Last May, Matthew Carter acknowledged that his cost-cutting plan implemented when he joined the team in 2014 had probably been too drastic and had harmed Lotus’s performance: “In fact, we probably went too far last year. We cut too many heads. In hindsight, we were understaffed in the race team last year. Therefore, we did not have a chief race engineer. We also reduced our staff in aerodynamics and design.”<\/p>\n
This situation did not improve during the 2015 season, where the team’s weekends were often disrupted by the late arrival of equipment due to various unpaid bills. The mechanics were thus forced to set up the stands and single-seaters at the last moment in order to still be able to hit the track during the first practice sessions on Friday morning.<\/p>\n
In these conditions, the podium achieved by Romain Grosjean at the Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix seems all the more impressive given that his single-seater has hardly evolved during the season, due to budgetary and human restrictions.<\/p>\n
But this period now seems well and truly over. Thus, no fewer than 33 positions are posted on the team’s official website. The profiles sought are very diverse, which shows that the team is looking to strengthen in all areas. Positions for machinists, surface specialists, as well as aerodynamicists or engineers specialized in simulators are available.<\/p>\n
With significantly more funding and staff, one can imagine that the team will soon recapture its glorious past that saw it crowned in 2004 and 2005, and even finish 4th in the championship in 2013.<\/p>\n