On Friday, Romain Grosjean said that he believes the 2015 season “will be very much about reminding people how good Lotus F1 Team and Romain Grosjean can be.” This comes after a disastrous previous season that saw Lotus only pick up ten points in the constructor’s championship.
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| Lotus should have a much stronger outing in 2015 after switching to Mercedes power. — Photo: Lotus F1 Team |
Over the off-season, the team switched from Renault to Mercedes power and are hoping it will give them an edge in the upcoming season. After successful test sessions in Jerez and Catalunya, the team should be feeling more confident than they were heading into the Australian grand Prix last year.
And rightfully so, too. With Mercedes now powering the car, Lotus should be much more competitive than they were last year when their highest finish was eighth place. Four of the top six constructors ran with Mercedes power, including the champions Mercedes AMG Petronas. Ferrari and Renault power claimed the other two positions. Three of the top six drivers in the points standings were also behind Mercedes-powered machines.
Besides Ricciardo, Vettel, and Alonso, all of the drivers in the top twelve positions in the points standings were running Mercedes power. Obviously, even with the engine switch, it isn’t guaranteed that Lotus will be able to beat out these other teams. Driver skill plays the biggest role in securing good finishes, but being closer to the fight will certainly help out.
Grosjean acknowledged that “we still have work to do and our car’s not perfect” for 2015, but it’s better than what they had going into last season. If the team can avoid just a few of the eleven technical failures they experienced last season, there’s no reason they can’t be fighting for points paying finishes every race.
The Single Seater 