Lotus F1 Team 2012

[Donuts]

Boy have they lost ground, but it's not the cars fault, it's 100% the drivers. All this talk about the DDRS, is probaby nothing that keeps them from other developments, it's just a media "hype".

[Donuts]

What a mess!

Romain Grosjean delivering good qualifying (but far from perfect) run but during the races he´s like a chicken with his head cut off!

Kimi Raikkonen slow (not only that, but I can´t remember a qualifying were he did'nt at least make one-two costly misstakes) as a turtle in qualifying but great in the races!

These two drivers make the car look slower than it is.

[Huntresa]

Boy have they lost ground, but it's not the cars fault, it's 100% the drivers. All this talk about the DDRS, is probaby nothing that keeps them from other developments, it's just a media "hype".

LoL How is it the drivers fault ? You do realize that they have limited amount of stuff they can do over a season ? Doing a DDRS takes away from proper updates, thats just the way it works, end off.

[munudeges]

Leopards don't change their spots I'm afraid and it was the same in 2009, the same in GP2 and the same now. He has no spatial awareness, no racecraft and an inability to think ahead around other drivers and cars. He's fast, but that's just not enough and Lotus need to think long and hard about what they do. It's rather like continually going back to an old flame expecting things to be different. People just don't change and it's not as if Romain is a young driver. He's been racing for a long time now.

As for the Lotus car it's pretty obvious where they are lacking. They need downforce not just for speed but to lessen their tyre degradation. They've spent too long faffing about with their 'Double DRS' when Red Bull have had something on their car for a while now, in secret.

[Donuts]

Boy have they lost ground, but it's not the cars fault, it's 100% the drivers. All this talk about the DDRS, is probaby nothing that keeps them from other developments, it's just a media "hype".

LoL How is it the drivers fault ? You do realize that they have limited amount of stuff they can do over a season ? Doing a DDRS takes away from proper updates, thats just the way it works, end off.

With "they" I mean the team obviously! Yes, the drivers have not performed in qualifying and race. I hope I don't have to tell you which driver has been underperforming in qualifying and which has been underperforming in the races.

You obviously don't know that they are bringing a lot of other updates all the time. There's going to be a big update in Korea, they are far from putting their whole budget on the DDRS. If you read the interviews, they don't seem at all worried about the DDRS, it's a long time project, because it also legal for next year!

[Ral]

Yeah, I have to say, as a Kimi fan I hope that his qualifying performance will have the same progression Schumacher's did in his comeback. I mean, there's no getting away from the fact that he's been quite error-prone on the single lap. A lot more so than I seem to remember him being (although I am entirely open to being corrected on that).

[Ral]

As pointed out in the Lotus car thread though, as it stands the Lotus device will be legal next year whereas the RBR one will not. So in that respect, all their experience with it may (or may not) give them a bit of an advantage for next season. But all indictations are it must take quite a bit of experimenting because Mercedes have made a lot more miles with it on their car in Magny Cours and they opted not to use it in Suzuka either.

As Williams with Maldonado+PDSVA, I think Lotus will need to weigh up the amount of Total sponsorship they are getting in with Grosjean vs. the amount they are losing with him crashing out. Lucky for Lotus, they are still in a position to take 3d in the constructor's championship because of Raikkonen's racing (if not qualifying) whereas it does seem likely imho that Williams have actually lost a position to Force India at least because Senna has been unable to compensate to the same degree. But If Massa is now seriously back on form for the rest of the season, Grosjean will need to start bringing in the points as well.

Both teams kinda gambled on their driver lineup I guess and Lotus' worked out a bit better. For now.

[Huntresa]

Boy have they lost ground, but it's not the cars fault, it's 100% the drivers. All this talk about the DDRS, is probaby nothing that keeps them from other developments, it's just a media "hype".

LoL How is it the drivers fault ? You do realize that they have limited amount of stuff they can do over a season ? Doing a DDRS takes away from proper updates, thats just the way it works, end off.

With "they" I mean the team obviously! Yes, the drivers have not performed in qualifying and race. I hope I don't have to tell you which driver has been underperforming in qualifying and which has been underperforming in the races.

You obviously don't know that they are bringing a lot of other updates all the time. There's going to be a big update in Korea, they are far from putting their whole budget on the DDRS. If you read the interviews, they don't seem at all worried about the DDRS, it's a long time project, because it also legal for next year!

So where has the pace from Hungary gone ? I know DDRS hasnt taken away they entire budget, but its still an unforseen expense they didnt know about when the season started and had a plan ready, and yes im well aware of the updates coming since this is the first year with the new philisophy with pushing to the end.

[RB7ate9]

If Ferrari and Lotus decide to give the boot to Massa and Grosjean, respectively, I would like to see Massa replace Grosjean!

To think, Kimi and Massa back on the same team again!

But, seriously, Lotus principals have to be weighing what to do with Grosjean:

1. Keep Grosjean with the benefit of continuity and focus on improving Grosjean's racecraft
2. Let go of Grosjean and hope that a new driver can round out the line-up with Kimi.

Both are rough propositions.

[munudeges]

Boy have they lost ground, but it's not the cars fault, it's 100% the drivers.

Your avatar is telling us all where this nonsense is coming from.

It's pretty obvious where the shortcomings of that Lotus car have been, even when it has, on occasions, looked fast. It's also crystal clear that the car has dropped back relative to other teams in the past few races.

[munudeges]

These two drivers make the car look slower than it is.

The car is what it is, and your avatar....is what it is.

It's pretty clear what the shortcomings of this car have been even when it has looked fast at odd times and it is absolutely crystal clear they have fallen back performance-wise in relation to other teams in the past few races. Raikkonen's sixth today was as good as it was going to get.

[Donuts]

These two drivers make the car look slower than it is.

The car is what it is, and your avatar....is what it is.

It's pretty clear what the shortcomings of this car have been even when it has looked fast at odd times and it is absolutely crystal clear they have fallen back performance-wise in relation to other teams in the past few races. Raikkonen's sixth today was as good as it was going to get.

My avatar has nothing to do with it, I've followed Kimi Raikkonen closely in qualifying all season. I think he's really good in the races, but qualifying is never "perfect". Hence Romain Grosjean out qualifying him...

[Donuts]

Boy have they lost ground, but it's not the cars fault, it's 100% the drivers.

Your avatar is telling us all where this nonsense is coming from.

It's pretty obvious where the shortcomings of that Lotus car have been, even when it has, on occasions, looked fast. It's also crystal clear that the car has dropped back relative to other teams in the past few races.

It's obvious you say? Have you even watched Kimi Raikkonen in qualifying? He's not putting the E20 where it belongs. I like Kimi Raikkonen as much as Robert Kubica, but I'm never going to say that any of them are better than the car if they are'nt. I'm sorry I don't think Kimi Raikkonen has performed in qualifying this season.

Crystal clear? Is that why Romain Grosjean qualified in 5th place and Kimi Raikkonen looked to be on his best qualifying position all season before he spun (James Allison: a potential third)? You had two high speed circuits were the team knew they where not going to be competitive (especially Monza is a tricky one since it's a one off with totallt different high-speed package) and then you had one circuit were they expected to be competitive but beacuse of the rain disturbed practices they did'nt get the setup right and did'nt risk running their new upgrades (which in fact worked since they used them this weekend).

Who's talking nonsense? You obviously post before thinking. Imagine if Kimi Raikkonen qualified as good as Romain Grosjean, where would he be in the standing now? Imagine if Romain Grosjean raced as good as Kimi Raikkoen does, where would he be in the standing now?

So the car is the problem?

[stefan_]

OK, you want Kubica back in the car, we got it. Now try to give us useful information about the E20.

[Donuts]

OK, you want Kubica back in the car, we got it. Now try to give us useful information about the E20.

No, I want Kimi Raikkonen to step up his qualifying (which it looked like he did this weekend before he spun) so he can challenge for the WDC!

Stop looking at the avatar and start reading.