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[intelligentsia]

Lotus Boss Sets Bold Targets for 2013

Lotus F1 boss Gerard Lopez has set his team a bold objective for this season: finish in the top three of the Constructors’ championship table this year and end the season on the same level as the best teams.

“The quality of the drivers; the speed of Grosjean; the development push, which meant that we arrived at the last race in our best shape; the confirmation that for the second year in a row we were able to build a competitive car. If we can optimise these four things we’ll be at 100%.”

Lopez is proud of the performance Raikkonen put in last year, particularly as many people told him that the Finn would be unmotivated,
“That makes me smile,” he said. “I was sure it would be like this, Raikkonen put in a great work load to compliment his talent and the results are the fruit of that. Here he feels like he is being used for what’s most important and for the rest of the time he is free. He’s found a balance. I speak to him every week and he feels good. He has enthusiasm and desire. I want drivers, not robots.”

As for Grosjean, Lopez defends his driver whose wildness led to him sitting out the Italian Grand Prix after a ban was imposed, but adds, “There were other drivers who had more reprimands than him..but he paid the price for the others. However he showed he’s quick. I’m expecting a lot from him this year.”...

http://www.jamesalle...rgets-for-2013/

Lopez target for the team this year is a 3rd place and more consistent front running.

Edited by intelligentsia, 07 January 2013 - 13:50.

[Shiroo]

I need to say, that when Lopez got the team, I was firstly quite sad. But atm he looks like one good team owner, steadly raising team to top

[Shiroo]

"We are close to the top teams," he said. "We are financed by Microsoft, Unilever, and Coca Cola. This demonstrates the value we are recognised [as having]. At the moment we have 547 staff. It's fine."

I thought that they are not sponsored by Microsoft, but only get technology from them

[cokeb]

"We are close to the top teams," he said. "We are financed by Microsoft, Unilever, and Coca Cola. This demonstrates the value we are recognized [as having]. At the moment we have 547 staff. It's fine."

I thought that they are not sponsored by Microsoft, but only get technology from them

They might be in for a bit of rude awakening this year.

Even though they performed adequately in 2012, they were flattered by the top teams having problems understanding the tires and making uncharacteristic operational errors in the first half of the year.

[UprightRacer]

Can someone explain the lotus name deal to me, are they sponsored by lotus anymore, and if not why are they still called lotus?

As far as the targets go, surely he forced to say there goal is third as they achieve forth this year, he's not exactly going to say to the board that 4th will do in 2013. Its just a load of air, there a good team, well see how they get on in the year, they could easily do it if the top 3 drop the ball and i suppose hope that brawn doesn't do, well a brawn.

[Myrvold]

They feel that by using the Lotus name (and are allowed to do so) they can attract more sponsors, that rather would be associated with Lotus than... Genii). This is, as far as I understand, the norm for 90% of all the "Lotus" teams around in the motorsport world.

[Shiroo]

+ They can use it as long as they want at the moment. And Lopez for sure will use it as long as he can.

[Sakae]

Nagging question is, which team Lotus is planning to dethrone? (Please discard the obvious, The Third one). I would not dismiss Mercedes just yet, and the other three would have to have their wheels fallen off their little cart, being dragged kicking and screaming from theirs current positions.

Edited by Sakae, 08 January 2013 - 08:14.

[SpaMaster]

^ Only Red Bull was off the limits. Lotus was tangling with both McLaren and Ferrari at various points of time in the season in WCC.

[Ragingjamaican]

If McLaren have a similar car next year or a just a little less competitive, then I would say them, considering that their driver line up is probably the weakest out of the top 5.

But if they build their car around Button, then I doubt it.

[MustangSally]

I need to say, that when Lopez got the team, I was firstly quite sad. But atm he looks like one good team owner, steadly raising team to top

True, Lopez, Lux, Boullier and Bahar don't come across as sympathetic guys at all. Bahar is now history of course.

However, in spite of all the funny business, financial wobblies with Snoras and Proton and so on, Enstone seems to function rather well and it has an excellent TD. The environment suits Kimi, apparently. So they must be doing something right, which is more than you can say for Merc.

Lotus had overtaken Ferrari at one point in the championship this year - and might have finished ahead if Grosjean's season hadn't fallen apart.

I think Lopez can be cautiously optimistic . . . but I suspect Grosjean will still be the weakest link. On the other hand, he could be the guy that makes the difference. Massa has consistently underscored in recent seasons and Perez is a real gamble.

[beute]

Nagging question is, which team Lotus is planning to dethrone? (Please discard the obvious, The Third one). I would not dismiss Mercedes just yet, and the other three would have to have their wheels fallen off their little cart, being dragged kicking and screaming from theirs current positions.

mclaren and ferrari.

Ferrari is known to build a turd every now and then and if massa continues his 2011/early 2012 performance then I see no reason why lotus shouldnt be able to top them.

Mclaren have a, in my opinion, very overrated line up.
and if one of their drivers is lucky enough to continue with Hamiltons bad luck, then they can lose to lotus even with the fastest car, in fact, they would have done that already if grosjean had equaled Kimis points.

[Shiroo]

They can get McLaren tbh. They have worst pairing from all tops teams imo at the moment. A guy that always whine about the car (in he 2012 he was focused on it and still later said that it is not to his liking) and totally unknown

[Rybo]

They can get McLaren tbh. They have worst pairing from all tops teams imo at the moment. A guy that always whine about the car (in he 2012 he was focused on it and still later said that it is not to his liking) and totally unknown

Maybe, but i doubt it. McLaren had the fastest car in 2012. If they improve on it its hard to see JB and SP, not collecting steady points. I have a feeling it will be slow and steady wins the race, like Alonso did this year. Consistency will get a team very far in this upcoming season.