lotus preview

AustrAliAn GrAnd prix
15/16/17 MArch 2013
ALBERT PARK, MELBOURNE
#WeMissedYou
lotusf1team.com
2013 fIA
forMuLA
onE
WorLd
round
1
AuSTrALIAn
round 2
GrAnd
prIx
15/16/17 MArch 2013
MELBournE
MALAYSIAn
GrAnd
prIx
22/23/24 MArch 2013
SEpAnG
ShAnGhAI
round 4
round 5
round 6
round 7
GrAnd
prIx
19/20/21 AprIL 2013
GrAnd prIx
10/11/12 MAY 2013
BArcELonA
GrAnd prIx
GrAnd prIx
7/8/9 JunE 2013
MonTrEAL
chAMpIonShIp
BAhrAIn
SAKhIr
round 8
BrITISh
GrAnd
prIx
28/29/30 JunE 2013
SILVErSTonE
round 12
ITALIAn
GrAnd
prIx
6/7/8 SEpTEMBEr 2013
MonZA
round 16
IndIAn
GrAnd prIx
25/26/27 ocToBEr 2013
nEW dELhI
SpAnISh
round 9
GErMAn
GrAnd prIx
5/6/7 JuLY 2013
MonAco
23/25/26 MAY 2013
MonTE cArLo
round 10
hunGArIAn
GrAnd
prIx
26/27/28 JuLY 2013
nurBurGrInG
BudApEST
round 13
round 14
SInGAporE
GrAnd
prIx
20/21/22 SEpTEMBEr 2013
round 17
ABu dhABI
GrAnd
prIx
1/2/3 noVEMBEr 2013
YAS MArInA
round 3
chInESE
GrAnd
prIx
12/13/14 AprIL 2013
3
1
0
2
VIEW
PRE
cAnAdIAn
round 11
BELGIAn
GrAnd
prIx
23/24/25 AuGuST 2013
SpA-frAncorchAMpS
round 15
KorEAn
JApAnESE
2
Kimi Räikkönen
YEonGAM
SuZuKA
4
Romain Grosjean
GrAnd
prIx
4/5/6 ocToBEr 2013
round
18
unITEd STATES
GrAnd
prIx
15/16/17 noVEMBEr 2013
AuSTIn
GrAnd
prIx
11/12/13 ocToBEr 2013
round 19
BrAZILIAn
GrAnd
prIx
22/23/24 noVEMBEr 2013
InTErLAGoS
Q&A
Q&A
14
Winter Test Review
16
Räikkönen Revealed
20
Inside Line
Getting close to the iceman
Facts, Figures and all the
latest from Enstone
6
Eric Boullier
8
James Allison
22
Look Who’s Talking
10
2013 Rules & Regulations
23
Reporting for Duty
12
Tech Talk
Q&A
Q&A
An Engineer’s Guide to Albert park
24
social Media Activation
Media contacts
At Your Service
Media resources & Activities
RAcE DRIvER #7
n
E
n
Ö
K
iK
Ä
r
i
iM
K
2
260 • 2013 test kms 118
3 test laps
2013 test days 5 • 201
GLY
n
o
r
T
S
n
SEASo
E
h
T
T
r
A
ST
cES
A
r
T
S
r
I
I’d LIKE To
f
E
h
T
Y run
And hopEfuLL
T YEAr.
BETTEr ThAn WE dId LAS
Our iceman is back in the driving seat and gives us his thoughts on how testing
went for him, and how even the perfect amount of laps is never quite enough…
Albert park is upon us and testing didn’t quite go
to plan for you; how are you feeling at the start of
the 2013 formula 1 season?
It’s your second year with Lotus f1 Team; does
that continuity help you and your feeling with
the team and does it mean you are working well
together?
We had some problems in testing but we still completed
quite a few laps. Of course, you always want more laps,
but it is what it is. We’re all going racing and then we’ll
really see where we’re at. I’m not really concerned about
reliability or anything like that as it was the same problem
which caused us the biggest problems in testing and
we’re on top of that now. You can never be 100% certain
of course, but if you look at last season we had problems
before the start of the year then we were pretty good
when we got to the races. Of course we hope that we can
perform better than last year, but let’s see how it goes.
It helps for sure, but if it’s going to make a difference, well
I don’t know. The fact that we know each other already will
be better – you know each other and what the other driver
likes from their car and so on – but if this actually helps to
bring better results to the team I don’t really know.
What would you like to achieve in Albert park?
I’d like to start the season strongly and hopefully run the
first races better than we did last year. We don’t know
exactly what to expect so we’ll try to do the best we can;
we should have a reasonable start to the season.
do you feel better placed to fight for the
championship than last year?
You’ve had some good races in Australia; is it
good to be starting the year there?
Hopefully, but it’s so difficult to say from testing. Twenty
kilos of fuel can make a big difference to lap time and we
don’t know how much fuel people were carrying in Spain.
Let’s see what happens in Melbourne. Hopefully we can be
fast in the first races and have a good start to the year.
Australia is a nice place even though it’s a long way from
Europe. The circuit itself is not the most difficult on the
calendar. It was good to score a point on my first time
at Albert Park, and the podiums and race win in 2007
obviously made me happy. The circuit hasn’t changed at
all so I’m confident I know which way it goes…
You’ve said the E21 is a nice step forward from
its predecessor; is that across the board and in
every area, or is there more you want from a
racing car?
do you think Albert park could suit the E21?
It’s always difficult to say for the first race of the year. It’s
not a full time race track so the weekend starts pretty
slippery. The weather can be a bit of a surprise sometimes
and we’ll also learn how we compare to the other teams.
You need a car with good traction and the E21 feels better
in this area than the E20 which wasn’t a bad car itself.
Strong turn-in and stable braking help too, and those
areas also feel good with the car so we are well placed.
I think you always want more, but this car is a pretty good
starting point and we’ll see; hopefully we’re fast enough.
I don’t think there’s any area where it feels worse than last
year’s car; so far everything is better. We had good speed
last year, but not enough to win the championship. That
means we need more speed this year. If we can get just
a little more from the car and keep our consistency, with
some better results at the beginning of the year, then we
should have a much better chance.
WATch KIMI rÄIKKÖnEn’S
WE hAd Good SpEEd LAST
YEAr, BuT noT EnouGh To
WIn ThE chAMpIonShIp.
ThAT MEAnS WE nEEd
MorE SpEEd ThIS YEAr.
2013 SEASon prEVIEW InTErVIEW
EnGLISh
fInnISh
2
3
”
rOMAin GrOsjEAn RA
2013 test days 7 • 2013
cE DRIvER #8
test laps 495 • 2013 tes
t kms 2270
romain Grosjean talks us through the importance of
continuity, how his experience from last year will help this
season and his relationship with Kimi.
shouldn’t do. Then, there is the continuity with the team,
which is another point and one that’s quite important as
well. As we go to Melbourne we’ll know the set up we
used from last year and we can work from there. All our
engineers are the same and the way we approach the
data is familiar. From this standpoint we can really work
well and keep everything we’ve been learning together.
During testing I also had to the chance to run with Kimi’s
engineers which was very good. We are a team and we’re
working together; there’s nothing that is hidden or not
shared between us.
next stop Albert park and we’re looking ahead to the 2013
season; how are you feeling?
I’m really looking forward to the 2013 season; it’s been
a good winter for us and we achieved quite a bit of what
we wanted to do, even if the conditions were not always
easy. We’re ready for Albert Park, it’s one of my favourite
Grand Prix circuits, so it will be good to get there, start the
season and do the best that we can.
We saw last year that the E20 was somewhat of a dark horse
and that then carried on through the year; how does this
year’s car feel in comparison?
It’s a good continuation of the E20 and definitely a step
forward; the team have been working hard and are doing
their best to give us a good car. The answer will only
be clear after qualifying in Melbourne; we looked quick
during winter testing but it’s always different to race
weekends, so let’s see what the first race brings us.
Hopefully it’s a good surprise, as was the case last year,
and I’m sure we can have a very good season.
d
GhEr An
G hI
n
I
S
I
r
EEp
K
To
S
E
L
E
B
V
A
I
n
T
o
c
S
E
A
our oBJ BuT I ThInK IT’S rE
hEM.
T
hIGhEr,
E
V
E
I
h
c
A
n
cA
SAY ThAT WE
You’ve been with the team for quite a long time now; what is
the feeling within the garage as we head into the 2013 season
and where are our strengths?
This team has so much history; it was started a long time
ago, has won three constructors’ World championships
and there will hopefully be more in the future. The key
people here know how to create a good car and over the
last four years the team has been picking up momentum.
Our objectives keep rising higher and higher, but I think
it’s reasonable to say that we can achieve them.
Last year you impressed with p3 on the grid in Australia, on
a circuit you’d never raced on before. What’s your feeling as
you look to the first qualifying session of the 2013?
I obviously have much more experience than I did heading
into last year and I’m looking forward to the whole season.
I will try to put all the work I have been doing together with
the team and turn that into good performances on track.
I feel much more comfortable as I approach the 2013
season. Last year there were some highs and some lows,
so the idea now is to keep up the performance that I’m
able to show and bring some consistency which needs to
be there every time. We know what we want and we’ve had
good discussions through the winter, so we’re all looking
to start the season with a clear direction.
It’s also your second season with Kimi as a team mate and
you were both racing quite closely on track together at
certain points last year; how will you approach this season
and working with him again?
Kimi is a good team mate and the relationship we have is
ok. We’re both quite quick and we’re always pushing the
limits. In engineering meetings and internally we share
everything which helps us both perform better on track
and when we’re out there we push each other hard, but it’s
always with respect and fair play.
It’s very difficult to predict these things after winter testing,
but where would you hope to be in Australia?
I’ve been thinking about this quite a lot, but I really have no
answer until we get to qualifying in Melbourne. Of course,
we always want to be at the front; that’s the aim, and we’ll
do the best that the car can do. As long as I perform to my
best then I will be happy.
how much benefit will the continuity bring?
I think consecutive seasons in any category is good from
two points of view. The first is with the driving itself; you’re
restarting a season so you know the circuits, you know the
cars, how a race weekend works and what you should and
WATch roMAIn GroSJEAn’S
2013 SEASon prEVIEW InTErVIEW
EnGLISh
frEnch
4
5
Eric bOulliEr TEAM PR
INcIPAL
“ We are confident that we
have made a step forward
compared to last year”
team principal Eric boullier gives us the his view on the feeling
within the team looking ahead to the first race in Australia and why he
sometimes has stressful moments on the pit wall with Kimi and romain
how is Lotus f1 Team placed ahead of
the opening race of the season?
We can take quite a bit of confidence
following pre-season testing. We didn’t
complete as many laps as we wanted and we
did experience a few glitches both technical
and physical, but despite this we were able
to work through most of the items in our
itinerary. We are confident that we have
made a step forward compared to last year.
how do you view the continuity with
Kimi and romain going into 2013?
That for me is one of the key points for
this year and it’s clearly going to be one
of the assets of our team’s performance.
To keep both these drivers, who are very
complimentary, is the best situation for the
team. Both now know the team well and it
is their second consecutive year together
in Formula 1. With this you can build up a
nice momentum for the start of the season,
compared to last year where we had to
spend time nurturing that relationship.
When you look around at your rivals,
how intense is the competition likely
to be this season?
I think it’s going to be as competitive as ever.
You can see at least five teams having the
potential to win races and it’s getting very
tight. It’s going to be interesting to see how
the teams can perform on a single lap, but
also how they can perform during long stints
and on track. More so than last year, it will
be important to fight from the front with a
good qualifying position and the race pace of
our drivers will be important.
Last year there was a lot of talk
about the pirelli tyres and this year
we have new constructions and new
compounds; how do you think we’ll
get on with them?
The most important thing is we want to keep
the strength we had from last year in that
we managed the tyres well. This is one of
the key points we could see during testing,
but I think it’s going to be another challenge
to understand these tyres. The key is the
6
Pirelli philosophy; we understand the tyres,
however wear is higher than last year so you
may expect more pit stops during some of the
races. We still have to try these tyres in hot
conditions; we’ve only run in cold weather so
far and they have been specifically designed
for higher temperatures, so we may have
some surprises.
WATch ErIc
Going into 2013, where do you think
our main strengths on track lie?
InTErVIEW
I believe we have kept the main strength
of the car from last year, which was very
conservative on tyre wear and degradation,
and we’ve proved our capability to deliver one
lap pace which is important for qualifying.
The team has been pushing to be at the
front; how does 2013 fit into this plan
and where do you see the team going?
There is a long term plan and a clear road
map to the front of the grid. Last year we
showed some peaks of good performance
and were nearly always at or near the front.
I feel that this year we will be even more so
and the key element will be to maintain that
performance and pace to fight for regular
points and podiums. At the same time, we’ll
be preparing in Enstone for the new era of
Formula 1 in 2014 with new engines and big
regulation changes.
We haven’t started 2013, yet the
team is probably looking at the
massive regulation changes for 2014
already…
Yes, you’re right. As we keep saying, these
changes will be a revolution in the Formula
1 world. Our design office started work
on the next generation of cars quite a few
months ago, but asking engineers to work
in advance is not going to be enough if we
want to be competitive in 2014. To achieve
this, we’ll need to establish a new way of
operating which will allow us to be much
more efficient. Our view is that, in order
to be competitive in the future, Formula 1
teams should forget about the way they’ve
been operating for years and should reinvent themselves.
7
BouLLIEr’S
2013 SEASon
prEVIEW
EnGLISh
frEnch
The key element
will be to maintain
that performance
and pace to fight for
regular points and
podiums.
jAMEs AllisOn TEcHN
IcAL DIREcTOR
“We are confident that we have
made a step forward compared
to last year”
technical director james Allison gives us his feedback from winter
testing, why he’s optimistic about the season ahead and tells us where
he sees the competition.
Looking ahead to a brand new season,
how are you feeling and what’s the vibe
with the E21?
Right after three tests in a row you feel quite
tired as it’s almost like three consecutive Grands
Prix. We’re a little frustrated about the amount of
time we lost out on track, but we’re also excited,
optimistic and looking forward to taking the car
to Melbourne and seeing what we can do with it.
What have you learned about the E21 this
winter and what do you think it can achieve?
I think that from right back in Jerez it was clear
that there are a number of quick teams out
there. I think it was also clear from the first test
that we have the potential to be one of them and
the evidence of our running so far hasn’t done
anything to dispel that. We’ll be in the hunt for
podiums and very much looking for race wins.
how big a challenge are the latest pirelli
tyres?
We’ve seen some headlines about the challenge
they present, but it’s good to remember that the
tyres are the same for everybody and that they’re
designed for the racing season, and not the
testing season. We’ve been using them so far in
temperature conditions that are not really ideal
so it’s premature to make any conclusions based
solely on what we’ve seen so far. I expect they’ll
be less dramatic once the season kicks off, but
nevertheless I think we can expect them to play a
full part in the opening races of this year.
There has been a lot of talk of very big
degradation. Is this an issue?
You need to put this talk in context of where and
when we test. Of all the tracks we visit, Barcelona is
one of the more aggressive and Jerez is about the
most aggressive. Using tyres which are designed
for summer, in the winter, on aggressive tracks
aggressive means that you won’t see the tyres at
their best. Even with track and weather conditions
far from ideal, we’ve still completed a satisfactory
race simulation so we’re not too concerned as a
team. When we see the tyres at less aggressive
circuits in better weather conditions they will
perform better. Yes, they’re going to degrade, but
it may be less of a story than some people are
predicting. And it will make the races exciting too.
8
how beneficial for the team is the
continuity with drivers?
It’s definitely beneficial as we don’t have to fret
about any of the issues that we would have to
with new drivers, such as seat fits and brakes;
that’s all long behind us. Our drivers are
absolutely match fit and ready to go.
can the E21 bring a title back to Enstone?
It’s not beyond the realms of possibility. It looks
like we’re entering an exceedingly close season
from the evidence we’ve seen so far. Our car
doesn’t look bad against the opposition from
what we can deduce, and we have a good team
and good drivers behind it. It’s certainly closer
than last year, but we expected this going into a
second season of relatively stable regulations.
Will we see the ddrS ‘device’ out in
action?
We’re a step closer to making it happen, but
it’s something which is still in protracted birth
pangs. It’s a very difficult concept to get right.
It’s a passive device so the strength on the fluid
switch isn’t very large. The difficulty is making
the switch clean, repeatable, strong enough to
trip the wing, but for the wing to be sufficiently
robust. It’s a very delicate see-saw to ride.
Hopefully, everyone will be well aware when it’s
on the car and working at full strength.
There seemed to be something of a preseason storm in a tea-cup about engine
mapping?
As any good team we were pushing the limits to
see what is possible and what is not. You have
a set of rules, you want to find out where the
boundaries are, you do this by asking questions.
We were asking questions to the FIA about
what’s possible whilst simultaneously testing
what we were asking about on the track. By the
time the FIA had looked at it and said ‘no you
can’t do that’ we’d also found out we didn’t much
like it in any case!
What would comprise a good outing at
Albert park in your mind?
A good Albert Park would be to qualify in the first
two rows and to take a podium in the race. It’s
certainly possible.
9
WATch JAMES
ALLISon’S
2013 SEASon
prEVIEW
InTErVIEW
EnGLISh
A good Albert Park
would be a first
row grid place
from qualifying and
a podium in the
race. It’s certainly
possible.
2013 rulEs And rEGu
lAtiOns
With significant rule changes around the corner in 2014,
this season is one of relative stability for both poacher and
gamekeeper. nevertheless, there is some minor fettlement afoot.
TEchnIcAL rEGuLATIonS
Suspension Members – no More than Six
Active double-drS Systems – Banned
Active drag reducing devices which make use of the DRS
system have been banned. Not only is it now forbidden for
the rear wing end plates to transport air around the car,
but a similar rule also applies to the centre section of the
front wing. This will not, however, affect passive systems
such as Lotus F1 Team’s ‘Device’.
Stepped noses – Allowed but not compulsory
While the maximum height limit remains unaltered for the
noses of the cars, automotive plastic surgery can occur to the
noses with non-structural ‘vanity’ panels allowed to be fitted.
front Wing Stiffness – Stiffer
Lest there be any funny business afoot with front wing
angle ingenuity, a further deflection test has been
introduced to ensure that the front wing assembly
remains as rigid as possible as speed increases, with a the
new test seeking to ensure that the front wing assembly is
not capable of rotating the nose up or down around a lap.
front Wing Tolerances – no More
Previously there was an implied tolerance to the
front wing – nominally to allow for the difficulty of
manufacturing to such precise limits – which meant teams
could cheekily run up to 3mm lower than the regs allowed.
No more, as this year there’s a zero tolerance policy with
double demerit points for infringement.
10
A traditional Formula 1 suspension system has 6 members,
namely the top wishbone front leg, top wishbone rear leg,
lower wishbone front leg, lower wishbone rear leg, trackrod
and push / pullrod. Some clever bod realised this could be
exploited with spurious additional members in the quest for
more aero surfaces to harness the power of the air. The teams
agreed this would be silly and banned it before anyone could try.
SporTInG rEGuLATIonS
drS deployment – only When Good
and proper
Since its inception in 2011, drivers have been free
to deploy the DRS [Drag Reduction System] at any
time which seems fun to them during practice and
qualifying. In 2013 however, new rules stipulate that
DRS usage will be restricted to designated activation
zones as used during the races themselves.
Minimum Weight – Burgeons by 2kg
force Majeure – Get out and push Marjory
Minor increases in the weight of Pirelli’s 2013 Formula 1
tyre range have led to the minimum weight limit for each
car and driver combination to be increased from 640kg
to 642kg, with mandatory weight distribution regulations
adjusted accordingly.
In previous seasons, the ‘force majeure’ allowance
has provided teams with some leeway in terms of
fuel levels remaining in a car should it stop on track
during qualifying. To forestall any potential cheekiness
in this area this element has been removed from the
regulations for 2013, with rules now stating that any
car which stops out on track must have enough fuel
for the mandatory one-litre minimum sample plus an
additional quantity proportional to the amount of fuel
that would have been used in returning to the pits [as
determined by the FIA].
chassis Testing – Equal Squeezes for All
In the weeks building up to the first test all Formula 1 chassis
are subjected to a series of squeeze tests, where large
forces are applied to the chassis to prove that it is strong
enough to be used in anger. In the past, the first chassis
under production was subjected to a special series of tests
that were at 120% of the level applied to each subsequent
chassis. As this difference was agreed to be somewhat
spurious, the rule has been changed for 2013 such that all
chassis must now demonstrate satisfactory performance
at the higher level of load given to the first chassis, thereby
providing further assurances in terms of driver safety.
Qualifying – Go faster
With the tras de muerte of HRT, the 2013 grid fields
an entry list of 22 cars; reduced from 24 last season.
There will subsequently now be six drivers eliminated
at the end of both the Q1 and Q2 qualifying sessions as
opposed to the seven ruled out at each stage in 2012.
11
AustrAliA TEcH
AlbErt pArK
AN ENGINEER’S vIEW
TALK
This is one of those circuits where there is a reasonable amount of track
evolution. Between first practice and qualifying, with a similar fuel load,
the track can be up to three seconds per lap quicker.
AuSTrALIAn
GrAnd
prIx
15/16/17 MArch 2013
MELBournE
The weather can be blistering hot one day and freezing cold the next.
There have been Grand Prix weekends with 14ºc during qualifying and
40ºc during the race, so you have to set the car up to be able to cope
with both. Normally at this time of year it’s in the mid-twenties and very
pleasant, which causes no trouble at all, but you do have to keep one
eye on the forecast as it can change rapidly. This affects not just engine
temperatures and so on but also how you use the tyres. If there’s a
chance that the temperature may significantly rise or fall, you have to
have a compromise between qualifying and race setup.
rEAr WinG Relatively high levels of
T he high speed chicane of turns 11
and 12 is taken in excess of
200 km/h, with a reasonable
kerb providing an extra challenge.
6 255 2.7
downforce are required for Albert Park so the
car runs with a lot of rear wing. Not to Monaco
levels, but comparable amounts to Barcelona and
Silverstone.
terms of brake wear. certainly nowhere near as
fierce as canada, but it won’t be a track where we
have our smallest brake ducts on.
3 115 2.3
Lauda
3 134 2.9
brAKEs It’s a circuit that is medium to high in
2
Clark
5 233 3.3
tYrEs Softs and Supersofts have been
nominated this year. The track is not very hard on
tyres, but we’ve never seen the allocation of the
softest two compounds here before.
5 230 1.7
3
FrOnt WinG Proportionally more front wing
2 92 1.7
suspEnsiOn A reasonably soft car is
required to be able to maximise the grip potential
from the slippery Albert Park surface. Set-up
evolves over the weekend to match the improving
track surface, as the park roads grow into a
race track through cars racing on them for the
only time in the year. As a counterpoint to the
requirement for a soft car, there are sufficient
change of direction requirements to need a stiffer
set-up to aid responsiveness. It’s important
to have a strong front end, as understeer is
potentially the main factor. Although there are
some sections where good traction is important,
the priority is to have good turn in and change of
direction through the chicanes
Waite
Hill
Whiteford
is used as a counter to the low-grip nature of the
track which can provoke understeer.
T urn 3 offers a good
overtaking opportunity.
EnGinE With a combination of short straights
and second and third gear chicanes, this 16
turn track requires medium to high downforce
and good traction is essential. A driver needs
the engine to be responsive on the throttle to
maximise acceleration out of the slow corners
and carry speed down the short straights,
however the quick section at the back of the
circuit also demands good top end speed. The
resultant fuel consumption rate per lap will be
one of the highest of the year due to the short,
hard bursts of power.
T his final sector is relatively low
speed compared to the rest of the
track; conversely, there’s a good
amount of gain to be made here.
Ascari
Stewart
Brabham
Jones
Prost
1
3 145 2.3
4 180 2.6
T he end of the straight is the fastest section of the track,
with speeds of 300km/h achieved. T here’s then significant
braking into turn 1. T he gravel trap at the end of the
start-finish straight sees a lot of action over the weekend.
It’s particularly attractive to cars on the first lap.
GEAR
5 234 3.2
G-FORCE
KERS ACTIVATED
DRS ZONES
SPEED (km/h)
12
T he last two turns, 15 and
16, are where you want the
car to work best. T hese are
very slow, and are where the
most lap time can be gained
from the car. If you increase
grip through here by 5% you
see a difference of around
0.2s per lap which is huge.
13
the RS27
– 2013
WintEr tEst rEViEW
66
6
sets
Tyres (Slick)
TESTInG,
TESTInG,
1, 2, 3…
sets
Tyres (Wet)
Mileage (km)
3,516
771
With less than a week remaining until the 2013 Formula 1
season kicks off in Melbourne, the winter break seems but a
distant memory as excitement builds to fever pitch ahead of
the opening race.
Of course, ask anyone associated with the
sport and they’ll be sure to underline – with
some conviction no doubt – that the concept
of a ‘break’ is somewhat foreign in an industry
where perfection is the goal, and progress
never sleeps.
“it’s frustrating not to get much running today,
but it’s not the end of the world. When we did
get out on track we were immediately the
third fastest car out there so that’s always
promising. i’d far rather have these problems
in testing than in the races.” – Kimi Räikkönen
Exactly one month ago, the first pre-season
test of 2013 came to a close in Jerez as the
world suddenly awoke to the tentative return
of the world’s elite motorsport category.
Followed by a further two weeks in Barcelona,
these traditional proving grounds saw it
all; from glorious sunshine to driving rain,
welcome warmth to bitter cold, positive
progress to the scratching of heads.
Wrapping things up with week two at the
circuit de catalunya, the team brought the
upgrades… while the Spanish hills brought
the rain. A raft of new innovations fresh from
the Enstone vault made appearances on the
E21 throughout the four day stretch, giving
our engineers plenty of food for thought. An
eventful close to the pre-season programme
even saw a surprise drive for a certain
excitable Italian, as Davide valsecchi stepped
up to cover for the illness-stricken team-mate
Kimi; an opportunity the reigning GP2 Series
champion grabbed with both hands.
The opening week in Jerez brought not only that
unique buzz which can only surround a fresh
season in Formula 1, but some positive noises
from the Lotus F1 Team garage. Topping the
times on days two and four – one apiece for
Kimi and Romain – backed up with P3 and P4
in sessions one and three respectively, spirits
were high within the Enstone camp.
“i want to say a big ‘thank you’ to everyone at
Enstone for giving me this chance. For me to
jump in and straight away be putting in times
quite close to some of the others – even though
the setup was not designed for me – is a very
positive
sign for the team. just think what
“the feedback from the drivers after their first
lotus F1 team and Mr. Valsecchi could do with
few laps is always very important; if you see
a bit more practice eh? if i am called on again,
them step out with a smile on their face you
i know i will be ready…” – Davide valsecchi
know the baseline of the car should be good
and it was pleasing to see that from both Kimi
and romain.” – Eric Boullier
So, three weeks and thousands of kilometres
later, progress with the E21 sees the team
heading to Melbourne with plenty of cause
Barcelona was the next challenge, and a
for optimism. What have we learned about
chance to pit the E21 on one of the circuits
the shape of the 2013 Formula 1 grid so far?
used during the race season itself. The first
Not much, but one thing is for sure; the 2013
week may have seen a smattering of showers
season looks set to be a scorcher…
in the latter stages but a cold, dry start saw
another bout of encouraging pace from Kimi;
with a few niggles from the car proving a minor
inconvenience for the 2007 World champion.
14
Laps
fastest Time,
Jerez:
Kimi räikkönen
[1:18.143]
fastest Time,
Barcelona:
Kimi räikkönen
[1:21.568]
15
rÄiKKÖnEn rEVEAlEd
GEttinG clOsE tO thE
icEMAn – thE nicKnAME GiVEn tO KiMi
rÄiKKÖnEn bY rOn dEnnis in thE bEGinninG
OF thE 2002 sEAsOn – suits thE 2007
FOrMulA 1 WOrld chAMpiOn pErFEctlY.
The Finnish star is most likely the coolest guy in Formula 1… ever. There is nothing
that really makes him upset, angry or happy for more than for fifteen minutes or so.
Kimi is quick to put everything behind him. The cool nature is innate.
Kimi’s mother Paula remembers him only once being very nervous and losing his
cool outlook. He was six years old at the time.
Paula took her son for a regular check-up with their doctor and Kimi had to wait
in the corner with toys to keep him occupied as mother and doctor talked. There
were many toys, but suddenly Kimi became agitated, biting his finger nails and
acting very nervously.
“The doctor started to think that Kimi perhaps had a concentration problem,”
Paula explains, “but it was only a question of the toys!
“In those days Kimi was interested in jigsaw puzzles and felt that the jigsaw
puzzle available in the surgery was too easy. He saw the puzzle for older children –
for 10-15 years old – but could not reach it. The doctor’s assistant refused to give it
to him and told him it was meant for older children, not for him.
“Finally Kimi got the more difficult jigsaw puzzle, put the pieces in place and
smiled. The doctor was laughing; convinced now that this kid did not have any kind
of problem with concentration,” Paula says with the pride of a parent in her voice.
Kimi learnt to drive around that age and – as with putting the pieces together in
a jigsaw puzzle – so he started to become the master of putting pieces right in his
racing, without losing his concentration in any circumstances.
Paula confirms that Kimi’s willpower has always been tremendously strong.
“He is always going his own way. Whatever you do, you cannot change his mind
if he has decided something. As a small kid, if I wanted him to help me in some
household chores – let’s say like taking a trash can out – if I saw he didn’t want to
do it, it had to ask in an opposite way. I’d say to him: “Don’t you take the trash can
out; I will do it myself.” Usually that way Kimi did it,” his mother recalls. »
16
u
o
Y
,
o
d
u
o
Y
r
E
V
E
f
I
WhAT
d
n
I
M
S
I
h
E
G
n
A
h
c
T
G
o
n
I
n
h
n
T
A
E
c
M
o
S
d
E
d
I
c
hE hAS dE
17
rÄiKKÖnEn rEVEAlEd
so when did his parents find out that their younger son
had the talent to become a world-class motorsport star?
“The closest people – like parents – never see those kind
of things themselves,” says Paula. “I think we noticed some
promising signs for the first time when Kimi was about ten
years old and started in the junior classes of go-karts in
Finland. It’s was a father of one the competitors – who had
a lot of experience as a mechanic for his own son – who
started to ask; “who’s that boy in car number 104?” [which
was Kimi].
his mother also knows the strengths of her son.
“An absurd will to win every time and a never give-up
attitude; that’s Kimi. From the time he started racing, he kept
turning the steering wheel as long as the wheels kept rolling.
I think it is that Finnish-style of tenacious fighting spirit we
call ‘sisu’ in him.”
how surprised was paula when Kimi decided to make a
comeback to Formula 1?
“To be honest, I was amazed. Kimi never talks about his
work with me if I don’t ask first, but I heard some rumours of
his negotiations with Williams and I asked him about that. He
answered that he would go to Lotus, because it was a better
option for him.
“It was a surprise. His friends had been saying to me that
Kimi was so tired and finished with Formula 1 and then
suddenly he went back. I think it was very good for him to
have his break as he seems to really be enjoying racing
again,” she emphasizes.
The closest people – relatives and friends – know a totally
different Kimi Räikkönen compared to the one race fans
see. He is far from lacking emotion, far from being blunt and
tough. Quite to the contrary, he likes to help, he likes to be
around, he likes to take care of his family.
Kimi’s brother Rami has two sons, Justus and Tiitus. Kimi
is a godparent of the elder, Justus, and continually brings
presents for both of them.
“The boys are in a way like I was with Kimi; competing
with each other in every possible way. Kimi likes to keep
them well equipped with all kind of racing stuff for kids. This
christmas he bought them tablets; or should I say Santa
claus brought tablets for them,” Rami reveals.
but how close are the ever-competing rami and Kimi
nowadays?
“Kimi is my brother. I think it’s a very normal brother-tobrother relationship. We talk almost every week, we play ice
hockey and do some other sports together. We both have
our own work and that takes time; especially Kimi works and
travels a lot.”
Toni vilander has been very close friend of Kimi since they
started to race together as 10-year-olds and were also in the
army together.
Toni won the 2012 FIA World Endurance championship for
Ferrari in the GTE class and is a very experienced GT racer.
“As we race in different places we have not been seeing
each other very often, but I think the friendship is forever,” he
says.
Toni is a father himself and Kimi is also the godparent of
his son Luukas.
Was it any kind of a surprise to Vilander to see his friend
having such a consistent season after two years’ absence?
“I was more surprised about Kimi making a comeback
than how he performed during the season,” says Toni. “When
he stopped, he was so fed up with Formula 1 and kept saying
“never again”. I think it’s a good thing to have some distance
away from everything and do something totally different, like
rallying. That’s how your way of thinking changes and your
approach gets stronger and stronger.
“Kimi is Kimi. It doesn’t matter how different the cars, the
tyres or the rules are, it takes only a couple of laps and he is
straight away within a second of the top guys. That’s what he
did at the beginning of the Lotus era, too.”
Kimi’s image as a laid back person was seen even more in
his first season as a Lotus F1 Team driver. His physio, Mark
Arnall, has been working with Kimi since 2001 and asserts
that the laid back image gives a wrong impression of how
hard the Finnish star trains.
“When Kimi races he is not laid back. He fights and keeps
fighting as long as the car is moving. That’s how he works in
training as well. Since we started, he has always been like
that. He gives 110% every time, whatever the programme.”
Kimi even ensures that his trainer stays in top condition.
“He gave me the latest heart rate monitor from the Finnish
company Suunto for christmas,” says Mark.
One long-time trusted friend has a big input into how Kimi
looks on track. Uffe Tägtström – one of the leading helmet
designers of the racing world – has been designing Kimi’s
helmets since his karting days.
the driver is very much involved in the design, too, so
how artistic is Kimi?
“Artistic? I would not say he is very artistic, but he knows,
what he wants and he is very fashion-conscious. He is
certainly of his generation,” Tägtström says.
Kimi has always been a certain kind of a trend creator in
design style. “Sometimes it has been that whatever Kimi
brings to his helmet design, it doesn’t take that much time
to see the same idea in some way on somebody else’s
helmet, too.”
Kimi saves all his helmets and remembers the season
just by having a look at the helmet design.
“Usually Kimi gives a hint of what should be on his
helmet for the season ahead,” says Uffe. “I’ll then make
five different versions of the idea with the computer and he
picks what he likes the most.
“Last year he wanted to have his race number up there.
He had the number previously during the McLaren times,
but then it was at the back of the helmet. Now the number
will change from 9 to 7, but there won’t be that much of
change for 2013, just some new partners,” Uffe explains.
At the 2012 Monaco Grand Prix, Kimi showed his respect
to a driver of the 1970s when he incorporated the James
Hunt design and name on his helmet.
“The idea was there for many years, but with McLaren
and Ferrari, there was no opportunity to use it. Last year
it was perfect and the feedback was great too,” Tägtström
praises.
Let’s wait and see what Monaco brings along this time...
18
WhEn KIMI rAcE
S
h
LAId BAcK. hE fI E IS noT
KEEpS fIGhTInG GhTS And
AS LonG AS
ThE cAr IS MoVIn
G
19
»
lAtEst nEWs
iGurEs And thE
FActs, F
new recruits
Top speed (km\h)
308 750
Longest full throttle burst
on start/finish straight (m)
IT recruitment experts
Nigel Frank International
have joined the growing
portfolio of partners at
Enstone.
As the global leader in
recruitment for Microsoft
Dynamics specialists,
Nigel Frank International
will assist Lotus F1 Team
in sourcing candidates
for permanent IT
positions; joining globally
recognised brands
including cNBc, Avanade
and long-standing client
Microsoft Dynamics as an
Official Business Partner
to the team.
As part of a threeyear deal, Nigel Frank
International will gain
unrivalled access to
the GENII Business
Exchange platform, the
team’s elite group of IT
and Technical Partners
and a range of global
hospitality and incentive
packages.
have You heard the news?
cNBc, the world’s leading business and
financial news network, has signed on as
Official Business Media Partner in a move
which cements the team’s position as the
number one Formula 1 team for business.
#showtime
As part of our never-ending quest for unique
media content, Lotus F1 Team has joined forces
with legendary production experts Ridley Scott
Associates.
cNBc takes business news to a global
audience of 390 million homes around the
world. Throughout the 2013 Formula 1
season, this new agreement will allow Lotus
F1 Team’s partners to benefit from cNBc’s
unmatched reach of affluent and influential
business leaders with commercial advertising
campaigns airing on its international
network. This new relationship builds on the
team’s recent partnerships with brands such
as Microsoft, Unilever brands clear & Rexona
and The coca-cola company.
Despite this partnership being in its infancy, the
two have already collaborated on a short video
trailer as a taster of what’s to come in 2013; both
on track and in the digital community. To watch
the clip, simply scan the QR code below:
The partnership will see cNBc branding
on the nose of the team’s 2013 car, as well
as on driver and pit crew overalls, team
uniform, branding around the paddock and on
marketing materials.
280 230 67 58 35 16 3.5
Distance from start
line to first corner (m)
Highest apex at
speed at T5 (km/h)
20
% of lap at
full throttle
Total straight
per lap (%)
Total straight
per lap (%)
Percentage of lap
spent braking (%)
Highest G-Force
at T5 for 1.5 seconds
21
LoTuS f1 TEAM
And rIdLEY
ScoTT
ASSocIATES
prESEnT
#ShoWTIME
WATch
FrOM EnstOnE
lOOK WhO’s tAlKinG
digitally
Yours
Lotus F1 Team’s online presence has
become one of the key cornerstones of our
communications strategy and continues to
grow in 2013.
stephane samson
Head of Team Marketing and communications
stephane.samson@lotusf1team.com
Over the past twelve months a unique blend
of direct fan interaction, contemporary
humour and targeted content has helped
the team develop one of the fastest growing,
most loyal and – above all – engaged
communities in the Formula 1 paddock.
clarisse hoffmann
Senior Press Officer
+44 (0) 7747 468 273
clarisse.hoffmann@lotusf1team.com
Since the beginning of last year, the official
Lotus F1 Team Facebook fan page has
progressed from 50,000 ‘likes’ to over half a
million; the fastest growth rate of any team
and currently the third largest total following;
greater than Ferrari and bettered only by
McLaren and Red Bull.
Rave reviews for our Twitter feed from fans and
media alike have further enhanced Lotus F1
Team’s status amongst the digital community,
while a host of original, creative content
available via the team’s official YouTube channel
has received in excess of four million views
during the past twelve months alone.
For the year ahead, development of brand
new profiles utilising emerging social media
platforms such as Google+, Instagram and
Pinterest will now form the next step in
broadening the team’s online reach, which
supplemented by the latest edition of our
official website – due to go live in the build-up to
winter testing at Jerez – are set to provide more
information, updates and exclusive behind-thescenes content than ever before.
To see what all the fuss is about, scan
the QR codes within the team badges
opposite to explore each of our expanding
communities.
Andy stobart
Senior Press Officer
+44 (0) 7703 366 151
andy.stobart@lotusf1team.com
9,485ter
3,87ions
1,62l imp
on Twit
ress
Potentia
0
0,00ions
267,k00
page impress
Faceboo
5,95s3in 2012 [vs.
4,33e vide
o view
YouTub
791.849 in 2011]
0 k
895,ions90
on Faceboo
Interact
900
707,
on Twitter
0
503,k86
fans: +1000% growth rate
Faceboo
[from 53,136 base)
0
175,80
on twitter
Anna Goodrum
Press Officer
+44 (0) 7825 938 476
anna.goodrum@lotusf1team.com
ben cowley
Press Officer / Social Media coordinator
+44 (0) 7795 121 094
ben.cowley@lotusf1team.com
Retweets
158,700
Mentions on Twitter
0 % [from 51,014
167.follo63
wers: +316
Twitter
base]
Lotus F1 Team
Whiteways Technical centre
Enstone
Oxfordshire
OX7 4EE
telephone
Facismile
Email
+44 (0) 1608 678 000
+44 (0) 1608 678 609
pressoffice@lotusf1team.com
clicks
22
23
MEdiA rEsOurcEs & Ac
tiVitiEs
At your service
Welcome to 2013; a new season and a fresh look at the
successful communications philosophy adopted here at
Enstone in 2012.
As usual, you’ll find the friendly faces of our communications
team on site during race weekends and back at Enstone
during down time, but beyond that lies a host of material
to keep even the most avid Formula 1 fanatic intrigued
throughout the season ahead.
Our new website will soon be launched, following an
evolutionary pattern from last year’s concept with a few tasty
new features to boot… watch this space.
KEEp up tO spEEd With All thE lAtEst updAtEs
FrOM thE pAddOcK And bAcK At Our EnstOnE
bAsE With thE Full rAnGE OF lOtus F1 tEAM
OnlinE tOOls; MOrE inFOrMAtiOn AbOut Which
cAn bE FOund bElOW:
Media resources
Our media portal contains a full library of team press releases, race
previews, fact files, audio recordings, high resolution rights free images
and more.
For access to the media centre and subscription to our press release
list, please email pressoffice@lotusf1team.com
Website / social Media
Available via your desktop, tablet or mobile device, the Lotus F1 Team
website is your first source for all the latest news from the team in
addition to driver / management profiles, season updates and much,
much more.
complemented by a host of social media feeds – bringing you everything
from live session updates to behind-the-scenes images – there have
never been more ways to keep in touch with the team.
We look forward to sharing the season ahead with you!
Website www.lotusf1team.com
twitter twitter.com/Lotus_F1Team
Facebook facebook.com/LotusF1Team
Google+ bit.ly/SSSelc
Youtube youtube.com/LotusF1Team
instagram instagram.com/LotusF1Team
pinterest pinterest.com/LotusF1Team
linkedin linkedin.com/company/lotus-f1-team
24
25
lotusf1team.com