit unpredictable at the moment, and it’s not easy to know where everyone stands. I think Mercedes is doing well, as is McLaren. Our duty is to get back among them. »

The next stop for the F1 Circus will be Kuala Lumpur for the Malaysian Grand Prix; a round that doesn’t lack challenges: « The first challenge in Malaysia will be the heat, the humidity, and the usual torrential rains at 4 PM! For us as a team, the goal is to move forward and progress. The aim now is to have a calm weekend in Sepang, working on our own program during free practice, and then benefit from it in qualifying and the race. Sepang is one of my favorite circuits, and I am looking forward to being there. »