28/01/2013
NEWS STORY
Buoyed by the success of 2012, Lotus boss Eric Boullier is confident that the Enstone based outfit can take another giant step forward this season.
How are you looking forward to 2013 and what do you hope can be achieved?
I think it is fair to say that great things are possible. The leap we made from 2011 to 2012 showed what we are capable of. Add to this the continuity and potential of our driver line-up and we have a very powerful cocktail for the season ahead. Our ambitious plan to turn ourselves into one of the top teams in Formula 1 is coming to fruition and now we need to harness this with strong and regular podium results.
What advantages do the team have compared to the championship rivals?
We are lean and hungry. Enstone knows how to win championships, but it is a while since we have won so we are very eager to taste glory again. We have a fantastic facility at Enstone, and one which has benefited from significant and strategic investment over the past couple of years. We have a highly accomplished technical and design team who last year designed a fantastic car, the E20. The E21 builds on this. We have a superb driver line-up, with the 2007 champion, Kimi, and a hungry young gun in Romain. We have strength in partners and we are certainly primed and ready for action.
How do you see the driver dynamic evolving through the course of the season?
We know that both drivers work well together and their skills and talents complement each other. Kimi has such a wide range of experience and he knows how to react to any situation or circumstance. He's also a superb resource technically. Romain has great raw speed which we are confident will be harnessed in a more effective manner in races for 2013. Both are competitive individuals - as race drivers are - and this pushes each one of them and the team to better things. It was clear how much we benefited from having two very talented drivers in 2012 and I can only see this getting yet better in 2013.
Where is the team's focus in 2013?
It is certainly an interesting year. On the one hand, we have the season ahead and the very strong desire to achieve great things. On the other hand, we have significant technical changes around the corner in 2014 and an element of resource will naturally be focused in this area. On the track, we want to achieve the very best results possible, and this is true off track too. In every element of our operation we want to be the best.
Are there formal targets for 2013 and what are they?
We want to do better than we did last year. 2012 was a good season for us - certainly in the context of the previous season - but we, like every team in this highly competitive sport, want to win. We want to make regular appearances on the podium, and add to our tally of appearances on the top step.
Check out our E21 gallery, here.