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[Hexagram]

Lotus is scheduled to get its new Formula 1 car out on track for the first time at Jerez in Spain from February 17, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

The Hingham-based team, which is continuing its preparations for a return to grand prix racing in 2010, will join the final two F1 tests of the winter that take place before the first race of the season in Bahrain.

Chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne told AUTOSPORT: "We are actually a week ahead of schedule. When we got the entry on September 12, our schedule said we would fire up on February 12 - and we are now scheduled to fire up on February 5.

"After that, we will be at the second Jerez test and then the final one at Barcelona. That will be the first time the world will see the car in action - and we are hoping that chassis two will run for the last two days of the Barcelona test.

"Being a week ahead of schedule is pretty good considering it is modern F1. To get an entry on September 12 and to be there in good shape is not a bad effort."

Gascoyne has openly admitted that with Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen on board, the team's ambition is to be fighting in the midfield by the end of the season.

And although he concedes the start of the season will be tough, a big car upgrade already in the pipeline for the Spanish Grand Prix should provide a boost to performance.

"We've said we want to be the best of the new teams, and start not far off the back of the established teams," he said. "I still think that is possible - especially because there has been more and more disruption to some established teams.

"We said, if you are the best of the new teams then, with eight cars going out in Q1, you've only got to pick up one or two stragglers to get both cars into Q2 – and immediately you are a midfield team. That's if all the teams are there – which I hope they are because it helps us."

Speaking about the car development programme in the early stages of the season, Gascoyne said: "We started wind-tunnel testing in October so, by the time we finalise the car, sort of around now for the first race spec, we will have had two months of wind tunnel testing.

"By the time we are in at the first race, we have had five or six months of wind tunnel testing, so the spec we are going to bring to Barcelona is going to be based on a hell of a lot more work than we have been able to do now.

"We have made pretty rapid progress, and if we can maintain that then we will be in pretty good shape come Barcelona mid-season - and that is really where you have to target where you've got to be.

"Yes, there is the getting there – but we've done the getting there now, we are going to be there, and we are going to be in professional shape and we are going to be okay.

"Now it is about where are you mid-season, where are you end of season, and I want to end the season beating Force Indias and Toro Rossos and whoever is struggling – maybe Saubers. I want to be picking them off."

[Denthúl]

Good news, although I can see both Force India and Sauber beating Lotus next year, but I really do think Lotus will do better than Virgin, Campos, USF1 and Toro Rosso. They've got two decent drivers, both with good experience, and they appear to be well-funded and have a decent technical department. But with the progress Force India made last year I can't see them finishing poorly and Sauber will have had BMW's money and resources poured in to next year's car, so they should be in the mid-field at least, too.

[Hexagram]

Ya I agree. I can't see them being the worst team next year but they will be doing very well at any stage next year to get out of Q1.

[texasmr2]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsp ... 513511.stm

[Gaz]

Good news, although I can see both Force India and Sauber beating Lotus next year, but I really do think Lotus will do better than Virgin, Campos, USF1 and Toro Rosso. They've got two decent drivers, both with good experience, and they appear to be well-funded and have a decent technical department. But with the progress Force India made last year I can't see them finishing poorly and Sauber will have had BMW's money and resources poured in to next year's car, so they should be in the mid-field at least, too.

Lotus have two decent qualifyers Virgin has at least one better driver

[Cubejam]

Glock and Trulli were always almost identical mind. Almost identical qualifying & race pace. They managed to finish close to each other all the time. I wouldnt say glock is better...


I do think Lotus can challenge for a few points this season. To have two cars ready for the final test too, that'll be good!

[headless]

Have faith in Kovy

[Gaz]

Glock and Trulli were always almost identical mind. Almost identical qualifying & race pace. They managed to finish close to each other all the time. I wouldnt say glock is better...


I do think Lotus can challenge for a few points this season. To have two cars ready for the final test too, that'll be good!

Timo did better than Trulli up to Japan, even Kobi outscored Trulli over the last two races.

[scotty]

Glock and Trulli were always almost identical mind. Almost identical qualifying & race pace. They managed to finish close to each other all the time. I wouldnt say glock is better...


I do think Lotus can challenge for a few points this season. To have two cars ready for the final test too, that'll be good!

Timo did better than Trulli up to Japan, even Kobi outscored Trulli over the last two races.

Nah Trulli scored way more points than Glock!

[Hansy]

Damn Glock, he spent his time arguing with Sutil instead of racing

[cap-dude]

Glock and Trulli were always almost identical mind. Almost identical qualifying & race pace. They managed to finish close to each other all the time. I wouldnt say glock is better...


I do think Lotus can challenge for a few points this season. To have two cars ready for the final test too, that'll be good!

Timo did better than Trulli up to Japan, even Kobi outscored Trulli over the last two races.

Seriously, Glock had some woeful qualifying sessions. In Bahrain he was 3 tenths of Truili's time despite being around 1 or 2 laps lighter, and then managed to finish 7th whilst Truili was out fighting for 2nd. Didn't do well at Malaysia either (despite his very lucky podium) considering he was nearly 5 tenths slower than Truili, and dropped several positions during the dry race.

Glock was very up and down so whilst had great races like Singapore, and Hungary. He was out-paced by Truili on most days like Turkey and Silverstone. Glock's strength was being able to get soo much out of a car that had a heavy fuel load, thus he had some mighty drives from the back, on days like China and Hungary. But over a season Truili was much more consistent. People just tend to look overall Glocks generally poor qualifying sessions.

Then again, the Toyota was such a stupid and erratic car that even Toyota themselves didn't seem to understand why it was fast somedays and why it wasn't on others. So it's hardly fair to judge either Glock or Truili on 2009. None the less, as I said Glock was great on high fuel load runs, and thats why quite a few people tipped him to do well during 2010. But since he'll be racing for Virgin, it'll be hard to tell if thats the case.

[f1ea]

Damn Glock, he spent his time arguing with Sutil instead of racing

You mean Trulli?

[f1ea]

Good news, although I can see both Force India and Sauber beating Lotus next year, but I really do think Lotus will do better than Virgin, Campos, USF1 and Toro Rosso. They've got two decent drivers, both with good experience, and they appear to be well-funded and have a decent technical department. But with the progress Force India made last year I can't see them finishing poorly and Sauber will have had BMW's money and resources poured in to next year's car, so they should be in the mid-field at least, too.

Difficult to say where they will be... but seems like Lotus is at least organized enough to start making some progress. They hired 2 decent drivers and at least very good for where they are and what they need right now (they have good experience and hard working)...... To be honest, i think Lotus will do better than Toro Rosso by around mid-season, Sauber and Force India should do better (funding permitting). I think Sauber could be fighting with Renault for the occassional pt.

[Hansy]

Damn Glock, he spent his time arguing with Sutil instead of racing

You mean Trulli?

I mean sarcasm.

[headless]

Damn Glock, he spent his time arguing with Sutil instead of racing

You mean Trulli?

I mean sarcasm.

Yeah he's good he is