Three weeks will have elapsed before the Lotus F1 team, and the rest of Formula One, take to the track again for the U.S Grand Prix. The race at Sochi was a challenging one for the team. The Lotus drivers, Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado, took seventeenth and eighteenth respectively after struggling to find their rhythm in a race overshadowed by the aftermath of the horrific crash of Jules Bianchi as well as political dissention in the host nation. The team is looking forward to Austin where the track is better suited for the E22 and where they are hopeful they can score some much needed points.
According to Nick Chester, Lotus Team Director, the Circuit of the Americas is uniquely suited for the E22 and the Lotus Team. Chester says they should “definitely do better than in Sochi. It’s not so much a power track… it’s got some high speed corners that we prefer so it’s fair to say we are looking forward to it.”
In addition the team will be debuting the new nose of the E23 in FP1. Chester emphasizes it will not be a perfect test as the car is currently set up for the E22, however, the test will give them some idea how the new nose will perform in the upcoming season. The E23 is in the works even as the team heads to Texas and thoughts of the 2015 season are never far off. The team will also have a new engine supplier for the 2015 season. Mercedes will be powering the Lotus team next year, replacing long time supplier Renault. Chester maintains, however, that it will be “easier to change power unit suppliers to Mercedes than it was to go from a V8 to a V6 turbo.”
As for the problems encountered in Sochi, Chester feels they have been identified and handled, ensuring they are more than prepared for the race in Austin. The big problem the team faced in Sochi, the tyres, has been highlighted and with the benefit of having already raced in Texas, Chester feels it should be less of an issue. The Circuit of the Americas is one which the team is comfortable on, with Grosjean coming in second last year and an incredible drive that saw him hold off Mark Webber for the runner-up position. Grosjean is optimistic he can drive a good race again this year and his comfort level on the track certainly gives him, and the team, a boost. Grosjean has been quoted saying that Austin is “a really well presented facility with an interesting circuit.” Maldonado also expressed his optimism for a track that has yielded previously positive results for the team saying, “Austin is a good track.”
Team Lotus comes into the U.S. Grand Prix with confidence and optimism. The track is well suited both for the E22 and their drivers, with Grosjean having claimed a place on the podium last year. The problems they faced in both Japan and Russia have been identified and addressed and the opportunity to try the new nose of the E23 lends itself to an excitement for the upcoming season. Lotus is hoping to overcome the challenges of the last couple races and now, according to Nick Chester, they are “looking forward to Austin.”
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