Wednesday in Malaysia

Source: lotusf1team.com

Scorching sun, intense humidity and the traditional afternoon monsoon were the order of the day in Kuala Lumpur, as the team continued preparations for this weekend’s race. Luckily there were plenty of isotonic drinks and bottles of water on hand to keep the crew hydrated for a busy day at the track.

After another late night on Tuesday, the support team had the garage and related facilities up and running ready to welcome the rest of the crew to the paddock. Compared to the ‘cosy’ environment of the Melbourne paddock the Malaysian facilities felt positively spacious, and with the climate control working in overdrive, nice and cool to boot. Of course that all changes upon stepping out into the heat of Kuala Lumpur; if only the team back at Enstone could create some kind of mobile air conditioned bubble…

Moving through the garage, the mechanics have been hard at work ensuring the cars are assembled ready for the first engine fire-up tomorrow. A host of tools, equipment and of course bodies line the pit bays as the E20s transform from a gathering of parts into the fire-breathing machines that propel Kimi and Romain around the world’s finest circuits.

As the crew continue to work away, Romain and Jérôme arrive – fresh from one of their now infamous tennis matches – and spend time around the garage catching up with the men and women who make their job possible. While it may not seem significant to the average observer, these are the moments which make the family atmosphere at Lotus F1 Team what it is. Of course, the drivers haven’t turned up just to spend all day milling around chatting – as always there’s work to be done! The main item on the agenda today is the track walk.

The Sepang International Circuit is quite something to behold from down on the tarmac itself. Long straights followed by hard braking zones, seemingly endless sweeping curves and severe undulations; it’s no wonder Romain lists this as one of his favourite tracks. What makes this venue all the more unique is that behind the immense grandstands, the forest stretches as far as the eye can see. Not a bad place to spend a weekend!

Pacing round the 5.5km circuit – with our man on the ground once again feeling the effects of one too many pies, and significantly too few sessions in the Human Performance Centre – the opportunity to listen in on Romain’s conversations with the engineers makes for an intriguing day’s exercise.

Recounting epic battles around the track from his GP2 days, studying the corners which have seen the most incidents (including Vitaly Petrov’s spectacular aerobatics last season at the exit of turn 7), and focusing on where the most time can be gained or lost, Romain is in a typically relaxed state of mind as he takes everything in his stride – no pun intended!

As for Jérôme, by the first corner he had disappeared into the distance; his competitive side clearly on display, even during a stroll round the park!

Kimi at this point was otherwise engaged, although upon our return (and after several minutes spent catching breath), a glance into the freezer back in the hospitality suite revealed a surprisingly low supply of ice-cream…

With only one day left before they take to the track, Kimi and Romain will be appearing at an event hosted by Lotus F1 Team and Proton tomorrow for a Q&A session and meet & greet with Lotus Cars Club of Malaysia members.

Malaysian Grand Prix – What’s At Stake This Weekend

Lotus F1 Team looks at how the Formula 1 grid stacks up heading into round 2 of the World Championship at the Sepang International Circuit:

After one of the most inconclusive winter testing programmes in recent memory, there were a lot of questions to be answered at the season opener in Melbourne. While some were definitively put to rest, the majority of the grid still remains a relative unknown.

Starting at the front, it seems McLaren just about have the edge on the rest of the field at present, after a dominant performance in qualifying which almost resulted in a perfect weekend for the Woking squad. They will be looking to carry that momentum into the next race.

While not quite emulating the dominance of 2011 at this stage, Red Bull are undoubtedly hot on the heels of their main rivals, and a strong performance from Sebastian Vettel proves that the World Champions are not about to roll over and let their title slip away. Expect a fight back from the Milton Keynes outfit this weekend.

Behind the leading pair, it’s anyone’s guess how the next group lie after the first race. With better luck, Lotus F1 Team would almost certainly have had both cars in Q3 and pushing for top 5 places had Kimi’s qualifying issues not arisen, and Romain not been cruelly ruled out in the early stages. The aim should be to sit at the sharp end of the chasing pack in Malaysia.

Ferrari’s troubles have been well documented, with Massa only avoiding Q1 elimination thanks to Kimi’s misfortune and even Alonso having to wrestle the F2012 into the points, it seems the famous prancing horse has some catching up to do.

Mercedes have shown good pace (particularly with their straight line speed) while Williams, Force India, Sauber and Toro Rosso have all shown flashes of potential to regularly challenge in the top 10.

Beyond this unpredictable (and uncharacteristically evenly matched) group, things are slightly more predictable. Caterham have clearly made strides forward, but must push on further if they are to hang on to the coat tails of the teams in front.

Marussia will be pleased to have made the grid after their trials and tribulations over the winter, and will look to build on that in Malaysia. HRT on the other hand have suffered a disappointing start by failing to qualify in Australia – a situation they will hopefully rectify for this weekend’s race.

Of course one race does not make a season, however with such a close field and a host of world class talent on show, 2012 looks set to be a closely run battle throughout the paddock.