ZitatLotus connect with EMC to develop 2014 car 30 May 2013 | Posted in Technology Services, Motorsport, Europe | By Michael Long
The Lotus Formula One team has partnered with global IT firm EMC Corporation.
The four-year agreement will see EMC implement its cloud technology to enable Lotus to use ‘more agile and cost-efficient storage’, both at its Enstone factory and at the track.
EMC’s services will also be used to manage, protect and analyse information as the team begins to develop its 2014 car, which will be subject to new regulations regarding its design, aerodynamics and engineering.
In return EMC gains access to Lotus’ existing network of IT and technical partners, as well as a range of hospitality and incentive packages.
Lotus’ chief executive Patrick Louis said: “This is another step forwards for Lotus F1 Team as we transform how we deliver our IT services at both Enstone and trackside locations throughout the world.
“By providing converged infrastructure and cloud ready technology and solutions, EMC will help us accelerate our journey to the cloud, ensuring that as a business, we are best placed to leverage the benefits of a secure, flexible, robust business oriented IT-as-a-service model (ITaaS).”
EMC’s executive vice president of product operations and marketing Jeremy Burton added: “The 2014 season will see a raft of rule changes and a revolution in the way Formula One cars are designed and built. With the emphasis on greater aerodynamic efficiency and a 35 per cent reduction in fuel consumption, the technical director’s challenge is greater than ever and EMC is delighted to have joined Lotus F1 Team’s portfolio of technical partners.”
ZitatA Potential Dilemma For Lotus? Date: 31st May 2013 at 12:15 pm
After a solid but unspectacular start to the 2013 season, Romain Grosjean’s clumsy altercation with Daniel Ricciardo has reignited the debate over whether he deserves his Lotus seat for much longer.
For Lotus chief Eric Boullier, who also manages the Franco-Swiss racer, it must be incredibly frustrating. All could see last season that Grosjean had undeniable speed, and all he needed to do was to link in some added maturity after being involved in too many opening lap crashes.
His tangle with the Toro Rosso was close to the end of a dreadful Monaco Grand Prix weekend (generally a circuit that sorts men from boys, given its tight nature) and it leaves question marks over his future.
It can’t be easy being paired with the relentlessly consistent and title-chasing Kimi Raikkonen, and if that wasn’t bad enough, he also has GP2 champion Davide Valsecchi breathing down his neck.
He will be familiar with the Italian’s abilities – in 2011, Grosjean won the GP2 Asia series of which Valsecchi was the title holder of. Amazingly, Valsecchi then went on to win Grosjean’s GP2 title in 2012, and the pair continue to shadow each other at Lotus now.
It seems that Grosjean has tempered his talent a little too much in trying to stay calm – and one wonders if these two factors can ever marry well enough to turn the 27-year-old into a consistent, top racer.
These are difficult times too for a rookie with no in-season testing – so if Lotus were looking at bringing in Valsecchi long-term, it would probably do them little harm to bring him in toward the end of the season and giving him half a year’s F1 experience – especially if Grosjean is by that time light-years away from Raikkonen, which could well happen if the Finn continues his incredible, metronomic run of point-scoring.
Boullier, however, remains patient in pulling the trigger, and with good reason more than just potentially upsetting the driver he manages. He may give off the notion that is unfazed by rumoured Red Bull interest in Raikkonen, but if Mark Webber decides enough is enough of being Sebastian Vettel’s rear-guard, there is every possibility that the opportunity of taking on Vettel in his own team would appeal to the 2007 World Champion.
If Boullier was to oust Grosjean now and lose Raikkonen to the champions, he’ll only be left with Valsecchi, and finding a replacement driver may not be so easy. Paul di Resta has undeniable talent, but would he be able to lead a Lotus squad potentially challenging for the title? The same questions have to be asked of similar-rated drivers, such as Nico Hulkenberg.
If Webber does leave Red Bull there’s no guarantee he’d stick around, and Felipe Massa looks more and more comfortable in his Ferrari seat since late 2012. So it’s a horrible dilemma for the Lotus team, who know they have a driver capable of big results – there was enough proof of that in his 3rd-place finish in Bahrain.
For now, Boullier is probably doing the right thing in standing by his driver – but Grosjean may not want to test his boss’ patience for too much longer.
ZitatF1: Lotus boss Eric Boullier answers your questions
Last week, we asked you via Twitter and Facebook to submit any of your questions Eric Boullier.
Over the weekend of the Canadian Grand Prix, Auto123.com met with the Lotus team boss to answer them.
Question: Are you optimistic that Kimi will stay at Lotus for a few more years? Eric Boullier: “Yes. Kimi is a priority for us. And yes, I am optimistic to see him stay with us.”
Q: Will Lotus give preferential treatment to Kimi who has the best chances to fight for the world championship? Boullier: “We will continue to offer identical treatment to both drivers. However, priority will go to the driver who will be leading from the sporting perspective.”
Q: Since Mercedes had the chance to do a test with their 2013 car, will Lotus ask the FIA to do a similar one? Boullier: “No, not at all. You don’t change the rules during the season.”
Q: What’s the state of the relations between Lotus and Robert Kubica who is currently benefitting from Citroen and Mercedes’ motorsport commitments? Boullier: “I’ve had a some contact with Robert through text messages but they’ve been pretty informal. Nothing more.”
Q: Why couldn’t you just admit that the team needed money and that is the reason you chased out Nick Heidfeld, and not for underperformance as you spun to the media? Did the money Bruno [Senna] brought to the team simply go to buy out Nick's contract? Boullier: “Not at all, however, I cannot say much about this because of the legal agreement we have with Nick. We used the Senna name to attract new sponsors to the team, but it’s not for that reason that we released Nick, though. Bruno was our third driver at the time and it was just a logical and contractual step forward.”
Q: Who will be driving for Lotus next year? Eric Boullier: “Our priority is to keep the same driver line-up.”
Q: Will you offer Mark Webber a contract for 2014? Boullier: “No. Not at all.”
Q: Do you consider yourself one of the big teams, or a smaller one punching above its weight? Boullier: “We have the tools and the technology to be one of the top teams. We will continue to develop -- step by step -- to become one of them.”
Q: When will you find a competent number 2 driver to pair with Kimi? Boullier: “What do you mean by competent? Romain’s speed has helped Kimi to raise his game.”
Q: What is your favourite Grand Prix moment, irrespective of whether it was in the past or the current era of Formula 1? Boullier: “Without a doubt Abu Dhabi 2012 when Kimi won the race”.
Q: Which do you prefer; a pint of Black (Guinness) or a shot of Gold (Whisky)? Boullier (smiling): “The whiskey.”
*Please note that Boullier did not try to avoid a question. We regrouped questions that were very similar or covered the same topic.
ZitatQ: When will you find a competent number 2 driver to pair with Kimi? Boullier: “What do you mean by competent? Romain’s speed has helped Kimi to raise his game.”
Can someone send this to Boulier?:
Zitatcom·pe·tent /ˈkämpətənt/ Adjective Having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successfully. (of a person) Efficient and capable. Synonyms able - capable - qualified - fit - proficient - efficient
ZitatLopez won't accept any extra limbo from Lotus anymore
F1 | Turun Sanomat 00:58
Gerard Lopez set the goal for Lotus this season to improve the championship standings from last year. It would mean at least silver in WDC and at least bronze in WCC.
Kimi Räikkönen and Lotus stayed well in the schedule until summer, but now after seven races the driver is 3rd and the team 4th, in other words exactly where they ended last season.
They got only three points from the last two races, points that Räikkönen scored. Romain Grosjean has now raced three races in a row without scoring any points. Hence the rumours about him being replaced by Davide Valsecchi grow stronger and stronger.
Lopez followed the race with a serious face, still he wasn't ready to throw the towel in Montreal.
– Races like these don't really help our championship battle. It's clear that we can't afford to have a third race like this in Silverstone, Lopez told Turun Sanomat.
– Monaco is Monaco and here we got a bad start to the weekend with the weather. We took wrong tracks, but I want the team to be back in the leading battle next race.
– Both of our championship-standings suffered badly. We can't accept this. I definitely excpect us to be strong in Silverstone, just like we were pre Monaco.
Did James Allison's departure affect the results?
– It had no influence. He is a good man but he is not a God, Lopez emphasized.
Then what about the rumour mill around Räikkönen. What is Kimi's situation with Lopez and Lotus?
– Everything is completely okay with Kimi, Lopez assured.
Eric Boullier walked around with a gloomy shadow, but he emphasized that there is no reason to panic.
ZitatLotus criticise Pirelli over ‘very conservative’ tyre choices By Andrew Benson Chief F1 writer
Lotus have accused Pirelli of making overly conservative tyre choices for two of the next three races. Tyres have become a hugely contentious issue this season, with some teams lobbying Pirelli to use harder ones. Lotus's Alan Permane said the decision to take the medium and hard tyres to Hungary was "very conservative". But Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery said: "The tyres are more aggressive this year. They've all got the same - get on with it." Many of Lotus's rivals have run cars this season that are harder on their tyres, forcing them to pit for fresh rubber. “ It absolutely doesn't make sense. They're too hard for that track ” Alan Permane Lotus trackside operations director He also questioned the choice of the same tyres for the British Grand Prix. "It's unusual to take the same tyres to Hungary as to Bahrain and Silverstone," Permane said. "We didn't have those tyres last year. We had medium and soft last year and people did two stops. So it absolutely doesn't make sense - they're too hard for that track." Pirelli made changes to all four of its tyres - 'hard', 'medium', 'soft' and 'super-soft' - this year in an attempt to promote more pit stops after admitting it had chosen tyres that were too conservative in the last third of 2012. But the decision led to criticism from world champions Red Bull, who said the tyres were too soft and were preventing the drivers from pushing to the limit. Mercedes, who are struggling with excessive rear tyre usage, have also lobbied for more conservative choices. In contrast, Lotus, Ferrari and Force India have cars that are easier on the tyres and feel there is nothing wrong with the choices Pirelli has made so far this season. Pirelli took the 'soft' and 'hard' tyres to the British race last year, but have chosen the 'medium' and the 'hard' for this year's event on 28-30 June. Permane added: "They went softer to try to encourage more pit stops. There's no point in them going softer with the tyres if they're just going to take different harder tyres everywhere. "This is exactly what they did in the last few races of last year. They brought harder and harder tyres and we just ended up doing one stop. "And last year they said they didn't want to interfere in the championship so they took conservative tyres, but I never really understood what that meant." Lotus team boss Eric Boullier is expected to raise the issue with Pirelli. BBC Sport understands at least one other top team also have concerns about the choice of the 'medium' and the 'hard' tyres for Hungary.
Guide to the tyres in Formula 1 A Pirelli spokesperson added: "The compound choices are made taking into account the data available, in particular track characteristics and expected weather conditions, in order to stay in the window of two to three pit stops." For the German Grand Prix, following Silverstone, the medium and soft tyres will be available, and in Hungary at the end of July the hard and medium again. Pirelli has made a more conservative choice on tyre compounds than last year in both Britain and Hungary - last year the hard and the soft were used in Britain and the medium and the soft in Hungary. This year's tyres are all approximately one grade softer than last year's - so this year's hard is effectively last year's medium in terms of rubber compound, and so on.
Lotus has new part-owners in the form of Infinity Racing
Genii Capital has sold 35% of its stake in Lotus to Infinity Racing but retains control of the team.
Infinity Racing is an investment consortium made up of private investors including 'an American hedge fund manager, an Abu Dhabi-based multinational business group and royal family interests of a major oil producing nation'. The team has been without a title sponsor so far this season and Genii Capital co-founder Gerard Lopez - who remains team chairman - believes the new part-owners will help increase its sponsorship options.
"Infinity Racing's principals have exceptional expertise and a proven strong track record in developing and delivering high quality technologies," Lopez said. "This partnership will enable us to increase Lotus F1 Team's competitive advantage related to KERS technology as it becomes more central to Formula 1's push for environmentally sound racing, while also making Lotus F1 Team more marketable as a brand, opening up additional major sponsorship opportunities."
ZitatJon Noble @NobleF1 8m Just to clarify on the Lotus story: Infinity Racing has nothing to do with Red Bull title sponsor Infiniti
ZitatJon Noble @NobleF1 6m So the Lotus team that's nothing to do with Lotus road cars, is part-owned by Infinity Racing that's nothing to do with Infiniti. All clear?
ZitatJon Noble @NobleF1 6m So the Lotus team that's nothing to do with Lotus road cars, is part-owned by Infinity Racing that's nothing to do with Infiniti. All clear?
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