Documente Academic
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CALenDAr
2 Ice Ice Baby Kimi Rikknen Q&A 4 Dont Look Back in Anger Romain Grosjean Q&A
C o n T e n T s
AusTrALIA mALAYsIA ChInA BAhrAIn sPAIn monACo CAnADA euroPe greAT BrITAIn germAnY hungArY BeLgIum ITALY sIngAPore JAPAn KoreA InDIA ABu DhABI unITeD sTATes BrAzIL
meLBourne KuALA LumPur shAnghAI sAKhIr BArCeLonA monTe CArLo monTreAL VALenCIA sILVersTone hoCKenheIm BuDAPesT sPA monzA sIngAPore suzuKA YeongAm new DeLhI YAs mArInA AusTIn sAo PAuLo
16 - 18 mArCh 23 - 25 mArCh 13 - 15 APrIL 20 - 22 APrIL 11 - 13 mAY 24 - 27 mAY 08 - 10 June 22 - 24 June 06 - 08 JuLY 20 - 22 JuLY 27 - 29 JuLY 31 AugusT - 02 sePTemBer 07 - 09 sePTemBer 21 - 23 sePTemBer 05 - 07 oCToBer 12 - 14 oCToBer 26 - 28 oCToBer 02 - 04 noVemBer 16 - 18 noVemBer 23 - 25 noVemBer
6 Family Values Eric Boullier Q&A 8 Keep the Challenges Coming James Allison Q&A 10 Tech Talk Mastering Malaysia An engineers guide to Sepang 12 Partner Perspective Lotus the lowdown 14 Inside Line Facts, figures, and all the latest from Enstone 16 Animators Angle Cirebox on the Australian Grand Prix
KImI
rA IKKon e n
Q&A
g r osJeAn Q&A
e rI C
BouLLIe r
Q&A
ALBerT PArK Is ACTuALLY noT A BAD weATher VAne For The seAson
The e20 has performed well at three circuits in 2012. Can the team unlock sepangs secrets?
what was your take on the first race of the 2012 season? A solitary seventh place from the race doesnt tell the full story. Overall we can be proud of the way that the car, the team and our drivers have performed. The E20 has looked fast at Jerez, at Barcelona, and now at Albert Park too. Romain did a terrific job to qualify in third position. He was unfortunate with his start and more unfortunate still to have suffered an impact with another driver causing his untimely departure from the race. We took some satisfaction from Kimis solid drive which converted his rather lowly grid position into a handful of points. how much did we learn from the weekend in Albert Park as it wasnt a straightforward weekend due to a wet Friday limiting running? We felt from winter testing that we were in a reasonable position. We didnt think we had the quickest car, but we had a good feeling. We could also see that it was close between all the teams. The wet running on Friday [where we instructed our drivers not to run rather than expose the car to unnecessary risk] meant that we had to wait until Saturday to find out the true pecking order. It was both satisfying and relieving in equal measure to see the car perform at the upper end of our pre-season estimates. how different is the challenge in malaysia? Although slightly unusual, Albert Park is actually not a bad weather vane for the season. Its range of corner speeds and traction demands means that cars which are quick in Melbourne tend to do OK over the remainder of the season. The next race will be much hotter, which poses different challenges for the cars, the tyres and the drivers, but we are confident that our Melbourne form, coupled with our reasonable pace in Jerez and Barcelona, will translate into a competitive showing in Malaysia. Any changes to the car for the second round? We dont have any big upgrades to the car. It is a tight turnaround with a back to back race and we will be concentrating on finding a good setup with the package we have to make sure that we are using the tyres well. Sepang is quite challenging in this regard, due the high track temperatures that we can expect. how is progress in finding a steering set-up exactly to Kimis liking? We have a baseline steering set-up which Kimi is able to live with. It is not ideal for him, and it is our duty to ensure that we give him a system that meets his demands 8 perfectly. We brought a new option to Melbourne for him to try but the wet weather meant that we were not able to judge whether it was a step forwards. We reverted to the old faithful out of an abundance of caution. We will keep persisting until we produce a set-up which is exactly to his requirements. what area specifically about the steering are the team focusing on? Each driver is different in what he wants from his steering setup. All of the drivers have a hydraulically assisted powered steering unit in the steering rack as the loads on the wheel would be intolerable otherwise. The engineers adjust the level of assistance that this unit provides to suit the individual requirements of the driver. Kimi likes to drive with quite a light steering wheel, but one which also has great precision. Our baseline rack is precise, but it is not light enough for Kimis driving style. Our challenge is to produce a hydraulic rack that is more powerful than the current unit, but which sacrifices none of its precision. We have not got there yet, but we will do.
The e20 has looked fast at Jerez, at Barcelona, and now at Albert Park too.
seP Ang
1. reAr wIng
Downforce levels are very similar to the levels in Melbourne.
CIrCuIT
2. BrAKes
There are four pretty heavy braking zones into turn one, in to turn four, into turn 14, and then into turn 15. High temperatures are not such a threat as there are long straights between the braking events to cool the brakes.
3 6 5 2 1 15
SEP ANG
3. susPensIon
Sepang requires a good all round car. There are high speed straights. There are very high speed speed change of direction in turns five and six. There are some reasonable traction events with some very low speed tight double hairpin at turn one and turn two. There are no high kerbs so the car can be ran with a lower ride height than otherwise giving better overall downforce.
TA LK
4. TYres
Pirellis soft and hard tyres, meaning a greater gap between compounds than in Albert Park (where soft and medium were used). The track is very demanding on the tyres due to its aggressive surface, heavy braking areas, long straights and wide variety of speeds and corners.
Turns 1 + 2
good engine tractability required through turns 1 and 2, the second of which leads to a high speed section so a good exit is needed.
TeCh
Turn 3
strong stability from the tyres is required through the high speed corner to aid driver confidence.
5. FronT wIng
The threat of understeer is not as prevalent as in Albert Park so we can run with slightly less front wing.
Turn 4
heavy braking here.
6. engIne
Malaysia sits to the upper end of the power tracks with 60% of the lap spent at full throttle, but the main challenge is preparing the engines cooling systems to cope with the intense heat and humidity. Ambient temperatures can reach over 40C so engine cooling becomes crucial. The RS27s cooling system is refined at dynos back at ViryChtillon, where climatic conditions can be recreated including running with 100% humidity and 40C heat.
Turns 5 + 6
These high speed turns require stiff suspension. The car can be run lower and stiffer as there are no high kerbs in sepang which is beneficial for this.
Turn 7
Turning whilst braking means this corner can prove punishing for the tyres.
Turn 15
heavy braking from a long straight into the final corner, which is followed by another long straight, means a good overtaking opportunity, and a variety of lines are taken here.
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Learning from the race track and adapting to the road has always been the Lotus way
GTE Evora 7
Innovation: Lotus introduced the monocoque chassis, aerofoil wings, and ground effect which absolutely revolutionized Formula One in the 1960s and 70s. The company even invented F1 corporate sponsorship. style: In Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts first fell for the Lotus Esprit, not the millionaire at the wheel. Lightweight: The least number of parts effectively employed, was Chapmans mantra. Just add lightness. But above all, the spirit of every Lotus product is living fast and loving life.
Exige S Roadster
Enstone team has a proven pedigree, and the evocative black-and-gold paint job has made a welcome return. Its a promising recipe, and the F1 connection continues across Lotus motorsport portfolio with all the companys official race teams mirroring the famous F1 livery. The return to Formula One is in line with the companys ambitious plans for growth and restoring the brand to the top of the food chain. Eighteen months ago, Lotus shocked the world by unveiling five stunning new models and a blueprint for
taking on the likes of Ferrari, Aston Martin and Porsche. Formula One is the most significant component of its marketing drive, a platform that recalls the companys rich sporting heritage and broadcasts its exciting new era. Learning from the race track and adapting to the road has always been the Lotus way. These days, their expertise in lightweight architectures has enabled Lotus to be a leader in green vehicle technology. This is critical for the times we live in. But Lotus raison
detre remains performance and driving pleasure. Lotuses boast cat-like responses and the power-to-weight ratio of Bruce Lee. Todays Elise, Exige and Evora carry on these traditions with verve, creating new legends behind the wheel. The cars are telepathic to a drivers touch. To paraphrase Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, they corner like theyre on rails. This uncompromising quest for excellence, no shortage of sporting laurels, and a visionary attention
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to aesthetic style has made Lotus one of the most inspirational British brands, and among the very strongest in the automotive industry. It stands for innovation, passion, individuality, and gritty determination and the Lotus F1 Team is a key channel for communicating these core values.
Inside Line
Champion: Kimi made his F1 debut testing a sauber in 2000 at Italys mugello circuit. The only other driver on track, michael schumacher, saw enough to correctly declare him a future champion. Dahlman: on 31 July 2004 Kimi matias rikknen married Jenni Dahlman, a Finnish model and former miss scandinavia.
ENSTO NE
The eagerly anticipated 2012 Lotus F1 Team merchandise range is now available via our newly re-developed online store. A selection of branded goods is on offer, ranging from shirts to hand luggage. To view the full range visit: www.lotusoriginals.com/ en/category/lotus-f1-team/
Craftsman: romains grandfather on his mothers side was a very well known iron craftsman (edgar Brandt) who constructed the ironwork on the unknown soldiers grave under the Arc de Triomphe. Dual nationality: romain was born in geneva to a swiss father and a French mother on April 17, 1986.
n e w s
In numBers
our hIsTorY: mALAYsIAn gP
sePAng
LA Te sT
rikknen revamped
Kimis new website www.kimiraikkonen.com is now up and running, with a host of material to keep even the most die-hard fan entertained. Key features include news updates, driver profile, results summary, image gallery, multimedia area, fans forum and partners section.
Highest g-force experienced for 2.8 seconds at T5 Longest full throttle burst (sec) at start/finish straight % of the lap spent braking Total straight per lap (%) Number of gear changes per lap % of lap on full throttle Lowest apex speed (kmh) at T9 Highest apex speed (kmh) at T13 Top speed (kmh) Distance in metres from start line to first corner 15
Lotus F1 Team entered the inaugural malaysian grand Prix in 1999 under the Benetton name, with Austrian Alexander wurz and Italian giancarlo Fisichella at the wheel In its various guises the team has taken 2 wins in malaysia, with Fernando Alonso (renault, 2005) and giancarlo Fisichella (renault, 2006) The team has also achieved 10 malaysian grand Prix podiums, the first in 2003 (Fernando Alonso, renault) and the most recent in 2011 (nick heidfeld, Lotus renault gP) The sepang circuit is one Kimi knows well, having won here twice in 2003 and 2008. romain also has a strong record at the Kuala Lumpur venue, having finished 2nd in the 2008 gP2 Asia series feature race here.
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Cirebox
m eD IA
Co nT A C Ts
Lotus F1 Team Whiteways Technical Centre Enstone Oxfordshire OX7 4EE, UK Telephone +44 (0) 1608 678 000 Facsimile +44 (0) 1608 678 609 email pressoffice@lotusf1team.com stephane samson Head of Team Marketing and Communications stephane.samson@lotusf1team.com Clarisse hoffmann Senior Press Officer +44 (0) 7747 468 273 clarisse.hoffmann@lotusf1team.com Andy stobart Press Officer +44 (0) 7703 366 151 andy.stobart@lotusf1team.com Ben Cowley Press Officer / Social Media Coordinator +44 (0) 7795 121 094 ben.cowley@lotusf1team.com nicolas Faure Digital Media Manager nicolas.faure@lotusf1team.com website lotusf1team.com Twitter @lotus_f1team
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